Harnett County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Massagist license fee
- $50 per year
- Massage parlor license fee
- $500 per year
- Licensing authority
- County Sheriff
- Allowed hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Applicant screening
- Fingerprinting required
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $50 fine or 30 days
Summary
Harnett County requires a Sheriff-issued license before anyone works as a massagist or operates a massage parlor. Massagists pay $50 a year, parlors pay $500, and licenses must be renewed annually. Applicants who are under 18, have a sexual-misconduct conviction, or previously violated this chapter cannot be licensed.
§ 116.03 LICENSE REQUIRED. A person may not work as a massagist or operate a massage parlor unless licensed. (Ord. passed 7-19-1976) Penalty, see § 116.99 § 116.04 ISSUING OF LICENSES; FEE REQUIRED. The Sheriff shall issue a license to any eligible person who pays an annual fee of $50 for a massagist's license or of $500 for a massage parlor license. Such licenses shall be valid for one year only and must be renewed annually.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-7: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through 11-18-2024; and State Legislation current through 2024 Legislative Service #2).
Full Breakdown
04 puts the Sheriff in charge of issuing them: $50 a year for a massagist, $500 a year for a parlor, both good for one year. S. Chapter 14, Articles 26 or 27, anyone under 18, or anyone previously convicted of violating this chapter. 06. , no massagist may massage anyone under 18 except under a licensed health professional's direction, and licensees must supervise employees or risk revocation for failing to suppress illegal activity. 09. 28, makes it unlawful for a licensed massagist or parlor to massage a person of the opposite sex for a fee unless a licensed health professional signs an order for it.
Violations & Fines
Section 116.99 makes violating §§ 116.01-116.11 a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $50 or up to 30 days in jail, and separately punishes violations of §§ 116.25-116.28 (opposite-sex massage for hire) the same way. Beyond criminal fines, § 116.10 lets the Board of Commissioners revoke a license after a licensee's conviction for sexual misconduct or a chapter violation, following written notice and a due-process hearing; a conviction under the opposite-sex subchapter is separately made revocation grounds by § 116.28.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a massage parlor license in Harnett County?
What hours can a Harnett County massage parlor operate?
Can a massage license be revoked?
Is massaging someone of the opposite sex for hire legal there?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Harnett County
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