Davidson County, NC Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Section 111.11(A) bars any person, partnership, corporation, or association from operating a massage business without first applying for and receiving the privilege license the section creates. Applicants file a sworn form with the County Clerk disclosing the owners' names and addresses, the business location, any felony or prostitution-related convictions, prior license revocations, and other businesses run on the same premises, per § 111.11(B). The Clerk sends the application to the Sheriff's Department for an investigative report, to Inspections for zoning and building compliance, and to the Fire Department for fire-code compliance, each with up to 45 days to report back under § 111.11(C).

The Board of Commissioners approves the license only if the application is accurate, the applicant has no sexual-misconduct conviction under G.S. Article 26 or 27, the business meets zoning, building, and fire codes, and no prior massage license was revoked in the preceding three years, per § 111.11(D). Once approved, § 111.11(E) sets the license fee at $100, collected by the Tax Collector. A license is void if the business moves or closes at the licensed address under § 111.11(G), and § 111.11(F) lists grounds for revocation, including any chapter violation, employing an unlicensed massagist, or a licensee's sexual-misconduct conviction.

Separately, § 111.12 requires each individual massagist to hold their own license, and § 111.20 bars massage business operations before 8:00 a.m. or after midnight.