When a Massage or Bodywork Establishment application is submitted, the following process will occur:

1. Within 2 business days of submission, an email will be sent to the email listed for all communication that contains the application fee invoice number, invoice amount, and information on how to pay and all persons listed under ownership and those listed as managers will receive emailed instructions from the City's background investigation company, SRA Screening, to complete their background checks. 
2. Once the application fee is paid and while waiting for the completed background investigation from all applicable persons, our team will perform an initial review of the submission to confirm the application contains all necessary information and required documentation. 
   • Note, continued review of the application will be on hold until the applicant and all applicable owners/managers complete their individual background check(s) via the email mentioned above. 
3. Following completion of the initial review and background investigations, the submission will be routed to the applicable City of Bloomington and Mclean County departments for review and confirmation of inspections. 
4. Once staff review is complete and inspection results are confirmed, the submission will be routed for final review.
5. Approved applicants will receive their license via email.
   • Denied applicants will receive an email detailing the reason(s) for denial. Once the license fee is paid, the applicant will receive their Massage or Bodywork Establishment license via email. 

Inspections 

Before a license can be approved/issued, all required inspections must be completed. The approval of any license are contingent upon full compliance with all applicable building codes, health regulations, and safety standards as set forth by the City of Bloomington and McLean County authorities. 

Authorized City of Bloomington and McLean County staff shall be permitted at any time to perform inspections of licensed Massage or Bodywork Establishments granted a license or applying for a license under the provisions of Chapter 22, Article X, for the purposes of determining compliance. 

For applicants applying for a Massage or Bodywork license, a City of Bloomington inspector will contact the applicant to schedule any inspections once the submission has passed the initial review stage. Upon completion of inspections, the City Clerk Department will be notified of the result of each inspection. Inspections required by the McLean County Health Department must be scheduled with them directly. 

Renewals 

Renewal emails will be sent to licensees the first week of March each year and will contain information on how to complete the renewal process of the license for the next fiscal year, which begins on May 1st of each year. 

All persons listed under ownership or management for a Massage or Bodywork Establishment application require a mandatory background investigation. The investigation will encompass state, federal, and local background checks and may include fingerprinting if deemed necessary. Applications will not proceed until these requirements are fulfilled. 

Please be advised that the processing of background investigation reports may take up to one month, depending on the volume of results. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their portion of the process as soon as possible to prevent any delays in the application review.  

Within 2 business days of submission of the application, all persons listed under ownership or management will receive an email from SRA Screening, the City’s background investigation company, with details on how to complete the required background investigation. 

Note that if the applicant can produce proof of a current Massage Therapist License by the State of Illinois for any owner or employee, then the background check and fingerprints are not required for the specified individual. 

The following documents are required to be up-to-date and on file at all times with the City Clerk Department during the license period, and must be included with your application submission: 

1. List of Employees, Massage Therapists, Managers, and Persons with Supervisory Authority that have been or are intended to be employed by the applicant or provide massage services. 
   • Must include the Name, Date of Birth, Email Address, and Personal Address for each
2. State of Illinois Massage Therapist License* 
   • A copy for each massage therapist employed by the applicant to provide massage services must be submitted. 
     • *If a license is not held, a copy of the certification or other written documentation or proof of exemption for licensing as required by the Massage Licensing Act (225 ILCS 57/25) must be provided. 
3. Drawing or Floor Plan of the Premises
   •  Must be labeled and designate each room by its purpose or the activity that will take place in each room.  
4. Premises Verification – Lease Premises Only
   • If the applicant premises is leased, a copy of the lease, and any subleases, assignments, or acceptances in effect at the time of application, must be provided. 
   • If the applicant premises is owned, no documents are required to be submitted.  

The following are required in order to be considered for review. (Please do not attach documents to show proof of the items below. They are checked internally, and you will be contacted if anything additional is required to be submitted.)

1. If the applicant is an Entity Registered with the State of Illinois
   • Must be in Good Standing with the State of IL  
2. Premises Verification – Owned Premises Only

Before a license application can begin review, the applicant must pay the following Application Fee: 

Application Fee: $100 

At this time there is no charge to the applicant for background investigations or annual license. 

Coming Soon

The Affidavit for Sole Proprietors that perform Massage or Bodywork Services should only be completed by massage therapist who are licensed by the State of Illinois under the Illinois Massage Licensing Act (225 ILCS 57/1 et seq.), who operate only as a sole proprietor, and who provides massage and/or bodywork services in a commercial office or suite.

For additional information regarding this exemption, please review Bloomington City Code § 22-1002B(8)(a). 

When a Massage or Bodywork Services Sole Proprietor Affidavit is submitted, the following process will occur: 

1. City Clerk Department staff will review the Affidavit and required attachments to ensure all information has been completed. 
2. Once the initial review is complete, the Affidavit will be routed for final review. 
3. If the Affidavit meets the City’s requirements, the sole proprietor will receive a confirmation email accepting the exemption. The email should be kept on-hand anytime the sole proprietor is in operation as proof that the City of Bloomington is aware of said operation. 
   1. Denied applicants will receive an email detailing the reason(s) for denial.  

Note that if during review of the Affidavit, the City Clerk Department determines more information is needed in order to fully process the request, the applicant will be contacted via email. 

Renewals 

If a Sole Proprietor intends to operate after April 30th of each year, a Massage or Bodywork Services Sole Proprietor Affidavit must be resubmitted in order to renew their exemption for the next year. Note, the City of Bloomington’s license year runs May 1st to April 30th.  

A reminder email will be sent the first week of March each year and will contain information on how to submit the Affidavit and required documents in order to complete the renewal process for the next year. 

The following are required to always be up-to-date and on file with the City Clerk Department during the active Affidavit period, and must be included with each Affidavit submission: 

1. Government-Issued Photo ID Copy 
2. State of Illinois Massage Therapist License copy 

At this time there is no fee associated with this submission type.

Please note that this list is maintained manually and may not reflect the most current information. The City Clerk Department is committed to keeping this list as accurate and up-to-date as possible for all Sole Proprietors that are approved for exemption. For questions about Sole Proprietors or to verify current status, please contact the City Clerk Department at cityclerk@cityblm.org or by phone at (309) 434-2509 Ext. 6.

 Below is a comprehensive list of Sole Proprietors that are approved for exemption, which includes the Name and Service Address(es) of each. Note that exemptions expire on April 30th of each year.

Melanie Ann Scott-Dockery, 2103 E. Washington St, BLDG 3 STE E
Megan Veerman, 7 Finance Dr, Unit 6
Erica Hartman, 2103 E. Washington St, BLDG 1
Brian Fitzgerald, 716 E. Empire St, STE F