Sacramento County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Massage Establishment Special Business License
- Distance rule
- 1,000 ft from other establishments/sensitive uses
- Applies to
- New applications filed after Jan. 1, 2025
- Investigating agency
- Sheriff's Office investigates applicants
Summary
Every massage establishment in unincorporated Sacramento County needs a Massage Establishment Special Business License, and any new location opened after January 1, 2025 must sit at least 1,000 feet from another licensed establishment or a sensitive use like a school.
Except as provided in Section 4.36.035, it shall be unlawful for any person to own, operate, engage in, conduct, permit, or carry on in any way, a Massage Establishment, unless under and by authority of a valid, unexpired, unrevoked Massage Establishment Special Business License issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. There shall be only one Massage Establishment Special Business License for a Massage Establishment at each location thereof that authorizes the activity of Massage...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4941150; v18 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
Sacramento County Code § 4.36.040 makes it unlawful to own, operate, or conduct a massage establishment in the unincorporated area without a valid Massage Establishment Special Business License, held by the establishment's owner. The Sheriff's Office investigates every applicant's background before a license issues. Section 4.36.045 adds a distance rule for applications filed after January 1, 2025: new establishments must sit at least 1,000 feet from any other licensed massage establishment that isn't an incidental use, and 1,000 feet from sensitive uses such as day care centers, schools, libraries, parks, churches, and community centers, measured from the nearest property lines.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a Massage Establishment Special Business License, or opening within 1,000 feet of another licensed establishment or sensitive use, violates §§ 4.36.040 and 4.36.045 and can trigger license denial, suspension, or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to open a massage business in unincorporated Sacramento County?
How close can a new massage establishment be to a school or another massage business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
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