Huntington Beach, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit name
- Establishment Registration Certificate
- Issuing authority
- Huntington Beach Police Chief
- Spacing requirement
- 1,000 feet from another massage establishment
- Review period
- 60 days, or application deemed denied
- Certificate term
- 1 year, renews with business license
- Post-revocation closure
- 24-month bar at same address
Summary
Every massage business in Huntington Beach, including a sole practitioner, must get an Establishment Registration Certificate from the Police Chief before opening, per Municipal Code Section 5.24.020, and new locations must sit at least 1,000 feet from any other Massage Establishment under Section 5.24.035.
§ 5.24.020. Establishment Registration Certificate. All Massage Establishments seeking to open and/or conduct business in Huntington Beach must first obtain an Establishment Registration Certificate. It is unlawful to open or operate a massage business in Huntington Beach without having first obtained an Establishment Registration Certificate. ... § 5.24.035(A)(2): For new Massage Establishments, the proposed location for the Massage Establishment is no fewer than 1,000 feet from another Massage Establishment as measured from the property lines.
Full Breakdown
020; opening or operating without one is unlawful. 025 requires every applicant to submit to a background check, and the certificate must be denied if that check reveals a felony conviction, a sex-related misdemeanor conviction, a crime of moral turpitude, a business permit denied, revoked, restricted or suspended by any agency within the last five years, or a nuisance injunction within the last five years. 025(C) deems the application automatically denied. 035 additionally requires that a new Massage Establishment sit no fewer than 1,000 feet from another Massage Establishment, measured property line to property line, though establishments already within 1,000 feet when the chapter took effect may keep operating. 040 except at the Police Chief's discretion. 050(C) bars any massage establishment from reopening at that same address for at least 24 months.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Massage Establishment in Huntington Beach after a certificate is denied, suspended or revoked is unlawful under Section 5.24.050(E). The Police Chief can suspend or revoke a certificate for a material misrepresentation on the application, a violation of Chapter 5.24 or of federal, state or local law, or a violation by any employee or contractor of the business, and may post a closure notice and lock the premises to the public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do massage therapists need a permit in Huntington Beach?
How close can a new massage business open to an existing one in Huntington Beach?
What disqualifies someone from getting a Huntington Beach massage permit?
Can a Huntington Beach massage business reopen after its permit is revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntington Beach
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