Rochester, MN Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

City Code § 5-15-3 makes it unlawful to act as a massage therapist, or to operate a massage therapy business, within the city without the corresponding city license. Section 5-15-4 exempts massage therapy students performing supervised work as part of an accredited program, therapists employed exclusively on the premises of state-licensed medical, chiropractic, physical therapy or podiatry practices, and health care facilities owned by a government or licensed by the state.

Under § 5-15-5, a massage therapist license is biennial and expires December 31 of every other year, while a massage therapy business license is annual and expires December 31 each year; renewal applications and fees are due by December 1. A sole proprietor who is both the licensed therapist and the only person providing massage at the business does not owe the separate business license fee, though that changes if the business adds another therapist or contractor.

Section 5-15-10 bars a business from operating between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., except for licensees with an off-site therapeutic massage designation, and requires clients' genitals, anus and intergluteal cleft to be covered or draped with nontransparent material at all times. Licensees must carry $300,000.00 combined single-limit general liability insurance and consent to inspection by building, health, zoning, code, licensing or law enforcement officers during operating hours. Section 5-15-11 adds sanitation standards: restrooms with mechanical ventilation and hot-and-cold hand-washing sinks, single-use linens or sanitized equipment between clients, and hand washing with soap or disinfectant before and after every massage.