Jefferson County, MO Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Jefferson County's Unified Development Order (UDO), Chapter 400 of the county code, defines a "massage facility" as any establishment where a person performs massage or permits massage to be performed for compensation, and defines a "massage therapist" as a person who has completed all requirements for a massage therapist license and is in receipt of a business license from the County. The definition is explicit that a massage therapist may perform massage for compensation only at a licensed massage facility, so freelance or in-home massage for pay outside a licensed facility falls outside what the code allows.

Because "massage facility" is one of the land uses catalogued in the UDO's permitted-use tables, operating one is also subject to the zoning district it sits in, and the UDO reaches unincorporated Jefferson County only; incorporated cities such as Arnold, Festus, Hillsboro and De Soto license and regulate massage businesses under their own separate municipal codes. 010 of the county code requires the applicant, and the property owner where applicable, to prove neither owes delinquent real or personal property taxes to Jefferson County. That proof can take the form of an original paid tax receipt from the County Collector or a statement from the County Assessor confirming the applicant owns no taxable real or personal property in the County.

A business license applicant who is behind on county property taxes will be turned down regardless of how complete the rest of the application is.