San Bernardino County, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)

County Code § 41.1903 makes it unlawful to own or operate a massage clinic in unincorporated San Bernardino County without an unexpired license issued under this Chapter. Applicants file with the Land Use Services Department (§ 41.1904), listing every owner with a 10 percent or greater stake, aliases, addresses, physical descriptions, proof of age, and any prior sex-offender registration or Penal Code § 647 conviction. Four agencies investigate before approval: the Sheriff's Department fingerprints the applicant and checks criminal history (§ 41.1905); the Planning Division confirms compliance with the massage-clinic development standards in Development Code Chapter 84.13 (§ 41.1906); the Fire Protection District inspects the premises (§ 41.1907); and the Division of Environmental Health Services verifies lighting, ventilation, disinfection, hot and cold running water, and separate dressing and toilet facilities before issuing a health permit that must be posted on site (§ 41.1908).

The license fee is set in Title 1, Division 6, Chapter 2 of the County Code (§ 41.1910), and the license runs two years, with renewal applications accepted no earlier than 90 days before expiration (§ 41.1912). Clinics cannot open before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. and cannot sell or serve food or beverages on the premises (§ 41.1914). Every customer must be draped over the genitalia and female breasts, and signage or advertising may not use sexually explicit language or graphics (§ 41.1915).

Licenses are non-transferable as to both person and location (§ 41.1911), and the County denies or later suspends a license for a failed agency inspection, a disqualifying conviction within the prior ten years, a revoked license within the prior five years, or operating without a license within the prior five years (§ 41.1909).