Fish pedicures are not legal in California. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has determined that the practice cannot satisfy three separate sanitation rules that govern how tools and foot basins must be cleaned between clients. Because a live Garra rufa fish cannot be immersed in disinfectant, thrown away after a single use, or scrubbed out of a basin, no licensed salon in the state can legally offer the service.
The Three Rules That Make Fish Pedicures Illegal
The ban comes from applying existing rules in Title 16, Division 9, Article 12 of the California Code of Regulations. Three sections together close the door.
Section 979 requires every non-electrical tool to be disinfected before it touches a client. That means cleaning the tool, drying it, and fully immersing it in an EPA-registered disinfectant that kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses. A live fish cannot survive that process.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Regulations Title 16 Division 9 Section 979 – Disinfecting Non-Electrical Tools
Section 981 handles the follow-up question. Anything that touches a client and cannot be disinfected has to be thrown away immediately after one use. Applied to Garra rufa, that would mean discarding dozens of live fish after every appointment.2LII / Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations 16 CCR 981 – Tools and Supplies
Section 980.3 covers the basin itself. Between clients, a non-whirlpool foot basin must be drained, scrubbed, rinsed, and then soaked in disinfectant solution for at least 10 minutes, with the cleaning logged by date, time, and initials. A basin holding live fish cannot be drained and soaked in hospital-grade disinfectant on that schedule.3California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. California Code of Regulations Title 16 Division 9 Article 12 – Health and Safety
The Board’s own industry bulletin confirms that fish pedicures fail all three requirements and are not permitted in any licensed California establishment.4California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Industry Bulletin – Fish Pedicures
Why the Rules Exist
The sanitation rules were written around real infection risks. Research by the United Kingdom’s Fish Health Inspectorate found several disease-causing bacteria in Garra rufa and their transport water, including Streptococcus agalactiae, Aeromonas species, Vibrio vulnificus, and non-toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae, along with Mycobacteria species linked to persistent skin infections that can be difficult to treat.5National Institutes of Health. Zoonotic Disease Pathogens in Fish Used for Pedicure
The shared water is the larger problem. Fish waste, dead skin, and any blood or fluid from a client’s feet all end up in the same basin. Chemical disinfectants would kill the fish, so the water stays essentially untreated between customers. A client with a cut, a cracked heel, or a weakened immune system can pick up whatever the previous customer left behind. Standard pedicure equipment solves this by being fully drained and disinfected between clients, and that solution is not available once living animals are in the water.
What Happens to Salons That Offer Them Anyway
The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology can discipline any licensee who breaks the health and safety rules, including by revoking, suspending, or denying a license.6California Legislative Information. California Business and Professions Code 7312
Administrative fines run on a graduated scale. Section 979 disinfection violations carry $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third. Pedicure spa cleaning violations under Section 980.1 carry a flat $500 per chair regardless of whether it is a first or repeat offense.7LII / Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations 16 CCR 974 – Schedule of Administrative Fines A single fish pedicure session can violate several sections at once, so fines can stack in one inspection. For serious or repeated violations, the Board’s disciplinary guidelines allow probation with conditions, and a revoked license cannot be considered for reinstatement until at least one year after the revocation takes effect.8Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Disciplinary Guidelines
How to Report a California Salon Offering Fish Pedicures
If you see a California salon advertising or performing fish pedicures, you can file a complaint with the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Complaints must be in writing, submitted either through the state’s BreEZe licensing portal at breeze.ca.gov or by mail to the Board’s Sacramento office. Anonymous complaints are accepted, but the Board notes they are harder to investigate because staff may not be able to follow up for more information.9California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Consumer Complaint Process
Include the salon’s name and address, what you observed, and when the service was being offered. The Board categorizes this as an unsanitary conditions complaint, so describing the setup (live fish in a shared basin, no disinfection between clients) helps inspectors prioritize the case.
What About Other States
Crossing a state line does not necessarily open the option. Multiple states have reached the same conclusion after reviewing their own cosmetology sanitation rules, with the same reasoning: live fish cannot be disinfected, the water cannot be treated without killing them, and the shared basin creates an unacceptable infection risk. No official government count is available, but estimates run from roughly 10 to more than a dozen states with formal prohibitions, including Texas, New York, and New Jersey. In states that have not explicitly addressed the practice, existing sanitation rules often make it impossible to perform in compliance anyway.