Every week, another massage parlor opens its doors in Everett. At least that's what Mayor Cassie Franklin told the City Council before it voted to do something about it.

On Wednesday, June 3, the council passed a new law targeting illicit massage operations that city officials say have been multiplying across the region. The vote came weeks after Bothell police raided five massage businesses on Tuesday, April 14, citing suspected prostitution and potential ties to human trafficking.

"There are numerous illicit massage businesses here in the city of Everett," Lacey Offutt, a police legal advisor in the City Attorney's Office, told the council, according to the Everett Post. "It's been one of those problems that have been growing regionally and its growing at a pretty steady pace."

The ordinance, Council Bill 2605-28, creates new rules for every massage and reflexology shop in the city. Here's what it means for business owners and workers:

Every shop must now hold two credentials: a City of Everett business license and a current Washington State Department of Health license or certification. Both must be posted where customers can see them. No shop can operate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Each hour of violation counts as a separate civil infraction.

City officials can inspect any shop during business hours without notice. They cannot enter private areas without consent or a warrant. Home-based solo practitioners with state licenses are exempt from both the hours cap and inspections.

The penalties are steep. Operating without the required licenses is a gross misdemeanor. Letting an unlicensed practitioner work is a misdemeanor the first time and escalates from there.

Landlords face consequences too. Council Vice President Paula Rhyne pushed for language holding property owners accountable when they knowingly rent to non-compliant operators, according to the Everett Post. A $1,000 civil penalty for such landlords was discussed at the June 3 meeting.

The law drew pushback. At the same meeting, speakers representing Asian immigrant massage workers argued the ordinance could disproportionately harm vulnerable workers through increased enforcement without adequate language access. Council members acknowledged those concerns and discussed plans for better outreach and advocacy to reduce barriers to state licensing.

The city published a compliance guide on Monday, July 7, at everettwa.gov/3403 with flyers in English, Spanish, and Chinese. A separate flyer directs workers to confidential support at everettwa.gov/workerhelp, available regardless of immigration status.

Business owners with questions can visit everettwa.gov/businesslicense or call 425-257-8610. State licensing questions go to 425-339-8730.