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

Section 6402(I), added by Ordinance 2015-4, requires anyone carrying on the business of massage in Lakewood to hold a valid massage business permit for each separate office, and requires every practicing masseur to hold an individual masseur's business permit and a current Certified Massage Therapist or Certified Massage Practitioner certificate issued by the California Massage Therapy Council under Business and Professions Code Section 4600 et al. A massage establishment must keep at least one certified therapist or practitioner on the premises during all hours of operation, and a permit cannot be transferred to another person or entity without City approval.

Applicants for the business permit must disclose the business's name and structure, list every practitioner and employee with addresses, and submit personal history for the applicant, officers, or partners, including two prior addresses, a full set of fingerprints retained by the Police Chief, two 2-by-2-inch photographs, a complete criminal history beyond minor traffic offenses, and the names of three adult County residents as character references who are not relatives or business associates; a deposit covers the cost of the Police Chief's background investigation. No permit issues if the applicant, a manager, or a partner is under 18, or if the applicant's massage-related permit was denied, revoked, or suspended by any government agency within the prior year, and convictions for dishonesty, violence, or specified Penal Code sex offenses within the last five years count against an applicant.

Operators must report every ownership, management, or staffing change to the Chief of Police immediately, may not serve alcohol on the premises, must exclude employees and masseurs under 18, and must conduct the business only within a properly zoned location, never a residential zone. B of the Business License Chapter.