Tacoma, WA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Closed hours
- 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. daily
- License required
- Yes, TMC § 6B.10.040
- First unlicensed offense
- Misdemeanor
- Repeat unlicensed offense
- Gross misdemeanor/felony
Summary
Tacoma requires a City business license for every massage business and bars them from serving customers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily, city-wide.
All massage business locations or offices that offer massage therapy services, as defined by state law, shall not be open between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily, provided that if a licensed massage business is physically located wholly within the premises of a larger business or location, including, but not limited to, such facilities as a salon, spa, hotel, or health care provider, then only the area where the massage business is conducted shall be closed to customers between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Operating a massage business between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. is considered unlicensed business activity. (Ord. 28401 Ex. A, 2016-12-06; Ord. 29045 Ex. A, 2025-07-01)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Massage businesses in Tacoma must hold a City business license under TMC 6B.10.040 like any other licensed activity. TMC § 6B.10.115 additionally bars massage business locations or offices offering massage therapy services from being open between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily; if a licensed massage business sits inside a larger business such as a salon, spa, hotel, or health care provider, only the massage area itself must close during those hours. Operating during the closed window is treated as unlicensed business activity. TMC § 6B.10.117 sets escalating penalties for unlicensed massage practice: a first violation is a misdemeanor, and subsequent violations are a gross misdemeanor or, under RCW 18.130.190(7)(a), a class C felony.
Violations & Fines
A single unlicensed-practice violation is a misdemeanor; each subsequent violation is a gross misdemeanor, escalating to a class C felony under RCW 18.130.190(7)(a) per TMC § 6B.10.117.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Tacoma massage business stay open past 10 p.m.?
What happens for practicing massage without a license in Tacoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
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Massage Establishments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle massage establishments.