Bergenfield, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Chapter 208, adopted in 2003 and rewritten entirely in 2018, regulates massage, bodywork and somatic therapy establishments as a conditional use permitted only in the B-1 Zone; the use is not permitted as a primary use in any other zone of the Borough. Location standards keep a massage premises at least 100 feet from a church or house of worship, a day-care center, or a school, and cap the space devoted to the business at 2,500 square feet, with parking calculated as for a retail store or personal service establishment and site plan approval required from the Planning Board.

A. ; administering massage without that state license is separately prohibited in the Borough. Both the establishment and each individual practitioner need a Borough of Bergenfield Health Department license, renewed annually, requiring digital fingerprinting through the State Police, a criminal background check, and detailed applicant information including prior business history and license history. Licensing fees are $250 annually for the massage business and $100 for each licensed practitioner, all nonrefundable, plus the criminal background check fee. m. Anyone under 18 may only receive a massage with a parent's advance written permission or presence. Licenses are nontransferable, and the Health Department, Police, Construction and Fire Departments may all inspect the premises.