Law enforcement agencies in Long Island and throughout Metro New York frequently conduct sting operations on massage parlors or places that advertise similar such services as reflexology etc. They conduct these stings hoping to find evidence that the massage parlor or similar business is a front for prostitution. When they find out that the massage parlor is a legitimate business and there is no evidence of prostitution, they often look for other charges that they can file against the business and its employees. One charge that frequently comes out of these sting operations is practicing massage without a license.

A license to practice any massage including Shiatsu is required in NYS. Certification alone doesn't cut it. The NYSSMMT (NEW YORK STATE SOCIETY of MEDICAL MASSAGE THERAPISTS) members actively seek out unlicensed operations and report them.

If you have been charged with massage without a license in New York you are facing a criminal charge that can have serious repercussions. If you are an immigrant, it could impact your status. At the Law Office of Joel R. Salinger, P.C. we are here to protect your rights. In New York it is actually a greater crime to offer or perform a massage without a license than prostitution (a misdemeanor). To get a legal license to become a masseuse is a very long and costly process (1000 hours). Calling a service, a body-rub or some other name doesn't alleviate an individual from New York State massage license requirements. There are however limited legal massage techniques that can be performed under a beauticians license. Feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.

Massage without a license is not a sex crime. However, it may be charged in conjunction with sex crime charges such as prostitution, and the stigma that comes with this charge may be much greater than the typical misdemeanor. We are committed to working hard to keep your record clean, whether you have been charged only with massage without a license or you are facing other criminal charges as a result of the sting operation as well.