Dallas County, TX Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- State law
- TX Occupations Code Ch. 455
- License issuer
- Texas TDLR
- County program
- None
- Local permits
- Each city sets
- Trafficking unit
- Dallas County DA
Summary
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455 makes massage therapy a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation program; Dallas County does not issue its own massage licenses. The Dallas County Sheriff and District Attorney partner with cities and TDLR on illicit massage and trafficking enforcement.
Sec. 455.151. LICENSE REQUIRED. (a) Unless the person is exempt from the licensing requirement, a person may not act as a massage therapist, massage school, massage therapy instructor, or massage establishment unless the person holds an appropriate license issued under this chapter. (b) Unless the person is exempt from the licensing requirement, a person may not represent that the person is a massage therapist, massage school, massage therapy instructor, or massage establishment unless the person holds an appropriate license under this chapter. (c) A person may not for compensation perform or offer to perform any service with a purported health benefit that involves physical contact with a client unless the person: (1) holds an appropriate license issued under this chapter ...
Full Breakdown
Under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455, every massage therapist, instructor, school, and establishment operating in Dallas County must hold a TDLR license. TDLR sets training, exam, sanitation, and posting requirements statewide and conducts inspections through its enforcement division. Dallas County, as a Texas county, has no authority to add a separate establishment license; cities like Dallas (Code Chapter 41), Irving, and Plano layer municipal permits and zoning. Dallas County Sheriff's Vice Unit and the Dallas County District Attorney's Human Trafficking Bureau partner with TDLR investigators on illicit massage parlor cases under Penal Code 20A and Occupations Code 455.302. Suspicious operations can be reported to TDLR or DCSO.
Violations & Fines
Practicing massage without TDLR licensure is a Class A misdemeanor under Occupations Code 455.351. Licensees face administrative penalties, license revocation, and possible referral to the Dallas County DA for trafficking-adjacent prosecutions when warranted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dallas County issue massage licenses?
How do I report a suspected illicit massage business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dallas County
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