Bucks County, PA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Ordinance No. 166 (2022), as amended by Ordinance No. 171 (2023), makes it unlawful to operate a "Regulated Establishment" (any place in the county where massage/alternative therapy is administered for a fee, other than a hospital, nursing home, medical clinic, a small nail/hair salon, or a licensed physician's or therapist's office) without registering with and being licensed by the County. Every massage therapist working at the establishment must hold a current Commonwealth of Pennsylvania massage therapist license, and the owner must submit copies of those licenses with a completed application, proof of other required business licenses, and government-issued photo ID for the applicant and employees.

Applicants must consent to a criminal background check and allow inspection of the proposed premises; no construction or major renovation may begin until the County reviews and approves the building plans. The biennial license fee is $100 for one therapy room, $200 for two, and $300 for three or more, adjustable by the Board of Commissioners after January 1, 2024. The County must grant or deny the license within 60 days of a complete application, and must deny it if the applicant failed to submit approved building plans or if the applicant or an employee was convicted of human trafficking, sexual or indecent assault, prostitution, exploitation of a minor, or racketeering offenses.

A denied applicant may appeal within 10 days to a Hearing Officer named by the Board of Commissioners, who must rule within 60 days. Licenses are non-transferable, expire two years after issuance, and require a renewal application at least 60 days before expiration. Ordinance No. 171 added that a Regulated Establishment operating at least 60 days before Ordinance No. 166 took effect may seek a waiver of the Section II requirements from the County, and that if the County cannot determine compliance within the 60-day review window it may refer the application to the County Law Department, with the applicant entitled to notice and a refund of the application fee during that review.