Community Development Department

Massage Establishment,
Therapist and Technician Permits

Massage Establishments

The City of Carpinteria regulates Massage Establishments and Massage Technicians and Therapists pursuant to the Carpinteria Municipal Code, Chapter 5.48. The requirements have been adopted to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the City. The adopted regulations and standards for the operation of massage establishments include sanitary conditions, hours of operation, as well as other protection measures and regulations designed to minimize opportunities for illegal activities to ensure the protection of the public.
 

Massage Defined

“Massage” means any method of treating the external parts of the body for remedial, health, or hygienic purposes by means of pressure on or friction against; or stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping, pounding; or stimulating the external parts of the body with the hands or other parts of the body, with or without the aid of any mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances; or with or without supplementary aids, such as rubbing alcohol, liniments, antiseptics, oils, powders, creams, lotions, ointments, or other similar preparations commonly used in this practice and shall include herbal body wraps.
 

Technician Requirements

All persons practicing massage must complete and submit a Massage Therapist/Technician application. Some of the requirements are listed below.

 1. The full true name and any other names used. Date of birth and California drivers license (must be 18 years) California identification card and social security number.

2. Present address and telephone number.

3. The name of the business, phone number and address of the massage establishment where the applicant will work.

4. Certified transcripts of the applicants school records showing date of enrollment, hours of instruction and graduation. The minimum combined total course hours and continuing education hours shall equal no less than 500 hours for a Therapist and 250 hours for a Technician.

5. Whether the applicant has had a permit or license denied, revoked, or suspended by any City or other state or local agency prior to the date of application.

6. A certificate from a medical doctor licensed to practice in the state stating that the applicant has within 30 days immediately preceding the date of application been examined and found to be free of any contagious or communicable disease.

7. Two prints of a recent passport-sized photograph.

8. Submittal to the Department of Justice for Live Scan Service.

9. All convictions for any crime involving conduct which requires registration under any state law similar to and including California Penal Code Section 290, or of conduct which is a violation of the provisions of any state law similar to and including California Penal Code Sections 314, 315, 316, 318, 647, or any crime involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or moral turpitude.

Upon receipt of a complete application and certified documents and within 30 days, the City Manager and Code Compliance Supervisor shall conduct an investigation to ascertain whether such permit should be issued as requested or denied.

The Massage Establishment and Massage permits are valid for one year. Each permit can be submitted for renewal 30 days prior to the date of expiration. On a biennial basis, permit renewal shall be contingent upon a current medical clearance, submission to a background investigation subsequent to live scan service and 20 hours of continuing education.
 

Application Process

Every person who practices massage in the City of Carpinteria must be permitted via a Massage Therapist or Massage Technician Permit. Applications may be obtained from the City of Carpinteria Community Development Department at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013, (805) 684-5405 ext. 408, FAX: (805) 684-5304, www.ci.carpinteria.ca.us

Applications may not be sent by mail, email or faxed and must be submitted in person to the Code Compliance Supervisor with the non-refundable fees.

The deposit for a Massage Establishment, Therapist or Technician Permit application fee is $500. Completed applications for Massage Establishments or Massage Technician or Therapist Permits, may be submitted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Applications will not be accepted without payment of all fees and all required documentation. If you have any questions or wish to schedule an appointment, please do not hesitate to contact the Code Compliance Supervisor at (805) 684-5405 extension 408.

California Association of Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC)

 Senate Bill 731 created the California Statewide Voluntary Massage Certification, which allows massage professionals to work in multiple California locations under one state-issued permit.    CAMTC information is available online www.camtc.org or by phone at (916) 669-5336.     

 If you are certified through CAMTC as a Massage Therapist (CMT) or a Massage Practitioner (CMP), you must still apply for and maintain a Carpinteria Business License to practice massage in the City of Carpinteria.  The Business License one-time application fee is $45 and the Business License tax is $25 annually.  Forms are available online at www.ci.carpinteria.ca.us/edd/bus_license.shtml