Ridgecrest, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- License required for
- Office and each practitioner
- Renewal
- Annual, with a fee
- Minimum training
- 500 hours at approved school
- Application requires
- Fingerprints and photographs
Summary
Ridgecrest requires every massage/bodywork office and each individual practitioner to hold a city-issued license, renewed annually, before offering massage services anywhere in the city.
No person shall engage in, conduct or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises within the city, a massage without a license issued by the city in conformity with the provisions of this article. No owner, practitioner, responsible managing employee, manager or licensee in charge of or in control of a massage/bodywork office shall employ or permit an unlicensed person to act as a massage/bodywork practitioner.(b)Each person employed or acting as a massage/bodywork practitioner shall have a valid license issued by the city.(c)A license issued under this article shall be renewed annually and a renewal fee shall be paid. (Code 1980, § 4-16.103; Ord. No. 94-09, § 2)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Under Ridgecrest City Code § 9-395, no massage may be conducted anywhere in the city without a license, and office operators may not employ or allow an unlicensed person to practice. Every practitioner, not just the business, must individually hold a valid city license. Applicants must submit fingerprints, photographs, and proof of at least 500 hours of training from an approved massage school (§ 9-396), and the city can deny a license for disqualifying criminal conduct within the prior five years, such as certain vice-related Penal Code convictions (§ 9-397). Licenses must be renewed annually with a fee.
Violations & Fines
Practicing massage, or operating a massage office, without the required city license violates § 9-395(a); the city may also deny, refuse to renew, or revoke a license for disqualifying conduct listed in § 9-397.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every massage therapist need their own license in Ridgecrest?
What training does Ridgecrest require for a massage license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgecrest
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