Plantation, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

The City licenses massage establishments and massage therapists separately under Chapter 14, Article IV, Division 7. Section 14-161 makes it unlawful for a massage therapist to work, or an owner to operate, without a valid Local Business Tax Receipt (LBTR), and bars owners from letting anyone without an LBTR administer massage on the premises. Certain settings are excluded from the additional Division 7 requirements while still needing an individual LBTR: chair massage on a fully clothed client, treatment in a hospital, clinic, nursing home or hospice program, treatment by a physician, chiropractor or nurse, and massage at a public event, an accredited school program, or a client's home or a trade show.

An LBTR application under Section 14-163 must include the DOH licensure file, the most recent DOH inspection report, five years of disciplinary history, current license restrictions, and the names of every stockholder holding more than 5 percent of the business and every therapist who will work on site. The City has 60 working days under Section 14-165 to approve or deny a completed application, and must deny it if the applicant's DOH license is not in good standing, if disciplinary proceedings are pending, or if the location meets the public nuisance definition in Section 14-176.

A denial, suspension or revocation is mailed by certified mail and becomes effective in 30 calendar days unless the holder appeals to the City Council under Section 27-52. Section 14-169 lists disqualifying conduct reaching back five years, including any conviction relating to the practice of massage, sexual activity occurring in the establishment, refusing a DOH or City inspection, or falsely producing another therapist's license. , except locations inside a hospital, hotel, motel or bed-and-breakfast, or where every late-night massage is performed under a licensed physician's direction. Owners must post the LBTR with a photograph of each therapist in an open, conspicuous location under Section 14-173.