Monroe County, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered businesses
- Massage/bodywork services for compensation
- Minimum sign size
- 8.5 x 11 inches, 16-point type
- Required languages
- English, Spanish, Haitian Creole
- Violation type
- Noncriminal, fine-only citation
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 022-2015
Summary
Monroe County does not run its own massage establishment license; the state licenses massage therapists. The county's own rule requires every massage or bodywork business in the unincorporated Keys to post a human-trafficking awareness sign, in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
(b)Awareness signs.(1)Required sign location. The employer at each of the following establishments shall display public awareness signs in a conspicuous location that is clearly visible to the public and employees of the establishment:a.A strip club or other adult entertainment establishment.b.A business or establishment that offers massage or bodywork services for compensation that is not owned by a health care profession regulated pursuant to F.S. ch. 456, and defined in F.S. § 456.001.(2)Sign dimensions. The required public awareness sign must be at least 8.5 inches by 11 inches in size, must be printed in at least a 16-point type, and must state substantially the following in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole:
Full Breakdown
Section 7-1 of the Monroe County Code targets massage and bodywork businesses specifically, but as a public-safety signage mandate rather than a licensing scheme. It reaches any business or establishment that offers massage or bodywork services for compensation, as long as it is not owned by a health care professional regulated under Florida law, and requires that employer to post a public awareness sign in a location clearly visible to both the public and employees. 29 and the county code section. The same signage duty falls on strip clubs and other adult entertainment establishments, placing massage and bodywork businesses in the same trafficking-awareness bracket as adult entertainment venues under this section.
The section was adopted by Ordinance No. 022-2015 and does not touch business tax receipts, health inspections, or professional licensing; those remain governed elsewhere, including at the state level for the therapists themselves. A massage business owner opening in Key Largo, Tavernier, Big Pine Key, or another unincorporated Keys location should expect the county's compliance check on this rule to be the signage itself, not a separate massage-business permit application.
Violations & Fines
Failing to post the required sign is a noncriminal violation under Section 7-1(3), punishable by a fine only, set under Florida Statute Section 775.083. Any state, county, or municipal law enforcement or code enforcement officer may issue the civil citation, and the county court has jurisdiction to hear the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monroe County issue a special license for massage establishments?
What has to be on the required sign?
What happens if a massage business doesn't post the sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida business licensing & operations overview
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