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

HMC Sec. 03 makes it unlawful to operate a massage establishment without a permit issued by the Chief of Police, separate from any land use approval required under the City's Zoning Ordinance, and separate again from the massage therapist's own CAMTC certification; a permit under this Article does not by itself authorize anyone to practice massage. Sec. 05 routes each application through the Planning Director to confirm the zoning district allows the use, requires a nonrefundable fee, and demands extensive disclosure including the applicant's prior addresses and employment for seven years, criminal convictions for the past ten years, fingerprints processed by the Department of Justice, and passport-style photos of the applicant and all massage employees.

Sec. 07 gives the Chief of Police sixty calendar days to issue or deny a completed application, and lists specific denial grounds including a prior Red Light Abatement Act prosecution or a conviction for any of a detailed list of Penal Code sex-offense, prostitution, lewd-conduct or controlled-substance sections within the preceding seven years. Sec. 08 separately disqualifies anyone required to register under Penal Code section 290 or convicted of specified sexual-misconduct or controlled-substance offenses, even if later expunged. A denied applicant can request a hearing before the City Manager within seven calendar days under Sec. 09, with a written decision due within another seven days.