Massage Businesses Face New Regulations

Following the lead of other cities across the county, the City Council on Tuesday tightened up its laws regulating massage businesses.

“It’s more a preventive measure,” City Attorney Jerry Patterson said. “It was something we needed to do. We haven’t had an influx of massage parlors yet, but it’s anticipated that we might.”

The new ordinance requires prospective masseurs and masseuses to apply for licenses from the city, a procedure that involves an extensive background check. That includes people already in business, Patterson said.

The new law also requires applicants to have more experience and training that in the past and significantly raises health and business standards at massage establishments.

The action came just a week after Lake Forest passed a similar measure. And two months ago, San Juan Capistrano enacted stringent regulations on prospective massage businesses after officials there discovered a surge in such operations.

Officials there attributed the boom of applications for massage-related business to the fact that many cities are now shutting down massage establishments.

“More people tend to come to cities that are less restrictive,” Patterson said. “It seems to be a trend.”