Indianapolis, IN Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Yes, from the license administrator
- Annual fee
- $177.00 (Sec. 131-501)
- Minimum fine
- $200 per day of violation
- Therapist credential
- State of Indiana massage certification
- Appeal window
- 20 days to Board of Business & Neighborhood Services
- Key exemptions
- Massage schools, hospitals, licensed salons, hotel spas
Summary
Operating, conducting, or maintaining a massage establishment in Indianapolis without a license from the license administrator is unlawful under City Code Chapter 912. The annual license costs $177, and the license administrator investigates the applicant's criminal history before issuing it, denying anyone convicted of prostitution, rape, sexual misconduct, a crime of violence, or required to register as a sex offender.
It is unlawful for a person or firm to operate, conduct or maintain a massage establishment in the city without first having obtained a license therefor from the license administrator. ... Before a license under this chapter is issued, the license administrator shall investigate the character of the applicant and the officers, directors and managers of the business if the applicant is a corporation. No license shall be issued if the license administrator determines that:(1)Any applicant, or in the case of a corporation, its managers, officers, directors or stockholders, has ever been convicted of prostitution, rape, sexual misconduct, or a crime of violence, or has ever been required to register as a sex offender.(2)The premises sought to be licensed fail to comply in any manner with any applicable laws or ordinances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 912 of the Code of Indianapolis & Marion County defines a massage establishment broadly, then carves out four exclusions: a state-certified massage therapy school, a licensed hospital or associated facility, a beauty culture salon licensed under IC 25-8-7, and a massage therapy business located inside a hotel already licensed under Chapter 901 (Sec. 912-1). Every other massage business needs a license before it opens. The application filed with the license administrator must list the operator's name and aliases, residence and business addresses, the number of massage tables in the establishment, the date of birth of the applicant or, for a corporation, its manager and officers, the name of every massage therapist working there, whether anyone connected with the business has ever been convicted of prostitution, rape, sexual misconduct, or a crime of violence, or required to register as a sex offender, and a signed agreement permitting inspection (Sec.
912-3). Any change to that information must be reported in writing within 30 days. The annual fee is $177, set under Sec. 131-501 (Sec. 912-5). Once licensed, operators must keep the premises open for inspection by police, health and fire inspectors, and city representatives at all business hours; employees must wear clean opaque garments covering sexual and genital areas; patrons must stay covered around staff or other patrons; and no one may install a lock on an interior door that cannot be opened by key from outside.
Every practicing massage therapist must hold a State of Indiana massage therapist certification and display it, or make it available, on demand (Sec. 912-6). A massage establishment run out of a home must also satisfy the home-occupation standards in Sec. 731-220.
Violations & Fines
Violating any part of Chapter 912, including operating without a license, triggers the penalty in Sec. 912-7: a fine of not less than $200, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense, on top of the general enforcement procedures in Sec. 103-3. If the license administrator denies, suspends, or revokes a license, the operator can appeal to the Board of Business and Neighborhood Services by delivering written notice within 20 days of the decision (Sec. 801-434).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to open a massage establishment in Indianapolis?
What disqualifies an applicant from getting a massage establishment license?
Are massage therapy schools or hospitals covered by this license requirement?
What happens if I operate without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Indianapolis
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