San Luis Obispo County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

Sec. 020 exempts anyone who holds a valid California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) certificate under Business and Professions Code Sec. 75 track. For everyone else, Sec. 040 requires a signed application listing the owner's name and address, a description of services, the applicant's age (18+) and physical description, a two-by-three-inch photo, fingerprints, proof of graduation from a CAMTC-recognized school for technicians, and a disclosure of any felony/misdemeanor convictions or Penal Code Sec. 290 sex-offender registration. Sec. 050 sends every application to the sheriff for a background investigation, with an automatic 30-day window to respond to the tax collector, extendable for good cause; if the sheriff misses the deadline, the silence is treated as a favorable response and the tax collector proceeds with the license.

Sec. 060 lets the sheriff recommend denial on the grounds listed in Sec. 006, with a right to a hearing/appeal under Sec. 170 and Sec. 180. Approved licenses must state the licensee's name, business location, issuance and expiration dates, the fee paid, and any special restrictions (Sec. 080), must be displayed in a conspicuous place on the premises (Sec. 100), and expire and renew on the same schedule as other business licenses under Sec. 030 and Sec. 090.