Pembroke Pines, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 117, Massage Parlors
- Owner liability
- Criminal if act knowingly permitted
- Posting duty
- Chapter posted conspicuously in parlor
- Maximum penalty
- $500 fine or 90 days, or both
- Excluded facilities
- Hospitals, clinics, licensed therapist offices
Summary
Chapter 117 of the Pembroke Pines code bans specified sexual contact inside any massage parlor and makes owners and managers criminally liable if they knowingly allow it. Every massage parlor must post a copy of the chapter where customers can see it.
MASSAGE. A method of treating parts of the human body for comfort or the general well-being of the body, consisting of rubbing, stroking, kneading, tapping, or vibrating with the hand or any instrument. MASSAGE PARLOR. Any establishment having a fixed place of business where massages are administered. This definition shall not be construed to include a hospital, nursing home, medical clinic, or the office of a physician, surgeon, physical therapist, chiropractor, or osteopath duly licensed by the state. ... (A) It shall be unlawful for any person in a massage parlor, to place his or her hand or hands upon, to touch with any part of his or her body, to fondle in any manner, or to massage, a sexual or genital part of any other person, or for the other person to request or permit such placing, touching, fondling, or massaging. (B) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, operating, or managing a massage parlor, knowingly to cause, allow, or permit in or about the massage parlor, any agent, employee, or any other person under his control or supervision to perform the acts prohibited in division (A) of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-61: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2056, passed 12-11-25).
Full Breakdown
01 defines MASSAGE as rubbing, stroking, kneading, tapping, or vibrating parts of the body by hand or instrument for comfort or general well-being, and a MASSAGE PARLOR as any fixed-location establishment where massages are administered, expressly excluding hospitals, nursing homes, medical clinics, and the offices of physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, chiropractors, or osteopaths licensed by the state. SEXUAL OR GENITAL PARTS is defined as the genitals, pubic area, anus, or perineum of any person, or the vulva of a female. 02 makes it unlawful for any person in a massage parlor to place a hand, touch with any part of the body, fondle, or massage a sexual or genital part of another person, or for that other person to request or permit it; the same section separately criminalizes an owner, operator, or manager who knowingly causes, allows, or permits an employee or other person under their control to commit those acts.
03 requires every owner, operator, or manager to post a copy of the chapter in a conspicuous place inside the parlor where entering customers can readily see it. S. Chapter 480, which governs the professional licensing of massage therapists separately from this local conduct ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 117, including the prohibited-acts section or the posting requirement, is punishable under § 117.99 by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, at the discretion of the court. Owners and managers face the same penalty for knowingly permitting a prohibited act by an employee or other person under their supervision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What conduct does Pembroke Pines ban inside massage parlors?
Can a massage parlor owner be held liable for an employee's conduct?
Are licensed physical therapists or chiropractors covered by this chapter?
Must a massage parlor post the ordinance for customers to see?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pembroke Pines
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