Alameda, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Alameda licenses massage establishments and outcall massage services under Article IX of Chapter VI. Sec. 3 makes it unlawful to operate either without first obtaining a permit issued the way Sec. 5-16 of the code sets out, with the Chief of Police acting as the investigating official. Applicants must disclose their prior two addresses going back three years, proof they are at least eighteen, physical description, two 2-inch by 2-inch photographs, employment history for the prior three years, any history of a permit being revoked or suspended elsewhere, and all non-traffic criminal convictions; the Chief of Police may also require fingerprints.

If the applicant is a corporation, the application must list every officer, director and any stockholder owning more than ten percent of the stock. Once filed, Sec. 4 sends the application to the Building, Fire, Police and Planning Departments for a thirty-day compliance review, backed by a non-refundable investigation fee set by City Council resolution, and a notice of intent is posted at the proposed location before the City Manager holds a hearing. Under Sec. 5, the City Manager must deny the permit if the applicant has been convicted of an offense involving lewd conduct or violence, a crime requiring registration under Penal Code Section 290, or specified Penal Code obscenity or indecent-exposure sections, or has lied on the application.

A temporary thirty-day permit can issue while a renewal or transfer application is pending review under Sec. 6. Licensed establishments must also meet sanitation standards under Sec. 7: at least a 40-watt light in every massage room, single-use linens, separate restrooms for men and women, and secure valuables storage for patrons.