Jackson, MS Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

City Code § 30-131 makes it unlawful for any person to operate a massage parlor, or to work as a masseur or masseuse, without first obtaining a permit. Section 30-132 requires the written, sworn application to go to the chief of police and to list the massage parlor's location, the owner and any co-owners, everyone proposing to operate it, and every masseur or masseuse to be employed, along with a recent photograph of each masseur or masseuse. Before recommending a permit to the city council, § 30-133(a) requires the chief of police to thoroughly investigate the character and reputation of the owner, operators, and masseurs or masseuses and inspect the premises; § 30-133(b) then requires every operator and masseur or masseuse to obtain a health certificate from the county health department at least once a year, and more often if the county health officer requires it.

Section 30-134(a) bars issuing a permit to anyone who is not an adult, bona fide resident of the city at the time of application, who was denied a massage permit within the past five years, or who was convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude in state or federal court within the past five years; moving out of the city forfeits the permit immediately under § 30-134(b). A permit found operating unsanitarily forfeits automatically under § 30-135 until the county health officer certifies the deficiency corrected, and a permit found in violation of the article can be forfeited after a hearing before the chief of police under § 30-136, with an appeal to the city council available within ten days under § 30-137. Section 30-105 bars operating on Sunday at all and limits other days to 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and § 30-102 separately bans massaging a patron's genital area regardless of licensing status.