Business Licensing & Operations in Brentwood, CA (2026)
4 verified business licensing & operations rules for Brentwood, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Brentwood confines adult-oriented businesses to six named planned development zones and keeps them 1,000 feet from any residential district, school, park, church, or other adult business. Operating one requires a city adult-oriented business permit plus a business license before opening; no by-right approval exists anywhere in the city.
Brentwood Adult Business Permit and Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code § 17.690.030.B(1); § 17.690.040.B
Specified Distance Separation Requirements. Notwithstanding the above, no adult-oriented business shall be established or located within certain distances of certain specified land uses or zoning districts as set forth below. No adult-oriented business shall be established or located: 1. Within a one thousand foot radius from any existing residential zoning district or use. The distance between...
Massage Establishments
Brentwood requires an annual police department permit to operate a massage establishment, on top of CAMTC therapist certification, and bans massage services between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Owners and managers must pass a background check and fingerprinting.
Brentwood, CA Massage Establishment Permit
Significant RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code §§ 5.70.030, 5.70.050(W)
No person may own or operate a massage establishment in the city unless: 1. Each person administering massage for compensation (whether as an employee or independent contractor) is a certified massage therapist; and 2. The owner or operator has a current massage establishment permit from the police department under Section 5.70.040 ... No massage establishment may permit massage services to be ...
Tobacco Retail License
Every store selling tobacco products in Brentwood needs a tobacco retailer's license under Municipal Code Chapter 5.76, and the city caps citywide licenses at 41. New licenses are barred within 500 feet of a school or other youth-oriented establishment, at bars, restaurants, or cannabis-licensed sites, and for mobile or delivery-only sales.
Brentwood Tobacco Retailer License Rules
Significant RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code §§ 5.76.080, 5.76.180
No license may issue to authorize tobacco retailing at other than a fixed physical location, including, but not limited to, tobacco retailing by persons on foot or from vehicles or for delivery services. ... No license may be issued, and no license may be renewed, to authorize tobacco retailing ... within 500 feet of a youth-oriented establishment as measured by a straight line from the nearest...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Running an auto repair, maintenance or service business out of a Brentwood home is flatly illegal. Municipal Code § 17.840.007(G) lists "automotive repair, maintenance or other automotive services" among the uses "expressly prohibited as home occupations," with only a narrow carve-out for the resident's own personal vehicle.
Brentwood Ban on Home Auto Repair Business
Heavy RestrictionsBrentwood Municipal Code § 17.840.007(G)
The following uses shall be expressly prohibited as home occupations: ... ... G. Automotive repair, maintenance or other automotive services (except for the home occupant's personal vehicle);
Looking for Contra Costa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Brentwood city rules.
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