Naperville Massage Parlor Proposal Aims To Deter Human Trafficking - Patch

[Lisa Marie Farver]

NAPERVILLE, IL — On Tuesday, the Naperville City Council will discuss a proposed ordinance that would require massage establishments to get permits from the city before opening. If approved, the ordinance would change Naperville's current code for business and license regulations.


According to city documents, the aim of the ordinance is "to provide for the public health, safety, and welfare, to preserve the character and economic viability, prevent human trafficking, and to protect the legitimate practice of Massage by professional Massage Therapists in the City of Naperville."

Per the proposed language, business owners would be required to get a permit for each of their massage establishment locations within the boundaries of Naperville. Permit exemptions will be made "for establishments where Massage is not the primary source of business," according to the proposed ordinance. These may include spas, hospital homes, physical therapy offices and other medical offices.


Applicants will be required to pay a one-time fee for a massage establishment permit. Each year, the permit will renew, provided the establishment gives the City of Naperville an updated list of its state-licensed massage therapists.

Per city documents, the applications fees would be as follows, based on the number of massage therapists an establishment employs. All massage therapists must be licensed by the State of Illinois:

• $100 for one massage therapist
• $150 for two to five massage therapists
• $200 for six to 10 massage therapists
• $300 for more than 10 massage therapists

Businesses that receive permits will be required to notify the city within 30 days of any changes that affect their permits.

To receive a permit, applicants will be required to undergo a criminal background check and submit their fingerprints. Applicants will be exempt from submitting fingerprints if their manager has submitted fingerprints and has been approved for massage therapist licensure by the Illinois Massage Act.


The proposed ordinance would also require establishments to register all massage therapists and other employees with the city. Establishments would be subject to inspections.

Applicants would be denied if they have been convicted of sexual misconduct, have been convicted of a felony "in a related or similar business activity" in the last 10 years, have been convicted of a felony involving "use of a deadly weapon, traffic in narcotic drugs, or violence against another person, including sexual misconduct" in the last 10 years.


Denials will also be issued for licensing violations or misdemeanors "based on involvement in a related or similar business activity" and "crimes of moral turpitude."

The ordinance language also outlines requirements for hours, advertising, employee attire and cleanliness. Additional language explicitly prohibits massage for anything other than "physical fitness, relaxation or medical therapy."

In March, the owner of YangRising, a massage business in Naperville, was charged with battery and disorderly conduct after police say he made "unwanted contact of a sexual nature with a client."