Rock Hill, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Use category
- Personal Services (Type A)
- NO/NC hours
- 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. only
- IB/IG siting
- Special exception review by Zoning Board of Appeals
- Penalty
- Up to $500/day fine, 30 days jail
- Enforcer
- Planning & Development Director
Summary
Rock Hill's Zoning Ordinance classifies massage therapy and day spas as a Personal Services (Type A) use. Section 4.3.3.3.14(F) limits their hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. inside the Neighborhood Office and Neighborhood Commercial districts, and adds Zoning Board of Appeals review for locations in the Industry Business and Industry General districts.
Personal services: Small-scale retail uses that provide convenience or personal services. There are two types: Type A: Laundromats; dry-cleaning establishments; clothing alterations; shoe repair; photographic studios; hair, tanning, and nail salons; aesthetician services; weight loss organizations; and massage therapy and day spas. ... F. Personal Services (Type A) and Personal Instruction 1. Hours of Operation: Personal services (Type A) uses and personal instruction uses must limit the hours of operation to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. within the Neighborhood Office (NO) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) district. 2. Location: As part of the special exception process for personal services (Type A) and personal instruction uses in Industry Business (IB) and Industry General (IG) districts, the Zoning Board of Appeals must evaluate whether the establishment is located in designated or clustered retail service areas at entrances to or locations central to major employment areas.
Full Breakdown
The Zoning Ordinance's Appendix 4-A groups massage therapy and day spas with laundromats, dry-cleaning shops, hair and nail salons, tanning salons and weight-loss businesses as Personal Services (Type A), a small-scale retail use category. 2 allows the use. ; that clock restriction does not attach to Type A uses sited in other commercial districts. Where a massage business seeks the Industry Business (IB) or Industry General (IG) districts, it reaches the site only through the Zoning Board of Appeals's special exception process, and the Board must find the site sits in a designated or clustered retail service area at an entrance to, or central to, a major employment area, and that customer traffic and other impacts will not adversely affect nearby businesses or change the industrial character of the district.
Outside these hours and industrial-district siting rules, Personal Services (Type A) uses carry none of the separation or signage restrictions that apply to the Type B category (tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments); the zoning-specific limits on a massage business or day spa begin and end with operating hours in NO/NC and special-exception siting in IB/IG.
Violations & Fines
The Planning & Development Director enforces Personal Services (Type A) standards under Section 11.4 of the Zoning Ordinance, starting with a correction notice and escalating to a formal Notice of Violation and a municipal court citation for uncorrected violations. Section 11.4.1 sets the maximum penalty at a $500 fine per day plus court costs, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What zoning classification covers a massage therapy business in Rock Hill?
Are day spas restricted to certain hours in Rock Hill?
Can a massage business open in an industrial zoning district in Rock Hill?
What happens if a Rock Hill massage business violates its zoning approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock Hill
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