Santa Clarita, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Massage Establishments (2026)
Key Facts
- License authority
- Municipal Code Ch. 5.08 + LA County Title 7
- Business hours cap
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Individual license
- CMTC certificate + license required
- Hearing body
- Business License Commission
- Records retention
- 2 years, employee & treatment logs
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
Summary
Santa Clarita requires every massage business or establishment to hold a business license under Municipal Code Chapter 5.08 before opening, on top of the countywide license structure the City adopted from LA County Title 7. Operating unlicensed, or letting an unlicensed practitioner work, is a chapter violation enforced through inspections and hearings.
No person may engage in, conduct or carry on, or permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in any location within the City, a massage business or establishment unless a business license is first obtained and maintained in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter and Title 7 of the Los Angeles County Code.
Full Breakdown
No person may engage in, conduct, or carry on a massage business or establishment anywhere in the City without first obtaining and maintaining a business license under Section 5.08.020, issued in accordance with Chapter 5.08 and Title 7 of the Los Angeles County Code (adopted by reference as the City's business licensing code). Every massage practitioner and therapist working in the license also needs an individual license and a current California Massage Therapy Council (CMTC) certificate under Section 5.08.200, and licensees may not hire anyone lacking both (Section 5.08.060).
Before a license issues, the Business License Commission holds a public hearing under Section 5.08.050, with notice given per Sections 7.10.100 through 7.10.130 of Title 7. Section 5.08.070 conditions issuance on a facility inspection confirming compliance with the chapter's physical standards: unlockable interior doors during business hours (Section 5.08.080), business hours limited to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Section 5.08.085), a posted identifying sign (Section 5.08.090), minimum 40-watt lighting per treatment room (Section 5.08.100), and specific cleanliness, table-spacing, and dressing-room requirements (Sections 5.08.110 through 5.08.130).
Licensees must maintain a two-year employee register (Section 5.08.160) and a two-year treatment record log open to City inspection for law-enforcement purposes only (Section 5.08.168), keep a licensed responsible person on-site at all times (Section 5.08.150), notify the County Treasurer and Tax Collector within five business days of hiring a practitioner (Section 5.08.030), and cannot record activity in treatment rooms (Section 5.08.170). Building, Code Enforcement, Community Development, Fire, and Police representatives may inspect fixed-location establishments at any time during business hours under Section 5.08.192.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 5.08 does not carry its own penalty clause, so a violation falls under the code's general penalty provisions: Section 23.10.010 makes any Municipal Code violation a misdemeanor unless otherwise specified, and Section 23.10.020 punishes an unspecified misdemeanor by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. Improper conduct such as unauthorized draping violations or soliciting additional services outside the posted list (Section 5.08.172) can also support license denial or revocation through the Business License Commission hearing process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Clarita require a separate license for a massage business?
Can a massage business hire an uncertified practitioner?
What hours can a Santa Clarita massage business operate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clarita
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clarita to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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