Massage Therapy Business Permit Requirements in Nashville, TN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Tennessee Massage Therapist License (TN Department of Health)

   Tennessee requires massage therapists to be licensed by the Tennessee Board of Massage Licensure, which sits in the Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Health Related Boards (not the Department of Commerce and Insurance). Applicants must complete at least 650 classroom hours at a massage school approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, pass the MBLEx (administered by the FSMTB) or another Board-approved examination, and have a criminal background check submitted to the Board. A business providing massage at a fixed location must also hold a separate massage establishment license from the same Board. Both license types renew biennially.

   Official government source

   $280 individual application ($85 application + $185 initial licensure + $10 state regulatory fee) + $265 MBLEx exam fee paid to FSMTB; massage establishment license $225 ($95 + $120 + $10). Biennial renewal: $195 therapist ($185 + $10 regulatory), $145 establishment ($135 + $10).·4–8 weeks; the Board does not publish a processing-time standard, and timing depends on transcripts, exam results, and the background check clearing

   $280 individual application ($85 application + $185 initial licensure + $10 state regulatory fee) + $265 MBLEx exam fee paid to FSMTB; massage establishment license $225 ($95 + $120 + $10). Biennial renewal: $195 therapist ($185 + $10 regulatory), $145 establishment ($135 + $10).

   4–8 weeks; the Board does not publish a processing-time standard, and timing depends on transcripts, exam results, and the background check clearing

2. Tennessee Business Tax Registration

   Tennessee businesses with in-state gross receipts over $3,000 but under $100,000 must obtain a minimal activity license from their county and/or municipal clerk. A standard business license, plus registration with the Tennessee Department of Revenue and remittance of state and local business tax, is required only once gross receipts reach $100,000 a year. No license is required under $3,000. Massage services are subject to Tennessee business tax once the $100,000 threshold is met.

   Official government source

   $15 license registration fee per clerk — a Nashville business inside city limits pays $15 to Davidson County and $15 to the city ($30 total); a business in Davidson County outside city limits pays $15. Business tax itself is a percentage of gross receipts and applies only at $100,000 or more.·Register through TNTAP; the Department of Revenue takes up to 10 business days to register your business, then you arrange the license and fee with the county and/or municipal clerk. You may not operate until the license is obtained and posted.

   $15 license registration fee per clerk — a Nashville business inside city limits pays $15 to Davidson County and $15 to the city ($30 total); a business in Davidson County outside city limits pays $15. Business tax itself is a percentage of gross receipts and applies only at $100,000 or more.

   Register through TNTAP; the Department of Revenue takes up to 10 business days to register your business, then you arrange the license and fee with the county and/or municipal clerk. You may not operate until the license is obtained and posted.

1. Metro Nashville - Davidson County Clerk Business License

   Businesses operating in Nashville-Davidson County obtain a business license from the Davidson County Clerk's Business Services office, not the Metro Codes Department. A business inside the Nashville city limits pays both the county and the city registration fee rather than a single combined license. For massage establishments the therapists must separately hold Tennessee Massage Licensure Board licenses. Annual gross receipts of $3,000-$99,999 qualify for a minimal activity license; $100,000 or more requires a standard business license with business tax filed to the Department of Revenue.

   Official government source

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.·The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.

   The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

2. Metro Nashville Use and Occupancy Permit

   A massage therapy practice in a commercial space needs a Use and Occupancy (U&O) permit from Metro Codes and Building Safety; the U&O is how Metro establishes that the use complies with the zoning code. Email a Commercial Permit Application - plus a site plan or parking survey if the use is changing and the property sits outside the Urban Zoning Overlay - to the Zoning Examination section. An examiner returns a checklist of sign-offs from other Metro divisions, which for a personal service use typically means Fire Marshal review and Metro Water Services including Sewer Discharge Compliance. Only once those are cleared do you pay the fee and request the U&O inspection, and you may not occupy the space until inspections are complete. Confirm the zoning district permits the use before signing a lease; a use verification letter from Codes settles it in writing.

   Official government source

   $55 for a use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit was issued, per Metro's published Codes Fee Schedule. A use verification letter confirming the zoning designation is $50. If build-out requires a building permit, add the $25 zoning examination fee, the valuation-based permit fee, a codes tech fee of 10% of it, and plan review. Re-inspection is $50.·Metro publishes no processing time; its guidance only advises allowing plenty of time, because the U&O waits on other divisions' sign-offs. Zoning Examination: 615-862-6510. Building and U&O inspections: 615-862-6550.

   $55 for a use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit was issued, per Metro's published Codes Fee Schedule. A use verification letter confirming the zoning designation is $50. If build-out requires a building permit, add the $25 zoning examination fee, the valuation-based permit fee, a codes tech fee of 10% of it, and plan review. Re-inspection is $50.

   Metro publishes no processing time; its guidance only advises allowing plenty of time, because the U&O waits on other divisions' sign-offs. Zoning Examination: 615-862-6510. Building and U&O inspections: 615-862-6550.

Official Sources

• Tennessee TDCI — Massage Licensure Board
• Metro Nashville — Business Licenses
• Tennessee Department of Revenue — Business Tax

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