Multnomah County, OR Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- State Board of Massage Technicians
- Governing law
- ORS Chapter 687
- Coverage area
- Unincorporated county only, not Portland
- Enforcement
- County Sheriff
- Max penalty
- Class A violation fine per day
Summary
Unincorporated Multnomah County requires a massage treatment business to hold a state massage business license under ORS Chapter 687 before opening; operating without one is an unlawful practice enforced by the Sheriff.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct, or carry on, or to permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, the operation of a massage treatment business unless a massage business license has first been obtained from the state Board of Massage Technicians under ORS Chapter 687.
(B) It shall be unlawful for a person to engage in the practice of massage treatment without first having obtained a permit as a massage technician or apprentice massage technician from the state Board of Massage Technicians under ORS Chapter 687. Penalty, see § 15.999 (‘ 90 Code, § 6.50.030, 07/01/1998; Ord. 160, passed, 03/09/1978)
Full Breakdown
Multnomah County Code § 15.728 makes it unlawful to operate a massage treatment business, or to practice massage treatment for compensation, in unincorporated county territory without the required license: a massage business license for the establishment and an individual permit for each practitioner, both issued by the state Board of Massage Technicians under ORS Chapter 687. The subchapter, adopted to curb prostitution-front massage parlors, exempts massage incidental to another licensed profession and athletic trainers (§ 15.729). The Sheriff administers and enforces it (§ 15.731), and an unlicensed premises can be declared a public nuisance subject to injunction (§ 15.730). Portland and other cities are not covered.
Violations & Fines
Operating, permitting, or advertising a massage business, or practicing massage for pay, without the state-issued business license or technician permit is unlawful, punishable by a Class A violation fine for each day it continues; the premises may also be enjoined as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover massage businesses in Portland?
What license does a massage business need?
Who enforces the county's massage law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
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