Citrus Heights is weighing a sweeping crackdown on local massage businesses after police and city staff reported a spike in suspicious operations. The City Council is reviewing roughly 18 proposed changes that would tighten licensing, curb sexually suggestive advertising and outlaw practices such as table showers. Supporters say the rules would shield neighborhoods and give law enforcement sharper tools, while critics warn the package could pile red tape on legitimate therapists.
As reported by CBS Sacramento, Lt. William Dunning cast the proposal as a way to go after illegal sex work and drug sales, saying that “for those who are the bad actors, we want to be able to hold them accountable.” Councilmember Kelsey Nelson told the station she wants therapists to disclose prior criminal charges because “I think that’s relevant when you’re in a vulnerable situation with somebody.” City officials also said there are now about 35 licensed massage businesses in Citrus Heights, a concentration they argue is higher than in nearby Roseville and Rancho Cordova combined.
What the Proposal Would Do
According to Citrus Heights, the draft ordinance would expand criminal-history disclosures to include both prior charges and convictions, require businesses to spell out whether therapists are employees or independent contractors, and could require establishments to carry a $1 million liability insurance policy. The proposal also includes spacing limits to avoid clusters of massage shops, bans on table showers and sexually suggestive advertising, and rules on dress and advertising that staff say are aimed squarely at deterring illicit operations. Staff presented the package to the council on Feb. 25, after holding a public workshop in January to walk residents and business owners through the options.
Therapists Push Back as State Rules Complicate Things
Some massage professionals argue that parts of the plan, especially the dress and conduct rules, risk painting every therapist with the same shady brush. Certified massage therapist Lauren McLachlan said the amendments “are looking at more of a vice side than a health side,” according to CBS Sacramento, and pointed out that state law already governs certification and basic conduct standards.
Those concerns are backed up by the California Massage Therapy Council’s guidance, which notes that key requirements such as certification rules and limits on what local governments may regulate are set at the state level. That legal backdrop gives Citrus Heights less room to maneuver than it might like and forces city officials to thread a needle between cracking down on suspected criminal activity and staying within state authority.
How Citrus Heights Stacks Up
Nearby communities have already tightened their massage rules, giving Citrus Heights a few models to study and a few pitfalls to avoid. Sacramento County rewrote its massage-establishment code to require California Massage Therapy Council certification for new managers and to tighten distance and advertising standards, according to the county ordinance on the county code site. Roseville has also updated its municipal code to strengthen permitting and background checks for massage services…