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

Bakersfield Municipal Code Section 5.32.030 requires every person conducting, managing, owning, or operating a massage establishment in the city to first obtain an establishment permit from the Bakersfield police department, displayed prominently on the premises; the permit is valid for two years and must be renewed at least 90 days before expiration under Section 5.32.045. Under Section 5.32.020, the city no longer issues individual massage practitioner permits: every massage professional must instead hold current certification through the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), except for the limited practitioner-permit exemption preserved in Section 5.32.130.

Applications go to the chief of police or designee, who has 90 days to investigate the applicant's background, including criminal history, before approving, conditionally approving, or denying the permit under Section 5.32.050; grounds for denial include convictions for sex offenses requiring Penal Code Section 290 registration, specified controlled-substance convictions within five years, or a prior massage permit revocation anywhere within the past three years. Section 5.32.080 sets detailed operating standards: massages may be provided only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., with all clients required to exit by 10 p.m.; every employee performing massage must be at least 18; establishments must maintain sanitary linens laundered between clients, disinfect wet areas daily, and keep a two-year log of treatment dates, client names, and the professional who performed each service, open to police inspection.

Section 5.32.090 bars exposing or intentionally touching a client's or employee's genitals, anus, or perineum, bars advertising that suggests prohibited sexual services are available, and requires that clients of one sex never be massaged within view of a client of the opposite sex, apart from an accompanying parent, spouse, guardian, or caregiver.