(A) Facilities.
(1) Structure. Massage establishments shall be located in a zoning district which permits such use. Prior to a proposed massage establishment being constructed or opened for business, seven sets of plans shall be submitted to the city and the Health Department for approval and shall be accompanied by the appropriate non-refundable facility review plan fee as adopted by city resolution.
(2) Signs; display of permits. Each operator shall post and maintain, in compliance with existing state and city laws, a readable sign identifying the premises as a massage establishment. The sign and the front of the business shall not be illuminated by strobe or flashing lights. Each operator and/or on-duty manager shall display the operator permit in a conspicuous public place in the lobby of the massage establishment. Each operator and/or on-duty manager shall ensure the CAMTC certificate for each massage practitioner employed at the establishment (whether on duty or not) is conspicuously displayed in a public place in the lobby, and that each massage practitioner is wearing the required identification at all times when in the massage establishment. The operator and/or on-duty manager must also post, on a daily basis in a conspicuous public place in the lobby, the name of the operator and on-duty manager, as well as all on-duty massage practitioners. Finally, the hours of operation must be posted in the front window and clearly visible from the outside.
(3) Services list. Each operator shall post and maintain a list of available services, in bold letters not less than one inch in height, and the cost of such services in a conspicuous public place within the premises. No massage establishment may offer baths as a service. No operator or on-duty manager shall permit, and no massage practitioner shall offer or perform, any service or activity other than those posted. No sum shall be charged for such massage services greater than that shown on the services list.
(4) Lighting. Each operator shall provide in each room where massage is given sufficient lighting and ventilation that complies with the Uniform Building Code. The lighting in each massage room shall be activated at all times while the patron is in such room or enclosure.
(5) Restroom facilities. A minimum of one toilet and one separate wash basin shall be provided for patrons in each massage establishment, which basin shall provide soap or detergent and hot running water at all times and shall be located within close proximity to the area devoted to massage services. A permanently installed soap dispenser, filled with soap, and a single service towel dispenser shall be provided at the restroom hand wash sink. No bar soap may be used. A trash receptacle shall be provided in each toilet room. Showers may be provided at the operator’s option.
(6) Separate rooms. If male and female patrons are to be treated simultaneously, separate massage rooms shall be provided for male and female patrons.
(7) Maintenance. All facilities for the massage establishment must be in good repair and shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized each day the business is in operation All walls, floors, and ceilings of each restroom and shower area shall be made smooth and easily cleanable. No carpeting shall be installed in any of these areas.
(8) Massage table. A massage table shall be provided in each massage room and the massage shall be performed on this massage table, with the exception of "Thai," "shiatsu," and similar forms of massage therapy, which may be provided on a padded mat on the floor, provided the patron is fully attired in loose clothing, pajamas, scrubs, or similar style of garment. The tables should have a minimum height of 18 inches. Two-inch thick foam pads with maximum width of four feet may be used on a massage table and shall be covered with durable, washable plastic or other waterproof material. Beds, floor mattresses, and waterbeds are not permitted on the premises.
(9) Handicapped areas. Massage establishments shall comply with all state and federal laws and regulations for handicapped customers.
(10) Doors. All front, reception, hallway, or front exterior doors (except back or exterior doors used solely for employee entrance to and exit from the massage establishment) shall be unlocked during business hours, except as may be permitted by applicable law (such as the Uniform Fire Code) which allow for safety doors which may be opened from the inside when locked. Massage establishments may lock their external doors if the massage establishment is a business entity owned by one individual with one or no employees or independent contractors pursuant to Cal. Government Code § 51034(c)(6). No massage may be given within any cubicle, room, enclosure, or any area within a massage establishment which is fitted with a lock of any kind (such as a locking door knob, padlock, dead bolt, sliding bar, or similar device), unless the only door is an exterior door. All interior doors leading into massage rooms shall have unobstructed windows.
(B) Operations.
(1) Equipment. Each operator and/or on-duty manager shall provide and maintain on the premises adequate equipment for disinfecting and sterilizing instruments used in massage.
(2) Inspections. The operator and/or on-duty manager consents to the inspection of the massage establishment by the city’s Building Department, Police Department, and the Fire Department and Health Department for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this chapter or other applicable laws or regulations are met.
(a) The city’s Building Department, Police Department, Fire Department, and Health Department may, from time to time, make an inspection of each massage establishment for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this chapter, state law or other applicable laws or regulations are met. Routine inspections shall not occur more than six times a year, unless violations are found or complaints are received. Criminal investigations may be conducted as directed by the Police Chief. The Police Department may inspect the occupied massage rooms for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this chapter are met upon occurrence of any of the conditions described in division (B)(17) of this section which would require the posting of the notice to all patrons. During an inspection, the Police Department may verify the identity of all on-duty employees.
(b) Inspections of the massage establishment shall be conducted during business hours.
(c) An operator or his or her agent, servant, or employee commits an offense if he or she refuses to permit, impedes, or interferes with a lawful inspection of the premises by a representative of the Police Department at any time it is occupied or open for business.
(3) Clothing. All persons employed in the massage establishment shall be fully clothed at all times while present at the massage establishment. Clothing shall be of a fully opaque, non- transparent material and shall provide complete covering of the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, anal area, and chest.
(4) Roster of employees. The operator and/or on-duty manager shall maintain a register of all employees showing the full legal name, nicknames, and aliases used by the employee, residential address, age, birth date, gender, height, weight, color of hair and eyes, phone numbers, date of employment and termination, if any, and duties of each employee. The above information on each employee shall be maintained in the register on the premises for a period of two years following termination. Operators shall maintain a register of all therapists for review by local authorities that demonstrates all therapists providing massage services are CAMTC certified. The operator and/or on-duty manager shall make the register of employees available immediately for inspection upon demand of representatives of the Police Department, City Code Enforcement, or County Health Officer at all reasonable times.
(5) Linen. Common use of towels or linen shall not be permitted. Towels and linen shall be laundered or changed promptly after each use. Separate cabinets or containers shall be provided for the storage of clean and soiled towels or linen.
(6) Living prohibited. No person or persons shall be allowed to live inside the massage establishment at any time. All living quarters shall be separate from the massage establishment. No food of any kind shall be prepared for sale or sold in the establishment unless an appropriate food vending permit is granted by the County of Stanislaus. No mattresses or other bedding are allowed in the massage establishment or school of massage.
(7) Sleeping prohibited. No massage establishment or school of massage, whether or not located in any building originally constructed for residential or sleeping purposes, shall be used for residential or sleeping purposes.
(8) Alcoholic beverages/drugs. No person shall enter, be in or remain in any part of a massage establishment licensed under this chapter while in possession of, consuming, using or under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or controlled substance. The operator and on-duty manager shall be responsible to ensure that no such person shall enter or remain upon the massage establishment. Service of alcoholic beverages shall not be permitted.
(9) Recordings. No electrical, mechanical or artificial device shall be used by the operator or any employee of the massage establishment for audio and/or video recording or for monitoring the performance of a massage or the conversation or other sounds in the massage rooms without the knowledge or consent of the patron and the written permission of the Police Department.
(10) Coverings. Each massage establishment shall provide to all patrons clean, sanitary and opaque coverings capable of covering the patrons specified anatomical areas, including the genital area, anus and female breast(s). No common use of such coverings shall be permitted, and re-use is prohibited unless adequately cleaned.
(11) Records or treatment. The operator shall keep a record of the dates and hours of each treatment or service, the first and last name and address of the patron, the name of practitioner administering such service and a description of the treatment or service rendered. A short medical history form shall be completed by the patron to determine if the patron has any communicable diseases, areas of pain, high blood pressure or any physical condition which may be adversely affected by massage. These records shall be prepared prior to administering any massage or treatment and shall be retained for a period of 24 months after such treatment or service. These records shall be open to inspection upon demand only by officials charged with enforcement of this chapter and for no other purpose. The Police Department shall periodically inspect the records to ensure compliance with this section. The information furnished or secured as a result of any such records should be used only to ensure and enforce compliance with this chapter or any other applicable state or federal laws and shall remain confidential. Any unauthorized disclosure or use of such information by any officer or employee of the city shall constitute a misdemeanor.
(12) Advertising. No massage establishment shall place, publish or distribute, or cause to be placed, published or distributed, any advertising matter that depicts any portion of the human body or employs text that would reasonably suggest to prospective patrons that any service is available other than those services authorized by this chapter. No massage establishment shall place, publish or distribute, or cause to be placed, published or distributed, any obscene advertising matter. It shall be unlawful to falsely state or advertise, or put out any sign or card or other device, or falsely represent to the public through any print or electronic media, that any person who is employed or retained to perform massage therapy for compensation is a CAMTC certified massage professional by use of the title "licensed," "certified," certified massage practitioner (CMP) or certified massage therapist (CMT), or the use of any other term that implies or suggests that the person is currently a CAMTC certified massage professional. It shall be unlawful to fail to include the legal name under which any massage professional is certified and his or her CAMTC certificate number in any advertising of massage therapy for compensation. For the purposes of this section, pseudonyms are not sufficient. It shall be unlawful to publish or distribute any advertising matter or business identification card through any print or electronic media that are classified as for adults only or similar classification. It shall be unlawful to publish or distribute any advertising matter or business identification card that is sexually suggestive or that would reasonably suggest that any service is available other than a massage as defined in this chapter.
(13) Access. No person(s) other than CAMTC certificate holders, permitted operators under this chapter and customers will be allowed anywhere in the massage establishment other than the lobby/reception area during hours of operation. Entry doors to any room shall not be obstructed by any means.
(14) Sexual paraphernalia. Instruments, devices or paraphernalia that are designed for use in connection with sexual activities, including, but not limited to, condoms, shall not be permitted within a massage establishment.
(15) Compliance. Massage establishments shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Riverbank Municipal Code and Cal. Business and Professions Code §§ 4600 et seq.
(16) Discrimination. No massage establishment may discriminate or exclude patrons on the basis of their race, sex, religion, age, handicap, or any other classification protected under federal or state laws, rules or regulations.
(17) Notices. The Police Chief may require the notice below be posted in all massage rooms on premise to ensure patrons are aware of the possibility of an inspection, in the event that any employee of the massage establishment or any person who has been aided and abetted by an employee of the massage establishment has been found, after full hearing by administrative proceeding or state court, to have violated any of the offenses listed in §§ 119.08 and 119.10.
NOTICE TO ALL PATRONS
THIS MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENT AND THE MASSAGE ROOMS DO NOT PROVIDE COMPLETE PRIVACY AND ARE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION BY THE RIVERBANK POLICE SERVICES WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.
(a) The notice set forth above shall be prepared and issued by the Police Chief.
(b) The notices shall be conspicuously posted in a location within the massage establishment that are easily visible to any person entering the premises and in each massage room. The notice shall be so posted for 12 months following the violation of any of the offenses set forth above.
(c) The requirement for posting the notice described in this division (17) is cumulative and in addition to all other remedies, violations and penalties set forth in this chapter or in the ordinances, laws, rules or regulations of the city, County of Stanislaus, and the State of California.
(Ord. 2006-003, passed 3-13-06; Am. Ord. 2008-004, passed 3-10-08; Am. Ord. 2024-004, passed 8-27-24)