Are Massage Spas Legal?

Massage Spas

If the only reason you’re going to a massage parlor is to get sex, it’s illegal in most states. However, if the only reason you’re going is to get a regular massage, it’s perfectly fine (unless they’re using coded language that you wouldn’t notice unless you were a trained eye).

There are thousands of legitimate, fully legal massage spa in New York City and across the country. These places are inspected regularly and must comply with local health codes to be allowed to operate. They must also be licensed in order to sell massages and offer certain services. The only exception to this is if the business is a massage therapist’s private residence. Even then, they must follow strict regulations.

While the overwhelming majority of massage parlors are reputable and safe, some are not. These businesses are often run by people who use them to make money from prostitution, and many have been shut down after police raids. However, it’s important to note that law enforcement’s tactics in these cases can be misleading or harmful. For example, they’re sometimes accused of targeting Asian massage parlors as low-hanging fruit to meet ticket and arrest quotas. They can also be dangerous for victims, especially if they’re subjected to the trauma of having their phones and computers confiscated during a raid.

Are Massage Spas Legal?

In some cases, police have raided a massage parlor and found that they were selling sex or performing oral sex. In one incident, a 38-year-old woman at a massage parlor fell or jumped to her death after being arrested in a police sting. In other cases, police have killed people who were trying to escape from a massage parlor, and it’s not always clear whether the police acted in self-defense or as part of a sting.

Many of the illicit massage parlors (IMBs) that have been raided by law enforcement were found to be selling sex or oral sex for payment. They also had a number of signs that indicated they were not legitimate, such as being located in shady areas, refusing to serve women, having windows covered or obscured, or having women who appeared to be living in the storefront.

Some of these stores also had very suspicious hours, stayed open late into the night, and posted signs that they didn’t welcome the general public. In addition, some of these places were staffed by workers who looked disheveled or dirty and had unkempt hair and nails. They may have also been poorly lit or had the door or window covered in graffiti or paint.

The New York City Department of Health and the NYC Police Department should be permitted to conduct random inspections of massage spas and foot spas to ensure they’re following all the rules. If they are not, they should be closed and padlocked until they have a valid license and all violations are corrected. This is the same way restaurants, bars, and nail salons are inspected. Those that are not compliant should be charged with practicing unlicensed massage or Unauthorized Practice, which is a class E felony under NY Education Law 6512.