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

Chapter 8.300 states the city's purpose is to prevent massage therapy from being used as a front for prostitution while only allowing massage professionals certified by the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) to operate locally (Section 8.300.010). Section 8.300.060 requires a certificate of registration for any massage establishment, bars transferring a certificate between locations, sets expiration on June 30th each year with renewal under Section 8.300.110, and requires a fee set by council resolution that is never refunded even if the certificate is later suspended or revoked.

Applications under Sections 8.300.070 and 8.300.080 are extensive: they require the applicant's identification, employment history for five years, a scaled floor plan, a designated manager and receptionist with no disqualifying criminal background, a fire clearance from the fire department, proof of workers' compensation insurance, and written property owner consent; owners with a five-percent-or-greater interest who are not state-certified must also submit fingerprints for a Department of Justice and FBI records check. Section 8.300.040 carves out limited exemptions for single-occurring special events under 48 hours, massage booths at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, and "ancillary" massage using less than 20 percent of a business's floor area, though all still require CAMTC-certified professionals and periodic inspection under Section 8.300.300. Property owners bear their own liability for nuisance abatement costs tied to an establishment on their land under Section 8.300.410.