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

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Establishment license fee
$1,000.00 annually
Individual license fee
$250.00 annually
License renewal date
Due February 1st each year
Opposite-sex treatment
Prohibited outside airport/mall
Licensing office
Supervisor of licenses

Summary

Elizabeth requires a separate license for every massage business premises and for each individual masseur or masseuse, issued by the supervisor of licenses. Establishment licenses cost $1,000 a year, individual licenses cost $250, and both are due every February 1st.

No person, firm or corporation shall operate any establishment or utilize any premises in the city as or for a massage business unless and until there first has been obtained a license for such establishment or premises from the supervisor of licenses of the city, in accordance with the terms and provisions of this chapter.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).

Full Breakdown

020). 030). 040). 050). A. 070(B)-(C)). 070(A)).

Violations & Fines

Operating a massage business or working as a masseur or masseuse without the required license from the supervisor of licenses violates Sections 5.56.010 and 5.56.020, and the supervisor can refuse to issue or renew any license tied to an applicant with a criminal record or other evidence of bad moral character under Section 5.56.050. Treating a client of the opposite sex outside the airport and mall exception also violates the chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do individual massage therapists need their own license in Elizabeth, separate from the business?
Yes. Section 5.56.020 requires every masseur or masseuse to hold a personal license from the supervisor of licenses in addition to the establishment license the business itself must hold under Section 5.56.010, and the individual license costs $250.00 a year.
Can Elizabeth deny a massage license because of a criminal record?
Yes. Section 5.56.050 lets the supervisor of licenses reject an application or renewal, for either the establishment or the individual therapist, if the applicant's past criminal record or other evidence of bad character suggests granting the license would encourage criminal or immoral activity.
Is opposite-sex massage banned in Elizabeth?
Generally yes. Section 5.56.060 prohibits a masseur or masseuse from treating a person of the opposite sex, with a narrow carve-out in Section 5.56.070 for fully clothed, publicly visible chair massage by state-licensed therapists at Newark Liberty Airport's Terminal A or the Jersey Gardens Mall.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Elizabeth

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All Elizabeth rules

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