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

Section 5.48.040 bars operating a massage establishment without a written permit from the city's license collector. Section 5.48.060 sets a 21-year minimum age for the permit holder, or for any officer or manager if the applicant is a partnership, association or corporation. Section 5.48.070 routes every application through the police chief, fire chief, director of planning, director of building and safety and health officer, and the police chief specifically checks for felony convictions or offenses involving fraud, embezzlement, moral turpitude or the sex-offense sections listed in Penal Code Section 290 and Sections 311 through 318 and 647.

The license collector must grant or propose to deny the permit within 45 days of filing, extendable up to 30 more days to let an applicant fix minor defects (Section 5.48.100). Fees under Section 5.48.110 are $83.84 for an initial permit plus $33.56 per employee beyond the owner, and $50.30 to renew plus $16.76 per employee, on top of the regular business license tax. Section 5.48.310 limits operating hours to 7 a.m. through 10 p.m., barring operation between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Off-premises massage technicians and businesses need their own permit from the police chief under Section 5.48.340, with narrower hours of 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. under Section 5.48.370, a diploma from a state-licensed massage school, and a bar on massaging anyone under 18 without written parental consent.

Section 5.48.190 lets the city manager deny, suspend or revoke a permit for lack of good moral character or conduct inimical to public health, peace, safety or morals, with appeal to the city board under Sections 5.48.200 through 5.48.230.