Establishment and Facility Requirements
Licensing the premises
Mississippi regulates massage establishments separately from individual therapists. An establishment must hold a current establishment license, display it as required, and operate under a designated manager who is responsible for compliance. The Board may inspect during business hours; inspections cover sanitation, privacy, records, and unlicensed practice.
Facility basics
Provide a handwashing sink with soap and disposable towels; a private treatment area with a door or screen; clean linen storage; closed product containers; and secure client records. Establishments may not allow unlicensed persons to perform massage or use the premises for prohibited conduct. Signage, advertising, and business names must not imply medical services or unearned credentials.
Worked example
A licensed therapist adds a second treatment room and rents it to an unlicensed friend who takes cash clients. The establishment license may not cover the altered layout, and the friend is practicing without a license. The owner or manager faces separate exposure for aiding unlicensed practice and for failing to report the change. Therapist licensure and establishment licensure are distinct, and the manager is accountable for what happens on site.
Traps
A business license from the city is not an establishment license. A therapist’s personal license does not license the building. Mobile or outcall services still require compliance with hygiene, consent, and record rules. Do not assume a new room, name, or owner can be added without Board notice.