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Greenwood, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

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

Key Facts

Permitting agency
Greenwood Police Department
Health co-approval
Johnson County Health Department
Establishment permit fee
$25, non-refundable
Masseur/masseuse permit fee
$5, non-refundable
Operating hours
8am-10pm Mon-Sat; noon-8pm Sun
Hearing notice required
10 days' written notice

Summary

In the City of Greenwood, Indiana, no one may operate a massage establishment without a Police Department permit approved by the Johnson County Health Department. Businesses may run only 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. six days a week and noon to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, and the Chief of Police can revoke a permit after a hearing for violations or disqualifying convictions.

Sec. 4-72 Hours of Operation. ... A massage establishment shall not carry on, engage in, or conduct business before 8:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. six days of the week, with Sunday hours limited to noon to 8:00 p.m. ... ... Sec. 4-86 Permits Required for Establishments. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct or carry on or to permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises, the operation of a massage establishment without a permit issued by the Police Department after the approval of the Director of the County Health Department. ... ... Sec. 4-87 Permit Fee. Every applicant for a permit to maintain, operate or conduct a massage establishment shall file an application with the Chief of Police and pay a filing fee of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00), which shall not be refundable. ... ... Sec. 4-92 Revocation or Suspension. ( ... a) Any permit issued for a massage establishment shall be revoked or suspended by the Chief of Police, after a public hearing before the Chief of Police, where it is found that any of the provisions of this Division are violated ...

Full Breakdown

Greenwood General Ordinances Division VII regulates massage establishments separately from licensed massage therapists. Sec. 4-86 makes it unlawful to operate a massage establishment without a permit issued by the Police Department after approval from the Director of the Johnson County Health Department. The $25 non-refundable filing fee under Sec. 4-87 goes to the Chief of Police along with an application describing the exact nature of the massage to be administered and the proposed facilities (Sec. 4-88). Applicants for the establishment permit and for individual masseur/masseuse permits (Sec.

4-93, $5 fee under Sec. 4-94) must be at least eighteen, submit photographs and fingerprints, and disclose any criminal convictions; the Chief may deny a masseur permit for felony, obscenity, prostitution, pandering, or sexual-misconduct convictions unless at least ten years have passed with no repeat offense (Sec. 4-96). Hours are capped under Sec. 4-72 at 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8:00 p.m. Sunday. Establishments must keep a Police-Department-approved daily patron register for one year (Sec. 4-79), provide separate self-closing dressing rooms per sex (Sec.

4-77), and are subject to at least two Police and County Health Department inspections a year (Sec. 4-83). Sec. 4-92 lets the Chief of Police revoke or suspend an establishment permit after a hearing (ten days' written notice) if the Division is violated or a permittee/employee has a disqualifying conviction under Sec. 4-96.

Violations & Fines

Operating without the Sec. 4-86 permit, or a masseur/masseuse practicing without the Sec. 4-93 permit, is unlawful and exposes the operator to permit revocation or suspension after a Chief of Police hearing under Sec. 4-92 or Sec. 4-97. The Chief must give at least ten days' written notice of the specific charges before any revocation hearing, and the permittee may present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and be represented by an attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issues a massage establishment permit in Greenwood?
The Greenwood Police Department issues the permit under Sec. 4-86, but only after the Director of the Johnson County Health Department approves the operation, per the same section of the General Ordinances.
What hours can a Greenwood massage establishment operate?
Sec. 4-72 limits operation to 8:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday hours restricted to noon through 8:00 p.m., regardless of the establishment's own posted business hours.
Can a masseur's permit be denied for a past conviction?
Yes. Sec. 4-96 lets the Chief of Police deny a permit for felony, sexual-misconduct, obscenity, prostitution, or pandering convictions unless the conviction is at least ten years old with no later convictions.

Sources & Official References

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