Garden Grove, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Garden Grove Police Chief
- Review period
- 60 days, extendable 30 more
- Permitted hours
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. only
- Permit term
- 12 months, non-transferable
- Practitioner requirement
- Current CAMTC state certification
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor plus permit revocation
Summary
Running a massage business in Garden Grove requires a Police Chief-issued operator's permit under Municipal Code Chapter 5.12, on top of state CAMTC certification for every practitioner. Establishments must staff a manager at all times, close between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and keep employee certification records on file. Violating the chapter can mean a misdemeanor citation, permit revocation, or a public-nuisance abatement hearing before the City Council.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 5.12.110, no person shall engage in, conduct or carry on, or permit to be engaged, conducted, or carried on in or upon any premises within the City, the operation of a massage establishment without first obtaining and thereafter maintaining an operator's permit pursuant to this chapter, and without otherwise complying with the provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4903654; v10 updated 2026-05-12).
Full Breakdown
030). 040). 050). Denial is mandatory if any owner, operator, manager or employee has been convicted of Penal Code §§ 266i, 315, 316, 318, or 647(b), a controlled-substance felony under Health and Safety Code §§ 11054-11058, or is required to register as a sex offender under Penal Code § 290. 090). 060). 110).
Violations & Fines
Violating any part of Chapter 5.12 is a misdemeanor, subject to criminal citation, administrative citation, or civil action under Chapters 1.04 and 1.22 (§ 5.12.180). The City Attorney may also seek injunctive relief under § 1.04.090. Separately, the Police Chief can notice a massage establishment as a public nuisance, triggering a City Council hearing on 10 business days' notice; the Council can order the business closed or impose operating conditions, and unresolved nuisances go to civil injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a city permit to open a massage business in Garden Grove?
Can a Garden Grove massage establishment stay open late?
What can get a massage operator's permit application denied?
What happens if a Garden Grove massage establishment is cited for a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garden Grove
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