The Santa Barbara Police Department will propose stricter, more expensive permitting requirements for massage businesses Tuesday, aiming to crack down on fronts for human trafficking or prostitution.
The new regulations come packaged in the city’s massage ordinance, which hasn’t been modified since 1976. Police have documented 32 cases and investigations of sexual offenses connected to massage businesses in Santa Barbara since January 2021, according to the staff report. The changes were proposed to improve public safety, but many local massage therapists fear their small businesses are at stake if the ordinance passes.
“It’s pretty clear where the sex parlors are, why not start there rather than punish those of us who have legitimately been in business for a long time?” said massage therapist Kathy Gruver.
Gruver’s has been seeing clients since around 2002, around the time when the state of California began requiring certification. She opted to “grandfather in,” meaning she was exempt because her small business was running before the laws passed, by proving that she had 200 hours of training. This was the minimum requirement at the time.
Now, massage therapists who didn’t opt in back in the day will have to apply for new permits through the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC). If they’ve completed a minimum of 500 hours of training, passed background checks and paid their fees, they must pay the city $150-250 and apply for a new standard permit.
“To expect people who’ve been doing this for 10-15 years to go back to school is kind of ridiculous,” Gruver said. “And why should I have to pay the same fees as The Bacara of El Encanto, who have a whole spa?”
Five public feedback meetings have been held since November 2025 to revise the ordinance. The meetings saw criticism and heavy pushback from the massage therapist community, many saying going back to school would be inconvenient.
Compiling feedback from the public and the city’s ordinance committee, the ordinance proposes five key changes, including updated training hours, background checks and inspections.
Under CAMTC and the city’s ordinance, massage therapists would need to prove 500 hours of training. People currently working in Santa Barbara can receive a “Limited Exception Certificate” valid through December 31, 2029, if they can show 200 hours of previous training.
The ordinance would reduce some background checking, requiring only those who have received exceptions and owners and managers who are not CAMTC certified to complete Live Scan background checks. Other staff will only need an enhanced screening order.
It also changes the inspection process. Gruver said for massage therapists who operate out of their homes, having an inspector come in while they’re seeing a client is highly intrusive. The ordinance took this feedback, requiring the city to gain consent or a warrant before inspecting.
The city expects the new permitting process to bring in $14,000 of annual revenue. Standard permits for massage storefronts will cost $250 and sole proprietorship permits will cost $150.
Councilmember Meagan Harmon will vote on the ordinance on Tuesday. Drawing from conversations with police chief Kelly Gordon, Harmon said there have been a number of human trafficking incidents tied to massage vendors in Santa Barbara. This includes cases of sexual assault and domestic violence.
What the cases have in common is that they come from non-licenced vendors, Harmon said, so a crack-down is needed. But she’s also heard the concerns of the massage community and hopes the ordinance reflects their needs.
“Before I started learning about the ordinance I was skeptical of adding more bureaucracy,” Harmon said. “But I do think our police chief and the ordinance committee have tried to strike a good balance between protecting businesses and making sure that vulnerable people are not exploited.”
