Lee County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Chapter 8, Article II of the Lee County Code makes licensing mandatory before anyone works as a massagist or operates a massage parlor in the county, per § 8-61. The application process runs through the Sheriff's Office: § 8-62 requires applicants to submit to fingerprinting, with prints forwarded to the SBI, FBI, or other law enforcement agencies as needed, and § 8-63 has the sheriff issue the license once an annual fee set by the board of commissioners is paid, with licenses valid for one year and requiring annual renewal for both massagists and parlors.

Section 8-64 bars anyone convicted of a sexual misconduct crime under G.S. 14-177 through 14-208, anyone under 18, or anyone who has violated the article from holding a license. Operating hours are fixed at 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. under § 8-37(b), and § 8-37(c) bars massaging certain intimate body areas outside a licensed health professional's direction. Licensees must post their license and a copy of the article in a prominent place under § 8-65, and § 8-66 lets the board of commissioners revoke a license after a due-process hearing if the licensee is convicted of a covered sexual misconduct offense or of violating the article, or if a parlor licensee fails to supervise employees and illegal activity results.