Thornton, CO Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Thornton City Code § 42-376
- License term
- One calendar year, expires December 31
- Minimum age
- 18 years old to hold a license
- Hours
- 6 a.m.-midnight Mon-Fri, 6 a.m.-2 a.m. Sat, closed Sunday
- Buffer distance
- 750 ft from schools, parks, churches, residential zones
- Application review
- 90 days for police/licensing authority decision
Summary
Thornton Code Section 42-376 makes it unlawful to conduct or permit massage at any location in the city without first obtaining a massage parlor license, issued alongside the state license required under C.R.S. § 12-48.5-101 et seq. The city adds its own siting, staffing, and hours rules on top of the state licensing scheme.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct or carry on, or to permit any person or employee to engage in, conduct or carry on, the act of massage at any place, location or establishment within the city, without such location or establishment first having obtained a license for the operation of a massage parlor, referred to in this article as a massage parlor license, issued pursuant to this article.(b)Any license issued pursuant to this article shall also be issued pursuant to state law, C.R.S. § 12-48.5-101 et seq., as amended from time to time, which statute is hereby incorporated by this reference as if fully set forth in this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
5-101 et seq. Section 42-377 sets a one-year license term expiring December 31, requires council-set application and license fees, and bars issuance to anyone under 18. Section 42-378 requires ten years of address and employment history, fingerprinting, criminal history disclosure, and photographs from every applicant. m. Saturday, the parlor must close entirely on Sunday, and no alcohol may be served or consumed on the premises. Locational restrictions in subsection (b) bar a license within 750 feet of a religious institution, school, child care facility, public park, residentially zoned boundary, or another massage parlor or sexually oriented business.
Section 42-380 gives the police chief and local licensing authority, the city council itself, 90 days to investigate and approve or deny an application, and Section 42-385 allows an emergency 14-day suspension pending a full revocation hearing.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, or continuing to operate after a suspension under Section 42-385, is a separate unlawful act; Section 42-384 makes the conviction of any employee or owner for a felony, city ordinance violation, license-application misrepresentation, or any moral-turpitude offense arising from the business grounds for suspension or revocation of the massage parlor license, on top of any criminal penalty for the underlying offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Thornton require its own massage license on top of the state license?
What hours can a Thornton massage parlor stay open?
How close can a massage parlor be to a Thornton school or park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thornton
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Massage Establishments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Adams County handle massage establishments.