Chatham County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Annual business license, § 16-802
- Zoning
- Commercial or industrial zoned area only
- Distance rule
- 200 yards / 600 ft from schools, churches, parks
- Background check
- Police Chief certification of no convictions
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 30 days jail, § 16-810
Summary
Any massage therapy practice operating in unincorporated Chatham County needs its own annual business license under Sec. 16-802, separate from the therapist's state license. The practice must sit in a commercially or industrially zoned area at least 200 yards from a school, church, park, hospital or private residence.
It is declared that for the protection of the public health, safety and general welfare, massage therapy practices shall be regulated and that an annual business license shall be required to operate a massage therapy practice in unincorporated Chatham County, Georgia. Any license issued hereunder shall be subject to the regulations, restrictions and revocation as set forth herein. The annual license fee for each massage therapy practice shall be the amount set forth in §16-132 Regulatory Fees and References. ... The location of the massage therapy practice shall not be within 200 yards (600 feet) of any property containing a church, religious book store, public park, public housing project, hospital, any school, college, recreation center or private residence.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-802 declares massage therapy practices regulated for public health, safety and welfare and requires an annual business license, with the fee set in Sec. 16-132's regulatory fee schedule, before anyone can operate a massage therapy practice in the unincorporated county. Sec. 16-805 spells out what the county weighs before granting that license: the applicant's moral character, whether the location sits in an area zoned for commercial or industrial use, traffic effects, and impact on surrounding property values, plus a Chief of Police certification that the applicant has not been convicted of a crime and that the location clears the distance rule.
That distance rule is set out again on its own in Sec. 16-807: the practice cannot be within 200 yards, 600 feet, of any church, religious bookstore, public park, public housing project, hospital, school, college, recreation center or private residence, and no license issues for a location that violates this section or the zoning ordinance. Sec. 16-803 designates every licensed practice a public place. Sec. 16-804 bans genital massage, acts of public indecency, and pandering, pimping or soliciting for prostitution on the premises outright. Sec.
16-812 requires the license be displayed near the entrance where every customer can see it, and Sec. 16-813 makes the license non-transferable, expiring on the date printed on it.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the Sec. 16-802 license, violating the 200-yard distance rule in Sec. 16-807, or violating any prohibition in Sec. 16-804 is grounds for revocation under Sec. 16-808, following a hearing before the Director of Building Safety and Regulatory Services on at least seven days' notice per Sec. 16-809. Sec. 16-810 backs the ordinance with a fine of not more than $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Sec. 16-811 separately criminalizes operating with no license at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chatham County license massage businesses separately from the state massage therapist license?
How close can a massage business be to a school or church in Chatham County?
What can get a massage establishment's license revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
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