Placentia, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Required approvals
- City business license plus CAMTC certificate (§§ 8.44.030, 8.44.050)
- Operating hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (§ 8.44.060)
- Insurance
- $100,000 minimum for injury or death to one person
- Denial appeal
- Written notice to the city clerk within 10 days of the decision
- Criminal penalty
- Fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to six months, or both
- Transfer
- Sale or transfer of any interest voids the license
Summary
In the City of Placentia, California, every massage business owner and every independent-contractor massage therapist needs a city business license before starting work, under Placentia Municipal Code § 8.44.050. Every practitioner also needs a valid CAMTC certificate. The city must issue the license when the fee is paid, the application is complete and truthful, the applicant is 18 or older, and the premises comply with health, zoning, fire and safety rules.
(a) Business License Required. ... In addition to the requirements set forth in Title 23 governing massage establishments, the owner of each massage business or establishment, and any massage practitioner or massage therapist that desires to work as an independent contractor must obtain a business license pursuant to this chapter prior to commencing operation or providing any massage therapy and must thereafter maintain a valid business license. ... (d) Issuance of License. ... Upon ... the completion of the review, the city must issue the business license if it finds: (1) The required fee has been paid; (2) The application conforms in all respects to the provisions of this chapter; (3) The applicant has not made a material misrepresentation or omission in the application; (4) The applicant is at least 18 years of age; (5) The massage establishment as proposed by the applicant would comply with all applicable laws, including, but not limited to, health, zoning, fire and safety requirements and standards.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8.44 of the Placentia Municipal Code sets a two-part system for massage in the City of Placentia. Section 8.44.030 bars anyone from performing massage, or running a massage business where anyone provides massage, without a valid and current CAMTC certificate from the California Massage Therapy Council. Section 8.44.050 then requires a city business license on top of the Title 23 zoning requirements for massage establishments. The definition of a massage business in § 8.44.020 reaches clubs, gyms, day spas and professional offices where massage is an ancillary service and is not otherwise exempt.
The application under § 8.44.050(b) requires a complete description of all services, the name and address of each practitioner with proof of a valid CAMTC certificate, the designated manager, the property owner's name and, where the applicant does not own the property, a copy of the lease and a notarized acknowledgment from the owner. It also requires three years of business or employment history and the applicant's license and permit history. An applicant without a CAMTC certificate must provide proof of a Live Scan or similar city-approved background check. The fee is nonrefundable and is set by city council resolution. After a complete application arrives, a business license officer inspects the proposed premises of any fixed location business.
Section 8.44.040 exempts licensed physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists and nurses, licensed barbers, cosmetologists, estheticians and manicurists limited to the neck, face, scalp, feet, hands, arms and lower limbs up to the knees, state-licensed health facilities, athletic-team massage that is not a primary occupation, and registered schools with supervised students.
Operating rules in § 8.44.060 set hours between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., require a registered manager on the premises, a posted service list, a customer register book kept for two years, and liability insurance with minimum coverage of $100,000 for injury or death to one person. The license becomes void on sale or transfer of any interest (§ 8.44.050(g)), and each location needs its own license (§ 8.44.070(e)).
Violations & Fines
Under § 8.44.090, violating Chapter 8.44 is a misdemeanor punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both, and each day or portion of a day is a separate offense. Enforcement officials can issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1.10 instead. The city can suspend or revoke a license for misrepresentation, operations detrimental to public health, safety, peace, welfare or morals, or violation of any law or license condition (§ 8.44.050(i)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a CAMTC certificate and a city license in Placentia?
How do I appeal a denied massage license?
Can I sell my massage business and keep the license?
What hours can a massage establishment stay open?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placentia
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