Tazewell County, IL Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Chapter 150, 'Adult Uses,' defines MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENT in §150.02 as 'any commercial establishment having a fixed place of business where any person, firm, association, or corporation engages in, or carries on any of the activities mentioned in the definition of massage,' and the chapter's broader ADULT ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT definition lists massage establishments, as item (5), alongside adult cabarets, adult stores, adult theaters, and body shops or model studios as licensed categories. Section 150.04(A) requires an adult establishment license 'to establish, operate, or maintain an adult entertainment establishment within the unincorporated area of the county,' so any massage business that meets the chapter's definition must get that license from the Adult Use Commissioner, the County Board Chairperson under §150.03, before opening.

The code carves out one exemption directly in the definition: a massage establishment 'operated by a sole proprietor and no more than one employee shall not be considered a massage establishment for purposes of regulation under this chapter,' which removes small, owner-operated practices from the adult-use licensing scheme entirely. Businesses that do not qualify for that exemption must follow the same application, $500 processing fee, bond, and background-check standards under §§150.05 through 150.07 that apply to every other adult entertainment establishment, and must comply with the operating restrictions in §150.20, including the noon-to-midnight weekday and Saturday hours limit and the ban on Sunday and holiday operation.