Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in Evansville, IN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Massage Therapist License

   Massage therapists in Indiana are licensed by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). You must complete a 625-hour massage therapy training program — not 500 hours — and pass an accepted national exam: the MBLEx, the NCETM, the NCBTMB examination, or the NBCA National Certification Examination. Licenses expire on May 15 of every fourth year (2025, 2029, 2033).

   Official government source

   $100 initial application fee; $150 renewal every four years.·IPLA publishes no processing time. An application is abandoned if all requirements are not submitted within one year of the filing date, so have transcripts and exam results ready before applying.

   $100 initial application fee; $150 renewal every four years.

   IPLA publishes no processing time. An application is abandoned if all requirements are not submitted within one year of the filing date, so have transcripts and exam results ready before applying.

2. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

1. No General Business License in Evansville

   Evansville does not require a general/universal business license for most business types. The City Controller's office issues licenses only for specific activities (e.g., street vending, hotels, pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers) — none apply to a typical service business. Verify zoning compliance and, if applicable, a Certificate of Occupancy with the Area Plan Commission / Building Commission before opening.

   Official government source

   Not applicable (no general license fee)·Not applicable

   Not applicable (no general license fee)

   Not applicable

2. Evansville — Zoning Approval & Certificate of Occupancy for a Massage Therapy Space

   Confirm with the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission that the location is zoned for personal service uses and obtain the Improvement Location Permit that applies — a Change of Business permit when moving into an existing space, or a change-of-use permit if the building's use classification changes. The Department of Metropolitan Development does not do zoning verification. Building permits and inspections are handled by the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Building Commission, which issues the Certificate of Occupancy once construction, all code compliance inspections, and the Evansville Fire Department final inspection are complete; the space may not be occupied until it is issued.

   Official government source

   Area Plan Commission fee schedule effective January 1, 2026: Change of Business $100; Remodeling $100; new structure, addition, or change of use $200 plus $0.05 per sq ft; commercial site review application $200; Zoning Certificate $100. Building Commission permit fees are set separately in its published Permit Fee Schedule.·The Area Plan Commission's Site Review Committee meets weekly — plans submitted by Monday 4:00 p.m. are reviewed the following Monday, and site approval is valid six months. The Certificate of Occupancy issues only after the Building Commission and Fire Department final inspections are passed.

   Area Plan Commission fee schedule effective January 1, 2026: Change of Business $100; Remodeling $100; new structure, addition, or change of use $200 plus $0.05 per sq ft; commercial site review application $200; Zoning Certificate $100. Building Commission permit fees are set separately in its published Permit Fee Schedule.

   The Area Plan Commission's Site Review Committee meets weekly — plans submitted by Monday 4:00 p.m. are reviewed the following Monday, and site approval is valid six months. The Certificate of Occupancy issues only after the Building Commission and Fire Department final inspections are passed.

Official Sources

• Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Massage Therapist License
• City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development

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