Virtual Workshop - Proposed Amendments to Massage Establishments - November 3, 2026

The City of Reno held a virtual workshop on November 3, 2026, to collect feedback on proposed amendments to Reno Municipal Code 5.23, governing massage establishments. Staff described changes intended to strengthen oversight, deter illicit activity and human trafficking, and protect legitimate businesses. Proposed requirements include background investigations for relevant owners and managers—and an individual applicant’s spouse—disclosure of businesses owned outside Reno, operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and a prohibition on living at the business. The draft would also authorize city business licensing, building, and fire staff to inspect establishments without a warrant; refusing an inspection could lead to a license-revocation hearing. Other proposed provisions would restrict a new massage establishment from operating for three years at a location after a license revocation when ownership, name, or lease arrangements are substantially the same, and would add conviction-related grounds for denial or enforcement.