Sedgwick County, KS Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Operating a bath business or massage business without a valid license from the board of county commissioners is unlawful in unincorporated Sedgwick County under Sec. 18-41(a), and a license only covers one fixed bathhouse or massage parlor location, so a second location needs its own separate license. Applications under Sec. 18-42 are filed in quadruplicate with the county clerk, who routes copies to the sheriff's department and the health department for review, and must disclose ownership, financial interests and residency history depending on whether the applicant is an individual, corporation or partnership.

Sec. 18-43 sets the qualifying standards: the applicant must be at least 18, must not have been convicted of or released from prison for a felony or crime of moral turpitude within the preceding five years, must have lived in the county continuously for the 30 days before applying, and must be of good moral character; the sheriff's department must complete a background investigation and file it with the county clerk within 10 days of the application. Sec. 18-21 sets a $500 license fee (half refunded if the county denies the application) and a $100 attendant permit fee (also half-refunded on denial).

Licenses and permits expire every December 31 under Sec. 18-23 and must be renewed at least 30 days before expiring, with a $500 license renewal fee and a $50 permit renewal fee. Sec. 18-24 lets the board revoke a license or permit for false statements, chapter violations, unpaid fees, employing an unpermitted attendant, refusing a required physical exam within five days, or serving alcohol on the premises, after a hearing on five days' written notice; a revoked operator or attendant cannot reapply for five years, and the specific address cannot be used as a bathhouse or massage parlor again for two years.