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Jersey City, NJ Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

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

Key Facts

Therapist license
Required under N.J.S.A. 45:11-53 et seq.
License display
Must be posted openly on premises (§ 99-22)
Minors
Under 18 need parent/guardian or written permission
Alcohol/drugs
Prohibited on premises (§ 99-26)
Penalty
$100–$2,000 fine and/or up to 90 days (§ 99-29)

Summary

Every massage, bodywork and somatic therapist working in Jersey City must hold a valid license under the state Massage and Bodywork Therapist Licensing Act, and establishments must display each therapist's license and post prices, per City Code §§ 99-21 through 99-23. The article, adopted in 2016, also bars alcohol, sets sanitation rules, and prohibits touching a patron's buttocks, genitals or female breasts absent a doctor's prescription.

No person shall practice massage or related therapies as a massage, bodywork, or somatic therapist employee or otherwise in the City of Jersey City unless he or she has a valid and subsisting massage, bodywork and somatic therapist's license pursuant to the Massage and Bodywork Therapist Licensing Act, N.J.S.A. 45:11-53 et seq. ... The massage, bodywork or somatic therapy establishment shall display the licenses of each and every massage, bodywork and somatic therapist employed in the establishment in an open and conspicuous place on the premises of the establishment.

Source: Jersey City Code of OrdinancesView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).

Full Breakdown

A. § 99-28 exempts licensed physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists and licensed cosmetologists working within the scope of the Cosmetology and Hairstyling Act.

Violations & Fines

§ 99-29 sets a dedicated penalty on top of certificate suspension or revocation: conviction carries a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $2,000, or up to 90 days in the county jail, or up to 90 days of community service, or any combination, at the court's discretion, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Jersey City massage therapist need a special city license?
No separate city license, § 99-21 and § 99-22 rely on the state license issued under the Massage and Bodywork Therapist Licensing Act, N.J.S.A. 45:11-53 et seq. The city requires that license to be valid and displayed openly at the establishment, and makes it unlawful to practice or to employ anyone without one.
What sanitary rules apply to massage establishments?
§ 99-23 requires clean, sanitary premises; posted price lists; non-transparent staff garments; laundered sheets and towels after each use; tables disinfected after each use; daily cleaning of steam and heat rooms; nonporous, disinfectable surfaces; closed containers for oils; no animals except seeing-eye dogs; and hand-washing before every session.
Is nudity or touching certain body areas allowed during a massage?
No. § 99-24 makes it unlawful to touch, fondle or massage a patron's buttocks, genital area or female breasts unless a licensed doctor, chiropractor or osteopath has prescribed it, and those areas must stay covered by a towel, cloth or undergarment whenever a therapist or employee is present.
What's the penalty for an unlicensed massage business?
§ 99-29 allows a fine between $100 and $2,000, up to 90 days in county jail, up to 90 days of community service, or a combination, at the court's discretion, on top of the city revoking or suspending the establishment's certificate. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense.

Sources & Official References

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All Jersey City rules

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