Monterey Park, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Permits required
- Conditional use permit plus business license
- Technician requirement
- Current CAMTC certification, Section 5.28.040
- Background check trigger
- 5%+ ownership interest, uncertified owner
- Minimum lighting
- 900 lumens per treatment room
- Civil penalty
- Up to $500.00 per violation
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days after mailed notice
Summary
In the City of Monterey Park, opening a massage establishment requires a conditional use permit and a business license under Monterey Park Municipal Code Section 5.28.050, and every massage technician must hold current CAMTC certification under Section 5.28.040. Owners with a five percent or greater interest who are not themselves certified must also pass a background check through the Community and Economic Development Director.
§ 5.28.050. Conditional use permit—Business license required. (a) Every person conducting, managing, operating, owning or in control of a massage establishment or any other place that is open to the public or is a private club, where facial massages, fomentations, massages, electric or magnetic treatments, or alcohol rubs are administered or given, or any public bathing place, which has in connection therewith a steam room, dry or hot room plunge, swimming pool, shower, bath, or sleeping accommodations, must obtain a conditional use permit. (b) Before operating any massage establishment or becoming engaged in the occupation of a massage practitioner or massage technician, the individual proposing to conduct the business must obtain the required business license to do so and, in addition, unless otherwise specified, is subject to each and all of the terms, conditions and provisions of this chapter. ... ... § 5.28.150. Civil liability and penalties. (a) Any person violating any provision of this chapter is liable in a civil action brought by the city attorney for an amount up to five hundred dollars per violation.
Full Breakdown
Section 5.28.040 makes it unlawful to own, operate or maintain a massage establishment, work as a massage technician, or run an off-premises massage service unless every technician holds a current California Massage Therapy Council certification as a massage practitioner or massage therapist. Section 5.28.050 requires a conditional use permit for any massage establishment or other place open to the public offering facial massages, fomentations, electric or magnetic treatments, alcohol rubs, or a public bathing place with a steam room, plunge, pool, shower, bath or sleeping accommodations, plus a separate business license before operating.
Under Section 5.28.060, any owner holding five percent or more of a massage establishment who is not a certified practitioner or therapist must file a background application with the director, including fingerprints, photographs, a five-year employment history and disclosure of convictions under Penal Code Sections 243.4, 261, 266a through 266j, 267, 314 to 316, 318 or 647(a),(b),(d); the city has up to sixty days to investigate and issue clearance, with a nonrefundable investigation fee and annual renewal fee set by resolution. Section 5.28.110 sets facility standards: at least nine hundred lumens of light per treatment room, hot and cold running water, disinfected instruments, separate dressing and toilet facilities for each sex (waived for foot-massage-only establishments), and a technician register available for inspection.
Section 5.28.140 lists revocation grounds including fraud, uncertified technicians, unremedied deficiencies, or three or more civil penalties within six months, with conditional use permit revocation following Chapter 21.32.
Violations & Fines
Operating a massage establishment without the Section 5.28.050 conditional use permit and business license, or employing an uncertified technician under Section 5.28.040, is unlawful and, under Section 5.28.130, a public nuisance the city attorney may abate by court order. Section 5.28.150 sets a civil penalty of up to $500.00 per violation plus attorneys' fees, each day and violation counted separately. Section 5.28.160 gives an operator fifteen days from a mailed denial or revocation notice to appeal in writing to the city clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Monterey Park require a special permit for a massage establishment?
Who has to pass a background check for a Monterey Park massage business?
What facility standards apply to a Monterey Park massage establishment?
What is the penalty for violating Monterey Park's massage ordinance?
Can a denied or revoked massage establishment permit be appealed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey Park
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