Colorado Springs, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

City Code § 2.3.102 makes it unlawful to operate a massage business without a valid massage business license for each premises, and requires the license be displayed conspicuously where clients enter. Applicants must submit background information on every equity holder (10%+ owner), a description of services, proof officers/managers are at least 18, proof of possession of the premises, the zone district, and a scaled diagram (max 8.5" x 11") showing room uses, exterior fencing/walls and entry points (§ 2.3.103). Each principal, managing agent, and equity holder's criminal history involving dishonesty, fraud, violence, weapons, substance abuse, or sexual/prostitution-related misconduct, anywhere, not just Colorado, can be weighed in granting, renewing, revoking, or suspending the license (§ 2.3.103.C, E).

Fees are set by City Council and are non-refundable; every license expires exactly one year after issuance (§ 2.3.104). Nine categories are exempt from licensing, including accredited schools, government massage programs, sports-team training rooms, health-care offices where massage is incidental, licensed barbers/cosmetologists, charity events capped at 72 hours per six months, self-employed therapists working from their own or a client's home, spas at 100+ room hotels, and modality-specific practices such as reflexology or Rolfing (§ 2.3.105). The Police Department and City Clerk's Office may inspect a licensed premises at any reasonable time during operating hours, including locked areas, to check compliance and required records, which must be kept for three years after an employee's or contractor's term ends (§ 2.3.108).

Operating between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. is unlawful outright for any massage business (§ 2.3.107.D), and licenses may be denied, suspended, or revoked for misrepresentation, prior revocations here or elsewhere, unpaid City fees, or a threat to public health or safety (§ 2.3.106).