New Edmond Zoning Ordinance Requires Massage Therapy Businesses to Obtain Specific Use Permits

On May 26, the Edmond City Council unanimously approved a new zoning ordinance regulating massage therapy businesses within Edmond city limits. The ordinance went into effect immediately, but existing massage therapy businesses have until December 31, 2026, to come into compliance.

Under the new ordinance, massage therapy businesses in Edmond must now obtain a specific use permit through the Edmond Planning Commission and City Council. They must also clearly display a valid license issued by the State of Oklahoma, and they cannot cover windows facing public rights of way with opaque tinting.

The ordinance applies to any establishment conducting massage therapy, massage services, massage therapist practices, or related operations. The City states that businesses that do not comply will not receive a specific use permit and will not be allowed to do business in Edmond.

Previously, massage therapy businesses were grouped into broader retail sales and service categories. Edmond’s new ordinance separates massage therapy from that broader category and requires additional review before the business can continue operating.

According to the City, this ordinance follows a series of police investigations, community discussions, and complaints from residents. Local reporting has tied the ordinance to prostitution-related arrests at Edmond massage parlors over the last few years.

Oklahoma’s Massage Therapy Practice Act generally preempts local ordinances regulating massage therapy businesses. But Senate Bill 644 clarified that cities and counties may still enforce zoning requirements, occupational license fees, and zoning or licensing requirements for business locations offering massage therapy.

That distinction matters. While the State still licenses massage therapists and massage therapy businesses, the City of Edmond is using its zoning authority to regulate where and how massage therapy businesses operate inside city limits.

Edmond massage therapy businesses need to apply for and obtain a specific use permit before the December 31 deadline. If the business has opaque window tinting facing a public right of way, it may also need to remove or modify that tinting.

If the business waits until the end of the year, it could run into problems.  Specific use permits require review by the Planning Commission and City Council. That process takes time, and there may be questions about window coverings, signage, licensing, or whether the business fits within the ordinance’s new definitions.

Massage therapy businesses that do not comply by December 31, 2026 may not be able to continue operating in Edmond.

If you own or operate a massage therapy business in Edmond, now is the time to review your zoning status, state licensing, storefront windows, lease obligations, and specific use permit requirements.

If you have questions about Edmond’s new ordinance, zoning compliance, or business licensing issues in Oklahoma, feel free to reach out to us today.