Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in Fort Wayne, 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. Fort Wayne — No General Business License

   Fort Wayne has no general city business license, and there is no "Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement" business license. The city's official Starting a Business guide states: "The City of Fort Wayne does not currently require a general business license." What does apply: register your business name with the Allen County Recorder if it does not include the owner's last name, verify zoning with the Allen County Department of Planning Services, and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Allen County Building Department after final inspection of any commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.·Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.

   Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

2. Fort Wayne — Zoning Verification & Certificate of Occupancy

   Verify in writing with the Allen County Department of Planning Services (200 E. Berry St., Suite 150; 260-449-7607) that a commercial space is zoned for a personal-service use such as massage therapy — not with the Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement, which handles code violations rather than zoning. Planning Services routes the Improvement Location Permit through a review committee and, once holds are cleared, forwards it to the Allen County Building Department, which issues the Building Permit. After construction and an approved final inspection, the Building Department issues the Certificate of Occupancy confirming the building meets construction, health, and safety codes and is legal to occupy.

   Official government source

   Not published as a single figure — Allen County Building Department permit fees vary by project and are set in its own fee schedule. Contact the Building Department at 260-449-7131 and Planning Services at 260-449-7607 for current amounts.·Driven by the site plan routing review rather than a fixed window: a project representative must attend the routing review meeting to clear holds, and the Certificate of Occupancy issues only after the Building Department approves the final inspection.

   Not published as a single figure — Allen County Building Department permit fees vary by project and are set in its own fee schedule. Contact the Building Department at 260-449-7131 and Planning Services at 260-449-7607 for current amounts.

   Driven by the site plan routing review rather than a fixed window: a project representative must attend the routing review meeting to clear holds, and the Certificate of Occupancy issues only after the Building Department approves the final inspection.

Official Sources

• Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Massage Therapist License
• City of Fort Wayne Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement

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