Monterey County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing agency
- Monterey County Sheriff's Office
- Operating hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. only
- Technician training
- 100 hours at accredited massage school
- Alcohol
- Banned on premises, Section 11.25.120(N)
- Criminal history lookback
- 5 years for disqualifying offenses
- Off-premises massage
- Separately licensed, same hours apply
Summary
Operating a massage establishment in unincorporated Monterey County requires a Sheriff-issued license under County Code Section 11.25.040. Individual massage technicians need a separate permit, both require background review, and establishments may only run between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m.
It shall be unlawful for any person, association, partnership or corporation to engage in, conduct, carry on, or to permit to be engaged in, conducted, or carried on, in or upon any premises within the County of Monterey, the operation of a "massage establishment" as herein defined, without a license issued pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter for each and every such massage establishment. ... Massage operations shall be carried on, and the premises shall be open only between the hours of seven a.m. and two a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
25 (Ord. 040, in addition to any general business license tax. 050 must be at least eighteen, submit photographs and a residence/employment history for the prior three years, and disclose convictions within the past five years for offenses including Penal Code Sections 266i, 315, 316, 318, Section 647(b), sex-offender registration under Section 290, or specified controlled-substance felonies; any of those bars the license. 090, which additionally requires proof of at least one hundred hours of training at a state-approved massage school and a medical certificate confirming no communicable disease within the prior thirty days.
060-070 and must employ at least one certificated technician. , require a posted price list and displayed license/permits, mandate at least one tub or shower and a toilet with sanitary towels for patrons, and prohibit any common use of linens between clients. 120(O). 120(M).
Violations & Fines
Section 11.25.120(P) makes violating the alcohol, exposure or covering rules in Subsections A, C, M or N a misdemeanor, while Section 11.25.120(Q) classifies other operating-requirement violations as infractions. Operating without a license or permit violates Sections 11.25.040 and 11.25.080; the Sheriff can suspend or revoke a license after a hearing under Sections 11.25.180-190, and the general Code penalty, Section 1.20.040, applies where the chapter does not otherwise specify punishment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do individual massage therapists need their own permit?
What hours can a Monterey County massage establishment operate?
Is alcohol allowed at a massage establishment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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