Kern County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Practitioner requirement
- Valid CAMTC certification, county permits ended
- Establishment permit
- Required, non-transferable, from Public Health director
- Operating hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. only
- No permit fine
- Up to $250/day, rising to $500
- Solicitation/trafficking conviction
- $1,500 fine plus permit revocation
- Employee age minimum
- 18 years or older
Summary
Kern County requires two layers of permitting for massage businesses under Ordinance Code Section 8.70.020: every practitioner must hold current CAMTC certification, since the county stopped issuing its own individual massage permits, and every business must separately hold a non-transferable establishment permit. Massage service is limited to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and violations draw steep administrative fines.
Except as provided in Section 8.70.040, it shall be unlawful for any person to provide massage for compensation without having first obtained appropriate certification through the CAMTC. A.Effective immediately the county will no longer issue massage permits.B.For those persons providing massage for compensation who currently have county issued massage permits, those permits are not subject to renewal by the county.C.Notwithstanding this section, business establishments currently providing massage or related services who meet all conditions of this chapter except having employed individual(s) who are not CAMTC certified prior to the effective date hereof that desire to continue providing said services after the effective date hereof may be given a conditional permit and a reasonable time to obtain CAMTC certified employees or for its employee(s) to obtain CAMTC certification.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 59 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
70, administered by the county Public Health Department, splits massage regulation into two permits. 020 requires every individual massage practitioner providing massage for compensation to hold current certification through the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC); the county stopped issuing its own individual massage permits when this rule took effect and does not renew any that remain outstanding, though it can grant a conditional permit of up to one year to a business whose employees are still completing CAMTC certification. 030 requires the business itself, the massage establishment, to hold a non-transferable establishment permit from the director, displayed prominently on the premises.
and no one allowed to reside on the premises. 070 gives the director 90 days to investigate a non-CAMTC applicant's background, including criminal history, before issuing an establishment permit, and can deny an application for prior convictions involving registrable sex offenses, controlled substances within five years, or a revoked permit within the last three years. 040. 1, each paired with permit revocation.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a CAMTC certificate or an establishment permit triggers administrative fines starting at $250 per day and climbing to permanent ineligibility for repeat offenders under Section 8.70.130. A solicitation or trafficking conviction tied to the business draws a $1,500 fine and outright permit revocation. Owners can appeal a suspension or revocation to the board of supervisors within 15 days under Section 8.70.140, and the county can recover its enforcement costs if the action is upheld.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kern County still issue its own massage practitioner permits?
What hours can a massage establishment operate in Kern County?
What is the penalty for operating a massage business without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kern County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kern County to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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