Human Trafficking Poster and Signs for Massage Establishments and Salons

Looking for a compliant human trafficking poster or sign for your massage establishment, salon, or business?

Many states now require certain businesses to post human trafficking awareness signs or posters. To help your business avoid fines for not having the right sign during an inspection and help human trafficking victims find necessary help, let’s talk about the individual poster requirements and where you can find compliant posters.

Today we are going to cover the three most common places that are required to have human trafficking posters in the beauty and wellness industries.

Texas Cosmetology Salons
Texas Massage Establishments
Florida Massage Establishments

Why does my business need a poster?

It is easy to be cynical about another requirement. I get it. However, our industry has been known to be a common front for human trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security has reported that human trafficking is a growing criminal industry in the world, and it’s happening in licensed salons and massage establishments. As professionals, we are in a unique position to spot human trafficking and report it to the necessary channels.

A human trafficking poster can help end trafficking in two ways:

Inform your employees and clients about human trafficking and what to look for when they are not in your business.
Let victims of human trafficking know that help is available and where they can seek assistance.

We can view this as another burden or as an opportunity to educate and help others.

Next, let’s cover the sign and poster requirements for each of these businesses so that you can pass your next salon or massage establishment inspection without any issues regarding your sign requirements.

Texas Cosmetology Salon Human Trafficking Sign

Cosmetology Salons in Texas are required to post a sign with information concerning reporting human trafficking as well as services and assistance available to victims of human trafficking.

This requirement is pursuant to Texas House Bill 2552, and requires a licensed cosmetology salon to display a sign approved by the TDLR.

The sign “must be in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese and include a toll-free telephone number of a nationally recognized information and referral hotline for victims of human trafficking.” Tex. OCC §1602.408.

Below are links to two versions of the sign created by TDLR. One of the following must be posted in the salon:

Note: I do not see a minimum poster size or font required for Texas Salon Human Trafficking Posters.

Additional Reminder: Texas cosmetology licensees (operators, manicurists, and estheticians) must complete an approved Texas cosmetology continuing education course with a human trafficking component.

Texas Massage Establishment Human Trafficking Sign

Pursuant to Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 455, a human trafficking notice must be displayed in a conspicuous place at each licensed massage establishment. The human trafficking notice must:

Be in English and Spanish;
Include the National Human Trafficking Hotline telephone number; and
Include the Internet website address for the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

The following link takes you to the human trafficking notice required to be posted at each licensed massage establishment: “Stop Human Trafficking” sign – multi-language version (PDF)

Additional Reminder: Texas massage therapist licensees must complete an HHS-approved human trafficking course for their TDLR license or Texas massage continuing education requirements.

Florida Massage Establishment Human Trafficking Signs

Yes, Florida massage establishments are required to have two signs. This initially caused a lot of confusion when all of the human trafficking requirements were enacted.

Here is a little more about the required signs. Failure to post both signs may result in disciplinary action against the massage establishment.

Sign #1

Sign #1 is required by 456.0341(3), Florida Statutes. It must be displayed in a place accessible to employees, and state:

If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in an activity and cannot leave, whether it is prostitution, housework, farm work, factory work, retail work, restaurant work, or any other activity, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888 or text INFO or HELP to 233-733 to access help and services. Victims of slavery and human trafficking are protected under United States and Florida law.

This sign must:

be at least 11 inches by 15 inches
clearly legible in English and Spanish
and the print must be at least 32-point type

Sample signs that meet this requirement are no longer available on the State’s website, but I do still have a link to this recommended sign. It is in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.

Sign #2

Sign #2 is required by 480.043(13), Florida Statutes and focuses on the reporting procedures for the establishment. It also must be posted in a conspicuous place that is accessible to your employees. It does not matter if you are a sole proprietor or not, you must post this sign..

Your procedure may be simple. However is must include contacting the National Human Trafficking Hotline or a local law enforcement agency.

Other information may include additional procedures like notifying the establishment’s DEM (Designated Establishment Manager).

If you need more information when creating your procedure, the board website encourages you to consider the following resources:

Note: Sign #2 does not have a size or font requirement.

Reminder, Florida massage therapists licensees must now complete a Florida board-approved human trafficking course each renewal cycle.

Where can I purchase a poster or sign for my salon or massage establishment?

If you are looking to purchase a compliant poster for your salon or establishment, please contact us at ivy@advancedmassagetechniques.com with your state and business license type (salon or massage establishment).

Other ways to help human trafficking victims

Even if your state does not require human trafficking signs, you can still choose to post them in your massage establishment, salon, or other business.

Also, consider training your employees on human trafficking awareness. This could help them identify potential victims and know how to report suspicions of human trafficking. They may not see it in your business, but encounter it in their day-to-day activities.

There are many other ways to get involved in the fight against human trafficking. Here are a few:

Put the Human Trafficking Hotline number in your phone contacts so that you can be prepared to call if you see something suspicious
If you have a blog or website, consider posting human trafficking awareness information and resources in your business. Here is a link to a widget from the National Human Trafficking Hotline to put on your website -https://humantraffickinghotline.org/get-involved/downloadable-resources
Share human trafficking awareness information with your friends and family

Free Human Trafficking Resources from DHS Blue Campaign

The Blue Campaign has a wide variety of human trafficking awareness materials to help educate the public to recognize indicators of trafficking and report suspected incidents to law enforcement. These materials are available at no cost.

https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/request-materials

Reporting Human Trafficking

If you see human trafficking signs in a salon or massage establishment near you, or feel you may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at

1-888-373-7888
Text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE)
Or visit the National Human Trafficking Hotline online at https://humantraffickinghotline.org

Do You Have A Language Barrier, Do Not Speak English?

If you have a language barrier, or do not speak English, the human trafficking hotline can communicate via phone in more than 200 languages through a translation service. Help is also available via text, webchat, email, and webform in English and Spanish.

When contacting the National Human Trafficking Hotline, be prepared to give as much information as possible about the situation, including:

any suspicious behavior you have observed
the location of the salon or massage establishment
the time and date you observed the behavior
any identifying information about the individuals involved, such as their physical descriptions, license plate numbers, or vehicle descriptions.

If you encounter a dangerous situation or emergency, call 911.

Your tips could help law enforcement rescue victims and bring traffickers to justice.

Still, need a human trafficking sign or poster for your business?

Again, please email us if you need to purchase a human trafficking poster for your salon or massage establishment. We have posters available that meet the current requirements for the Florida Board of Massage and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) for cosmetology salons and massage establishments.

If you see something suspicious, say something! You could help save a victim of human trafficking.