Most cities in California have their own laws and regulations on the practice of massage therapy. Here are the laws for a few select cities.

If you have a certification from the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), you do not need to obtain additional massage certification for each city.¹Massage Therapy Act, specifically Government Code section 51034 However, even if you are CAMTC certified, cities still may require you to get a special massage operator permit.

In order to use the titles of Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) or Certified Massage Practitioner (CMP) in California, you must have a CAMTC certification.²Business and Professions Code sections 4600 – 4621

Massage therapists who work for themselves also need to know about general business law.

A related page is Law on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

See our guides specific to the following cities:

City of Los Angeles

See our Guide to the Law for Massage Therapy in Los Angeles.

For the City of San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Jose, and others in the Bay Area:

See our Guide to the Law for Massage Therapy in the San Francisco Bay Area.