Tampa, FL Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing division
- Tampa Code Ch. 6, Div. 4, §§ 6-156–6-167
- Permits required
- Separate bathhouse and bath-technician permits
- Administering agency
- Permitting and Development Services Dept. (PDD)
- Annual expiration
- September 30 each year
- Max fine
- $500 per violation (§ 6-166)
Summary
Tampa regulates massage-style rub establishments under its 'bathhouse' permit division: a separate PDD permit is required for the location and for every bath technician, with placards posted and permit cards worn on the job.
Bathhouse means any establishment in the City of Tampa having a business where a bath is applied by a bath technician, or where any establishment engages in or carries on or permits to be engaged in or carried on any portion of the applying of a bath to another individual, provided that nothing contained in this definition shall be construed to include a legally operating hospital, nursing home, assisted/congregate living facility, home health care, medical clinic, physician, surgeon, physical therapist, chiropractor, osteopath, naturopath, or podiatrist. ... Permits required. A separate permit shall be required for the following:(1)Any bathhouse location; and(2)Any bathhouse technician.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 148).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6, Division 4 defines a 'bathhouse' as any Tampa establishment where a bath -- defined as washing, rinsing, wiping, or scrubbing the torso -- is applied by a 'bath technician,' expressly carving out legally operating hospitals, nursing homes, home health care, medical clinics, physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, naturopaths, and podiatrists. Sec. 6-159 requires a separate permit for any bathhouse location and a separate permit for any bath technician, administered by the Permitting and Development Services Department (PDD) with the Tampa Police Department's assistance.
Sec. 1 requires all applicants be at least eighteen and disqualifies anyone denied, revoked, or suspended on a bathhouse, bath technician, massage establishment, or massage therapist permit anywhere in the past five years; a denied applicant generally can't reapply for a year. Permits run through September 30 each year under Sec. 3 and must be posted at the entrance (bathhouse) or worn outside the technician's clothing (technician) under Sec. 2. Sec. 6-162 requires disinfecting and sterilizing equipment after each use and closed cabinets for clean linens.
The PDD may inspect a permitted bathhouse up to four times a year under Sec. 7, and Sec. 6-165 makes operating, or working, without a valid permit unlawful outright.
Violations & Fines
Operating a bathhouse -- or bathing a patron as an unpermitted technician -- violates Sec. 6-165 and is punishable under Sec. 6-166 by a fine up to $500 per violation under Sec. 1-6. The PDD may immediately suspend a permit for up to 30 days under Sec. 6-160 on reasonable belief of a violation, unlawful employment, or a refused inspection, with revocation and city council appeal rights under Sec. 6-161.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tampa license massage/bathhouse businesses separately from the therapist?
Can someone with a revoked massage license elsewhere get a Tampa bathhouse permit?
How often can the city inspect a permitted bathhouse?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
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