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County approves Castle Rock IGA and updated licensing resolution to strengthen oversight of massage businesses
Summary
Douglas County adopted an intergovernmental agreement with the town of Castle Rock and an updated massage‑business licensing resolution on March 24 to comply with recent state mandates requiring licensing and fingerprinting (FBI/CBI); commissioners said the measure targets illicit operators linked to human trafficking and will be enforced jointly with Castle Rock and the sheriff's office.
Douglas County commissioners on March 24 approved an intergovernmental agreement with the town of Castle Rock and an updated resolution to implement a county massage‑business licensing program in response to recent state legislation. The board voted unanimously after an extended presentation and discussion about enforcement, background checks and human‑trafficking prevention.
What staff presented: Valerie Brewster, senior assistant county attorney, summarized the county's work to update its massage licensing ordinance to comply with recent state mandates. Brewster said the updates include making fingerprinting compliant with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and noted a July 2026 deadline for municipalities and counties to have compliant licensing processes in place.
Enforcement and intergovernmental implementation: Brewster explained the IGA with Castle Rock will be a joint effort: Castle Rock staff will assist with building and permit reviews to confirm a business has a legal right to operate at a given location, while the county's massage‑licensing team will manage application processing and outreach. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office will facilitate fingerprinting to meet FBI/CBI standards. Brewster said hearings on permits will be handled through the county's existing hearing process.
Policy intent and scope: Commissioners framed the licensing program as a tool to address a known enforcement gap where illicit operators could relocate across jurisdictional lines after enforcement actions. Board members emphasized the measure is not a 'cure‑all' but is intended to increase barriers to bad actors (ownership or staff background checks, transfer triggers, and enforcement mechanisms) and to support coordinated criminal investigative work by the sheriff's office and district attorney's office.
Board action and vote: No public comment was offered. A commissioner moved and seconded to approve the IGA with Castle Rock and the updated resolution; the board adopted both unanimously.
Next steps: County staff will continue outreach to businesses, launch the online application process and coordinate fingerprinting through the sheriff's office ahead of the July 2026 statutory deadline. The county attorney's office will handle contentious permitting questions and hearings as required.
Source: Douglas County Board of County Commissioners business meeting, March 24, 2026. Presentation and Q&A led by Valerie Brewster, senior assistant county attorney.
