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

AMC Chapter 5-19 layers city registration on top of California's statewide massage licensing scheme (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 4600 et seq.). Section 5-19.03 makes it unlawful for anyone to practice massage for compensation in Antioch, whether as sole proprietor or employee, without CAMTC certification. Separately, § 5-19.04 makes it unlawful to operate a massage establishment without a registration issued by the Police Department, with a separate registration required for each location; the registration itself does not excuse compliance with business license and zoning rules.

Exceptions cover licensed physicians, chiropractors, nurses, physical therapists, acupuncturists, barbers, cosmetologists, licensed health facilities, and school or athletic trainers acting within their duties (§ 5-19.05). Applicants file with the Police Department, pay a nonrefundable fee set in the master fee schedule, cover DOJ fingerprinting costs, and disclose under penalty of perjury the business's legal name, address, all owners' names and addresses, employee CAMTC certifications, business structure, and a five-year work history for any non-certified owner or operator (§ 5-19.06). No one under 18 may work in, manage, or hold an ownership interest in a massage establishment, and it is unlawful to employ anyone under 18 there (§ 5-19.19).

The Police Department may suspend or revoke a registration for violating Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 4609, lacking required qualifications, a chapter conviction, fraud or material misrepresentation in an application, or operating in a manner that menaces public health, safety or welfare (§ 5-19.14). A registrant gets 14 days to appeal a suspension or revocation to the Board of Administrative Appeals under Chapter 1-4, and judicial review follows under Cal. Gov't Code § 53069.4 if the Board upholds the action (§§ 5-19.15, 5-19.17). Once revoked, no massage establishment may relocate to that same address for two years, and the property owner of record must be notified of the prohibition (§ 5-19.18).