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

Article VI of Chapter 13 regulates massage three ways at once: the business itself needs a massage establishment permit, anyone managing the shop in the owner's absence needs a managing employee permit, and anyone actually performing massage needs a massage practitioner permit or current CAMTC state certification (§ 13.50). A person who wants to give massages personally at their own business must hold both the establishment permit and a practitioner permit or CAMTC certificate (§ 13.50(d)).

Applicants who are not exempt must document 200 verifiable training hours, including at least 75 hours of hands-on technique, from a recognized school (§ 13.51). The police-chief application asks for the applicant's last two addresses and employers going back seven years, any criminal conviction in the past ten years, any prior license suspension or revocation, proof of a lawful right to work, and malpractice insurance of at least $100,000 per practitioner up to $500,000 per establishment (§ 13.52).

Exemptions cover licensed physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists, barbers and cosmetologists acting within their own licenses, and massage that is clearly incidental to a gym or fitness center, capped at 25 percent of floor space and income (§ 13.49). The chief of police can suspend a practitioner permit for up to nine months, or revoke it outright, for a violation of the article, a lewdness or prostitution offense, or unsafe practice, with a hearing and an appeal to the city administrator (§ 13.61).