Business Licensing & Operations in Contra Costa County, CA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Contra Costa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Contra Costa County keeps adult bookstores, cabarets, adult theaters, and similar businesses away from homes, schools, and each other. Chapter 88-12 bars any adult entertainment business from opening within five hundred feet of residentially zoned land, one thousand feet of another adult business, or one thousand feet of a school, park, playground, church, or other place likely to draw minors.
Contra Costa County Adult Business Spacing Rules
Significant RestrictionsContra Costa County Ordinance Code § 88-12.602
In land use zoning districts where the adult entertainment businesses regulated by this chapter would otherwise be permitted uses, it shall be unlawful to establish any such adult entertainment business if the location is: (1)Within five hundred feet of any area zoned for residential use; or(2)Within one thousand feet of any other "adult entertainment" business; or(3)Within one thousand feet o...
Massage Establishments
Anyone operating a massage parlor or outcall massage service, or working as a masseur, in unincorporated Contra Costa County needs a Sheriff-issued permit under Ordinance Code Chapter 518-2, backed by fingerprinting, a health exam, and sanitation standards.
Contra Costa Massage Establishment License
Significant RestrictionsContra Costa County Ordinance Code §§ 518-2.402, 518-2.404
No person shall operate or allow the operation of a massage parlor or an outcall massage service without a valid permit. ... No person shall act as a masseur, nor shall anyone employ a person as a masseur for others, who does not have a valid masseur permit. Every operator shall maintain a register of all persons so employed and their permit numbers, which register shall be available for inspec...
Tobacco Retail License
Selling tobacco, including e-cigarettes and vape products, anywhere in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires a county tobacco retailer's license for each location. The county caps the total number of licenses countywide at ninety and bars mobile or foot-based sales and sales inside a pharmacy. Every day of unlicensed sales is a separate violation the health services director can fine, suspend, or revoke.
Contra Costa County Tobacco Retailer License Cap
Some RestrictionsContra Costa County Ordinance Code § 445-10.002
(a)It is unlawful for any retailer, individual, or entity to conduct tobacco retailing in the unincorporated area of the county without first obtaining and maintaining a valid tobacco retailer's license from Contra Costa County for each location where tobacco retailing is conducted.(b)No tobacco retailer's license will be issued that:(1)Authorizes tobacco retailing at any location other than a ...
Business Licensing & Operations by City in Contra Costa County
3 cities in Contra Costa County have their own business licensing & operations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Contra Costa County ordinances
See every category we cover for Contra Costa County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Contra Costa County Ordinance Hub →