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Contra Costa County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Operator permit fee
$100 application, $75 issuance
Masseur permit fee
$25 application, $20 issuance
Permit term
1 year, nontransferable
Training requirement
70 hours class or 2 years experience
Issuing authority
Contra Costa County Sheriff
Application review window
30 days

Summary

Anyone operating a massage parlor or outcall massage service, or working as a masseur, in unincorporated Contra Costa County needs a Sheriff-issued permit under Ordinance Code Chapter 518-2, backed by fingerprinting, a health exam, and sanitation standards.

City-specific rules exist: Brentwood, San Ramon, and Antioch have their own massage establishments rules that differ from Contra Costa County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

No person shall operate or allow the operation of a massage parlor or an outcall massage service without a valid permit. ... No person shall act as a masseur, nor shall anyone employ a person as a masseur for others, who does not have a valid masseur permit. Every operator shall maintain a register of all persons so employed and their permit numbers, which register shall be available for inspection by the sheriff during regular business hours.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).

Full Breakdown

404 requires every masseur to hold a valid masseur permit, with operators keeping an on-site register of employees and their permit numbers for sheriff inspection. Applications go to the sheriff on a sheriff-provided form with a nonrefundable fee of $100 for operators and $25 for masseurs. 606 requires fingerprints, two portrait photographs, and identifying data including birthdate, height, weight, and driver's license number for the applicant and, for a business entity, every officer and financially interested person. 612 requires a masseur applicant to have been examined by a physician within the last 30 days and found free of communicable disease, and to hold a diploma from a state-approved school requiring at least 70 hours of class instruction, or substitute two years of bona fide full-time massage experience.

7, 314, 315, 316, 318, 647(a)/(b)/(d) or 647a, the premises will not meet health and safety requirements, or the applicant made a knowing false statement. 806 sets detailed sanitation rules: separate dressing, locker, and toilet facilities for each sex, sterilized linens, and posted handwashing signage. 807 bars nude or topless exposure by any masseur or employee in a customer's presence.

Violations & Fines

Operating without a permit, or employing an uncredentialed masseur, violates Sections 518-2.402 and 518-2.404. The sheriff may suspend or revoke a permit under Section 518-2.1002 after a hearing for violating any chapter requirement, engaging in illegal conduct, operating without regard for public health and safety, or refusing an inspection; Section 518-2.1004 requires 10 days' written notice before the hearing and a decision mailed within 7 days after it. Renewal applications, filed at least 30 days before expiration, carry a $50 (operator) or $15 (masseur) fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issues massage business permits in unincorporated Contra Costa County?
The county sheriff, not the Community Development Department. Section 518-2.402 requires a valid operator's permit before running a massage parlor or outcall massage service, and Section 518-2.616 has the sheriff refer operator applications to the building inspector and health officer for a premises inspection before issuance.
What disqualifies a massage permit applicant?
Section 518-2.618 lets the sheriff deny a permit if the applicant or an employee has a conviction requiring Penal Code Section 290 sex-offender registration or under Sections 311-311.7, 314, 315, 316, 318, or 647(a),(b),(d) or 647a, if the premises won't meet health and safety rules, or if the applicant knowingly made a false statement on the application.
Do masseurs need a health exam or training credential?
Yes. Section 518-2.612 requires a physician's exam within the 30 days before applying showing freedom from communicable disease, plus either a diploma from a school requiring at least 70 hours of class instruction under Education Code Section 29007.5 or two years of bona fide full-time massage experience shown to the sheriff's satisfaction.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Contra Costa County

All Contra Costa County rules

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