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

Chapter 309, Massage Establishments, was adopted 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 6235-01 and, per the editor's note, did not apply to existing establishments or massagists until 2-1-2002. Section 309-2 bars any person, firm or corporation from operating a massage establishment or using any premises in Clifton for one 'unless or until there first has been obtained a license' from the City Clerk. Section 309-3 separately requires anyone who renders services 'as a massagist' to hold an individual massagist's license, with the application including a photograph of the applicant.

Section 309-4 requires three years of prior addresses and, for massagists, three years of prior employment history, plus disclosure of any prior criminal conviction. Section 309-5 sets the fees: $150 a year for an establishment license and $50 a year for a massagist license, both due January 1 annually. Under § 309-6, the Municipal Council can refuse an establishment license if the operation would violate the City's Building, Health, Housing, Zoning or Fire Codes, or if a manager or operator has been convicted of a felony, a sex offense, or obscenity/prostitution-related offenses; § 309-7 applies the same criminal-history screen to individual massagist licenses, decided by the City Clerk.

Section 309-8 lets the Council suspend or revoke an establishment license after a hearing on 10 days' written notice for chapter violations or a disqualifying conviction. A. 45:11-53 et seq. Section 309-10 requires a legible sign identifying the premises as a massage establishment at the main entrance and at each exit.