Utah to require statewide registration of massage establishments under HB 278 to target illicit operations

Utah officials on Jan. 11 announced steps to implement HB 278, a 2025 law that will require massage-establishment registration statewide and give regulators new tools to shut down illicit operations that department officials say are often linked to human trafficking.

Margaret (Executive Director, Utah Department of Commerce) said the law shifts enforcement from individual practitioners to establishments and will allow the department to "target the true architects" of illicit massage operations. "There are roughly 195 of these illicit massage establishments in the state of Utah," she said, adding that the businesses are visible in strip malls and neighborhoods and that many workers "are being trafficked and exploited by the owners and criminals running the businesses."

Why it matters: Department and law-enforcement officials said illicit massage businesses undermine the safety and reputation of licensed massage therapists, create risks for consumers, and often involve…