§ 47–2811. Massage establishments; Turkish, Russian, or medicated baths.

(a) No person shall offer or administer for commercial purposes a massage unless licensed pursuant to Chapter 12 of Title 3.

(b) Repealed.

(July 1, 1902, 32 Stat. 624, ch. 1352, § 7, par. 11; July 1, 1932, 47 Stat. 552, ch. 366; Sept. 14, 1976, D.C. Law 1-82, title I, § 104(e), 23 DCR 2461; enacted, Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-254, § 2, 44 DCR 1575; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-261, § 2003(pp)(9), 46 DCR 3142; Oct. 28, 2003, D.C. Law 15-38, § 3(hh)(4)(C), 50 DCR 6913; Dec. 10, 2009, D.C. Law 18-88, § 224, 56 DCR 7413; June 19, 2013, D.C. Law 19-320, § 511, 60 DCR 3390; Mar. 22, 2023, D.C. Law 24-333, § 5(b), 70 DCR 1524.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 47-2811.

1973 Ed., § 47-2311.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 15-38, in subsec. (b), substituted “Public Health: Public Accommodations endorsement to a basic business license under the basic” for “Class A Public Health: Public Accommodations endorsement to a master business license under the master”.

D.C. Law 18-88 rewrote subsec. (a), which had read as follows: “(a) Owners or managers of massage establishments and Turkish, Russian, or medicated baths shall pay a license fee of $300 per annum. No license shall be issued under this section without the approval of the Chief of Police. It shall be unlawful for any female to give or administer massage treatment or any bath to any person of the male sex, or for any person of the male sex to give or administer massage treatment or any bath to any person of the female sex, in any establishment licensed under this section. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished as hereinafter provided in this chapter; and, in addition to such penalty, it shall be the duty of the Mayor of the District of Columbia to revoke the license of the owner or manager of the establishment wherein the provisions of this section shall have been violated.”

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-320 repealed (b), which read: “Any license issued pursuant to this section shall be issued as a Public Health: Public Accommodations endorsement to a basic business license under the basic business license system as set forth in subchapter I-A of this chapter.”

Cross References

Administrative procedure, generally, see § 2-501 et seq.

Mayor, Council and other offices, application of certain sections to boards, commissions and committees, see § 1-321.02.

Applicability

Section 7286 of D.C. Law 25-217 amended section 9 of D.C. Law 24-333 making the repeal of this section by section 5(b) of D.C. Law 24-333 applicable as of October 1, 2025.

Applicability of D.C. Law 24-333: § 9 of D.C. Law 24-333 provided that the repeal of this section by § 5(b) of D.C. Law 24-333 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(hh)(4)(C) of Streamlining Regulation Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-145, August 11, 2003, 50 DCR 6896).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 224 of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-181, August 6, 2009, 56 DCR 6903).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 224 of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-227, October 21, 2009, 56 DCR 8668).

For temporary repeal of (b), see § 511 of the Omnibus Criminal Code Amendments Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-599, January 14, 2013, 60 DCR 1017).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 511 of the Omnibus Criminal Code Amendment Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-44, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5381, 20 DCSTAT 1281).

Editor's Notes

Office of Major and Superintendent of Metropolitan Police abolished: The Office of the Major and Superintendent of Metropolitan Police was abolished and all functions of that office transferred to and vested in the Chief of Police. The Assistant Superintendent, Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Police Department was designated “Deputy Chief of Police, Executive Officer”; the Assistant Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police in command of the Detective Bureau was designated “Deputy Chief of Police, Chief of Detectives”; and each other Assistant Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police was designated “Deputy Chief of Police” by Reorganization Order No. 7, dated September 16, 1952. Reorganization Order No. 7 was replaced by Organization Order No. 153, dated November 10, 1966.

Exemption of massage therapists: Section 3 of D.C. Law 10-205, as amended by D.C. Law 11-110, provided that persons licensed to practice as a massage therapist under that act are exempt from the provisions of § 47-2811.