Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in Grand Forks, ND

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. North Dakota Board of Massage — License

   Massage therapists in North Dakota must be licensed by the ND Board of Massage Therapy. Requires 750 hours of massage therapy education from an accredited program and a passing score on the MBLEx (or equivalent exam), plus a jurisprudence exam and criminal background check.

   Official government source

   $150 (initial application fee)·4–8 weeks

   $150 (initial application fee)

   4–8 weeks

2. North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — Sales and Use Tax Permit

   Required for any business selling taxable goods or services in North Dakota. The state sales tax rate is 5% for most retail sales, and cities and counties may levy additional local sales and use taxes that vary by location — check the Tax Commissioner’s local tax rate listings for your address. Apply for the permit in ND TAP, the state’s Taxpayer Access Point.

   Official government source

   Free·Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

   Free

   Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

1. Grand Forks Business License (only if your business type is on the city's licensed list)

   Grand Forks does NOT have a general business license for most businesses. The city requires a license only for specific categories: alcohol sales, body art/tattoo facilities and artists, food establishments (bakeries, grocery/retail meat, restaurants, mobile food vendors, concession stands), childcare facilities, hotels/motels, taxi/towing operators, retail tobacco dealers, and a few other regulated categories. Building-trade licenses (electrician, plumber, mechanical installer, etc.) are issued separately by the Building Inspections Department. Check the city's license list for your specific business type before assuming a license is required.

   Official government source

   Varies by license category - see the city's fee schedule; most businesses need no city license at all·1–3 weeks (only if your business type requires a license)

   Varies by license category - see the city's fee schedule; most businesses need no city license at all

   1–3 weeks (only if your business type requires a license)

2. City of Grand Forks Certificate of Occupancy and Zoning Approval

   A commercial space used as a massage therapy practice in Grand Forks needs a Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Grand Forks Department of Building Safety, and zoning confirmation from the Planning and Zoning Department — not the city Finance Office, which handles business licensing and has no zoning role. Building Safety covers the city limits and its two-mile extraterritorial area.

   Official government source

   Set from the total construction value using the city Building Permit Fee List (separate lists for commercial/multi-family and for one- and two-family residences), available from the Department of Building Safety at 701-746-2631.·Building Safety responds to a submitted permit request within two business days; allow 2-6 weeks overall for buildout inspections before occupancy is signed off.

   Set from the total construction value using the city Building Permit Fee List (separate lists for commercial/multi-family and for one- and two-family residences), available from the Department of Building Safety at 701-746-2631.

   Building Safety responds to a submitted permit request within two business days; allow 2-6 weeks overall for buildout inspections before occupancy is signed off.

Official Sources

• North Dakota Board of Massage — License
• City of Grand Forks City Finance Office

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