San Bernardino, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Ch. 5.20
- Permit issuer
- City Clerk, with police investigation
- Training required
- 600-hour resident diploma minimum
- Relocation fee
- $10 change-of-location fee
- Inspections
- At least twice per year
- Record retention
- 2 years of treatment records
Summary
Running a massage parlor or working as a massage technician in San Bernardino requires a City Clerk permit backed by a police background investigation, fingerprints and a 600-hour training diploma, on top of the city's regular business registration certificate.
(A) It is unlawful for any person, association, firm or corporation to engage in, conduct or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in or upon any premises within the city, the business of a massage parlor or to render or permit to be rendered massage services at a location removed from a massage establishment within the city in the absence of a permit issued pursuant to the provisions hereinafter set forth. (B) It is unlawful for any person or persons to engage in the practice or attempt to practice massage, whether for a fee or gratuitously, or to conduct massage without a permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
020). 040). 050 must include fingerprints, two 2-inch photographs, height/weight/eye and hair color, prior addresses, a three-year work history, any prior license revocations, a doctor's certificate showing the applicant is free of contagious disease within the prior 30 days, and a diploma from a school requiring at least 600 hours of resident instruction over six months; correspondence schools do not qualify. 04's sign rules, at least a 40-watt light in every treatment room, hot and cold running water, closed linen cabinets, sanitary toilet facilities, and a ban on shared towels or linens. 110). 040(B)(2).
Violations & Fines
A denied applicant may appeal in writing to the City Council under § 5.20.070(B). Permits can be revoked only after written notice served at least ten days before a City Council hearing (§ 5.20.120), on grounds listed in § 5.20.130: fraud in obtaining the license, practicing massage to arouse or gratify sexual desire, a felony or moral-turpitude conviction, impersonating another practitioner, or letting an unlicensed person perform massage in the parlor. Operators must also keep a two-year log of every treatment's date, patron name and technician, open to inspection by enforcement officials (§ 5.20.140).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who reviews a massage parlor permit application in San Bernardino?
Is a separate permit needed for a massage technician versus the parlor itself?
Can a massage permit be taken away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
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Massage Establishments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle massage establishments.