Business Licensing & Operations in Kern County, CA (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Kern County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Kern County requires board of supervisors approval before any adult business opens in the unincorporated county, on top of a 1,500-foot buffer from residential zones, schools, churches and parks and a 1,000-foot buffer from any other adult business. Section 19.89.050 makes the permit mandatory; Chapter 5.08 layers on a separate sheriff-issued operating license.
Adult Business Permit Rules in Kern County
Significant RestrictionsKern County Zoning Ordinance § 19.89.050
No adult business shall be established until an application for an adult business permit is approved by the board of supervisors generally following with the procedures set out in Sections 19.102.200 through 19.102.230 of this title.
Massage Establishments
Kern County requires two layers of permitting for massage businesses under Ordinance Code Section 8.70.020: every practitioner must hold current CAMTC certification, since the county stopped issuing its own individual massage permits, and every business must separately hold a non-transferable establishment permit. Massage service is limited to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and violations draw steep administrative fines.
Kern County Massage Establishment Permits
Significant RestrictionsKern County Ordinance Code § 8.70.020
Except as provided in Section 8.70.040, it shall be unlawful for any person to provide massage for compensation without having first obtained appropriate certification through the CAMTC. A.Effective immediately the county will no longer issue massage permits.B.For those persons providing massage for compensation who currently have county issued massage permits, those permits are not subject to ...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Any tattoo, piercing, branding or permanent-cosmetics business in unincorporated Kern County needs an environmental health permit from the Director of Public Health Services before opening. The permit is not transferable, renews every fiscal year, and must be posted in plain view. Operating without one carries a penalty of three times the annual fee and is a misdemeanor.
Kern County Body Art Facility Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsKern County Code §§ 8.04.010, 8.04.030, 8.04.060(C)(4)
"Body art" as defined by Section 119301 of the California Health and Safety Code means body piercing, tattooing, branding, or application of permanent cosmetics. ... Any person conducting any business, occupation or other activity listed in this chapter within the geographic area under the jurisdiction of the director of public health services shall apply for an environmental health permit or a...
Tobacco Retail License
Selling tobacco products anywhere in unincorporated Kern County without a tobacco retailer's permit is a misdemeanor under Ordinance Code Section 8.60.020, with each day of unlicensed sales a separate violation. Mobile and vehicle-based tobacco sales are banned outright, and violations of permit conditions carry escalating administrative fines up to $1,000 plus permit suspension or revocation.
Kern County Tobacco Retailer's Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsKern County Ordinance Code § 8.60.020
A.It shall be a misdemeanor for any person, within the county, to act as a tobacco retailer without first obtaining and maintaining a valid tobacco retailer's permit, pursuant to this chapter, for each location at which that activity is to occur. No permit will be issued to authorize tobacco retailing at any place other than a fixed location; peripatetic tobacco retailing and tobacco retailing ...
Secondhand Dealers
Kern County requires a secondhand dealer to hold a sheriff-issued business license under Chapter 5.04, using the state Department of Justice application form, and the sheriff cannot issue that license until 30 days after the DOJ receives the application. The sheriff's vice-licensing unit investigates every applicant's criminal history before approval.
Secondhand Dealer Licensing in Kern County
Some RestrictionsKern County Code § 5.04.140(C)
Pursuant to the provisions of Business and Professions Code Section 21641, no license for a secondhand dealer shall be issued before thirty (30) days after the application is submitted to the State Department of Justice.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Kern County's home occupation rules flatly exclude car repair and small engine repair from the list of businesses a resident may run out of a house in unincorporated areas. The same list bars towing service and the renting of trailers, autos, trucks and motorcycles, so a home-based auto repair or towing operation is not a permitted use no matter how small under Zoning Ordinance Section 19.94.030.
Kern County Bars Home Auto Repair Business
Heavy RestrictionsKern County Zoning Ordinance § 19.94.030(L) (Home occupations not permitted)
Permitted home occupations shall not in any event be deemed to include such uses as: A.Antique shop;B.Barbershop or beauty parlor, except pursuant to Section 19.94.020(D);C.Funeral chapel or funeral home;D.Gift shop;E.Medical or dental clinic or hospital, or chiropractic office;F.Renting of trailers, autos, trucks and motorcycles;G.Restaurant or catering business;H.Stable or kennel;I.Taxi servi...
Business Licensing & Operations by City in Kern County
2 cities in Kern County have their own business licensing & operations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Kern County ordinances
See every category we cover for Kern County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Kern County Ordinance Hub →