Bellevue, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Required license
- State DOL massage practitioner license
- Governing statute
- RCW 18.108.030
- Local charge
- Misdemeanor, BCC 10.06.090
- Inspection authority
- Police may inspect premises, RCW 18.108.190
- Local establishment chapter
- BCC 5.28 repealed by Ord. 4890
Summary
Bellevue requires anyone practicing massage in the city to hold a Washington State Department of Licensing massage practitioner license under RCW 18.108.030. Practicing or advertising as a massage practitioner without that license is a misdemeanor under BCC 10.06.090, and city officers can inspect massage business premises.
It shall be unlawful for any person to practice or represent themselves as a massage practitioner in the city of Bellevue without first applying for and receiving a license to practice from the State Department of Licensing pursuant to RCW 18.108.030. Failure to have a license as required by this section shall be a misdemeanor. To the extent authorized by RCW 18.108.190, city law enforcement personnel shall have the authority to inspect the premises of any business where massages are given. For purposes of this section, "massage" and "massage practitioner" shall have the meanings set forth in RCW 18.108.010.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030. 28 (Massage Parlors and Public Bathhouses), was repealed by Ord. 4890, so the state practitioner license carries the regulatory weight for both individual practitioners and the businesses that employ them. Failure to hold the required state license is charged directly as a misdemeanor under the city code, giving Bellevue police and municipal court jurisdiction over an unlicensed-practice case rather than leaving it purely to the state licensing board. 190 authorizes it, Bellevue law enforcement personnel may inspect the premises of any business where massages are given, which lets officers check for licensed practitioners on-site without a separate administrative warrant process.
010, so the same scope questions that apply under state law (what counts as massage versus other bodywork, who is exempted) control locally as well. The ordinance traces to Ord. 5622 § 2 (2005), when Bellevue consolidated a range of licensing and nuisance offenses into BCC Title 10.
Violations & Fines
Practicing or holding oneself out as a massage practitioner in Bellevue without the required state license is a misdemeanor under BCC 10.06.090, prosecuted in Bellevue Municipal Court and punishable under the general misdemeanor penalty provisions of BCC Title 10. Operating a massage business that allows unlicensed practitioners to work on-site exposes the business to the same inspection and enforcement exposure, since officers may inspect the premises under RCW 18.108.190.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bellevue issue its own massage establishment license?
Can Bellevue police inspect a massage business without a warrant?
What happens if a practitioner works in Bellevue without a state license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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