Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in New Orleans, LA

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. Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy — Massage Therapist License

   Massage therapists in Louisiana must be licensed by the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy (9619 Interline Ave., Suite B, Baton Rouge; 225-756-3488; labmt.org). Applicants submit an original notarized application with an official transcript meeting the Louisiana Massage Therapy Act's education standard and a criminal background check enrolled through IdentoGO. Once the application is approved, the license must be registered within 45 days or the whole application process must be repeated. Reciprocity, Welcome Home Act (for licensees moving from another state), military/spouse, provisional and lapsed pathways each have their own application.

   Official government source

   $75 non-refundable application fee (cashier's check or money order), then a first-year pro-rated registration fee determined by the month you register: $125 April–August, $80 September–December, $75 January–March. A lapsed-license registration is $575 with 24 CEUs. Establishment (business) licenses register at $100 April–August, $80 September–December, $60 January–March.·Not published as a processing time. Registration must be completed within 45 days of application approval, or the application process starts over.

   $75 non-refundable application fee (cashier's check or money order), then a first-year pro-rated registration fee determined by the month you register: $125 April–August, $80 September–December, $75 January–March. A lapsed-license registration is $575 with 24 CEUs. Establishment (business) licenses register at $100 April–August, $80 September–December, $60 January–March.

   Not published as a processing time. Registration must be completed within 45 days of application approval, or the application process starts over.

2. Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Louisiana. The Louisiana state sales tax rate is 5%. Sellers must apply for a sales tax certificate with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana also has parish- and municipal-level sales taxes collected separately by local collectors, so the combined rate varies by parish and you must register with each applicable local collector in addition to the state.

   Official government source

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.·Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

   Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

1. City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue / Department of Safety and Permits — Business License

   New Orleans requires an Occupational License (annual business tax) and a Certificate of Occupancy for all businesses. The Bureau of Revenue (Department of Finance) handles the Occupational License tax; the Department of Safety and Permits handles occupancy and zoning, issuing a Certificate of Occupancy (No Work) for $190. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   $50/year minimum where gross sales are under $50,000, rising through the city's Occupational License Tax Tables — Table 1 runs to $6,200/year at $5.5M+ in gross sales, well above the claimed $500 ceiling. The Certificate of Occupancy is a separate $190.·Occupational License: not published — a temporary license is generated on approval through the One Stop App and the Amended Return Form is due within the first 40 days of operation. Certificate of Occupancy: same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

   $50/year minimum where gross sales are under $50,000, rising through the city's Occupational License Tax Tables — Table 1 runs to $6,200/year at $5.5M+ in gross sales, well above the claimed $500 ceiling. The Certificate of Occupancy is a separate $190.

   Occupational License: not published — a temporary license is generated on approval through the One Stop App and the Amended Return Form is due within the first 40 days of operation. Certificate of Occupancy: same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

2. Zoning / Certificate of Occupancy

   A Certificate of Occupancy is required for any commercial space used as a massage therapy practice. Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy (No Work) from the City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits — the general commercial process, not the home-based-business C of O — and confirm the location is properly zoned for personal service businesses. If the proposed use differs from the prior use, a building permit may also be required.

   Official government source

   $190 for the Certificate of Occupancy (No Work).·Same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

   $190 for the Certificate of Occupancy (No Work).

   Same day in some situations, 2-3 days if an inspection is required.

Official Sources

• City of New Orleans Bureau of Revenue / Department of Safety and Permits

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