Whitfield County, GA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition covers
- Physical-contact services, sexual emphasis
- License required
- Sec. 10-25, adult entertainment license
- Buffer distance
- 1,000 feet from homes, schools
- Annual fee
- $2,000.00
Summary
Whitfield County Code Sec. 10-22(a)(6) defines a licensed 'bathhouse or massage parlor' as one offering physical contact services with an emphasis on specified sexual activities, and Sec. 10-25 bars operating one in the unincorporated county without an adult entertainment license, subject to the same 1,000-foot buffer and closing-hour rules as other adult businesses.
(6)Bathhouse or massage parlor. A business or establishment to which the public or any portion thereof is permitted and in which services offered include some form of physical contact between employee and patron and in which services offered are characterized or distinguished by an emphasis on specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas. ... It shall be unlawful for any person or legal entity to engage in, conduct or carry on, in or upon any premises within the unincorporated area of the county any of the adult entertainment establishments defined in this article without a license so to do.
Full Breakdown
Whitfield County does not license massage therapy generally; instead, Chapter 10, Article II folds a 'bathhouse or massage parlor' into its adult entertainment establishment scheme. Sec. 10-22(a)(6) defines that category as a business or establishment offering some form of physical contact between employee and patron where the services offered are characterized or distinguished by an emphasis on specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas. A business meeting that definition cannot operate in the unincorporated county without a license under Sec. 10-25, and Sec. 10-26 makes operating without a currently valid license, or after expiration without a timely renewal application, unlawful.
Because it is classified as an adult entertainment establishment, a licensed bathhouse or massage parlor is subject to the same rules as adult bookstores and adult theaters: Sec. 10-23(3) bars locating within 1,000 feet of a residence, church, school, government building, library, park, hospital, nursing home, community club, another such establishment, or an alcohol seller; Sec. 00 nonrefundable application fee; Sec. 00 annual license fee; and Sec. m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday and Christmas. Employees must be at least 21 and undergo the same background screening as other adult-entertainment staff (Sec. 10-38).
Violations & Fines
Operating a bathhouse or massage parlor covered by this definition without the required license, or in violation of the distance, hours or employee rules in Article II, is punishable by up to a $1,000.00 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, under Sec. 10-37(d), and can trigger a 180-day suspension or revocation of the license by the building inspector.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Whitfield County license massage therapists?
What license does a Whitfield County 'massage parlor' as defined by code need?
What hours must a licensed massage parlor close under Whitfield County's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whitfield County
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