A. No person shall engage in the practice of massage therapy without a current license issued pursuant to this Chapter unless such person is exempt under the provisions of this Chapter. To receive a massage therapist license in this state, an applicant shall pay the application fee pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 37:3562 and shall submit evidence satisfactory to the board of meeting the following requirements:

            (1)(a) Has satisfactorily completed a minimum five hundred hour synchronous instructor-supervised course of studies pursuant to rules promulgated by the board in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

            (i) The five hundred hour course of studies requirement shall consist of in-person, in-class, instructor-supervised hours dedicated to the study of massage therapy techniques and clinical practicum-related modalities.

            (ii) Any remaining hours required beyond the minimum five hundred hours of massage therapy techniques and clinical practicum may be a combination of real-time synchronous distance learning and in-person, in-class, instructor-supervised hours for each individual massage therapy program in this state in accordance with the policies prescribed by the Board of Regents.

            (iii) The guidelines provided for in this Subparagraph apply to all hours of instruction above the five-hundred-hour minimum.

            (b) A course of study may utilize a credit hours equivalent as defined by the United States Department of Education in lieu of clock hours to measure student achievement. A course of study using credit hours shall provide coursework consistent with the rules promulgated by the board including at least five hundred hours of in-class supervised instruction.

            (2) Has passed a national examination approved by the board under La. Rev. Stat. 37:3557 within two years from the date the application is filed.

            (3) Is a citizen or legal resident of the United States and has the ability to read, write, speak, and understand English fluently.

            (4) Has not, within the five years preceding the date of the application, been convicted of a nonviolent felony.

            (5) Has never been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to a violent felony or a criminal offense involving sexual misconduct.

            (6) Has submitted to and cleared a background check as set forth in La. Rev. Stat. 37:3555(A)(14).

            B. The requirements set forth in Paragraphs (A)(1) and (2) of this Section shall not apply to any of the following:

            (1) Persons who have continuously held a license to engage in the practice of massage therapy issued by the board since March 1, 1998.

            (2) Persons who hold a valid, current, and unexpired license or registration to engage in the practice of massage therapy in another state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia that has and maintains standards and requirements of practice and licensure or registration that substantially conform to the requirements in force in this state, as determined by the board. The board shall verify the validity of the documents submitted with that state’s licensing or registration agency and obtain any transcript information directly from the school identified by the applicant.

            (3) Persons who are active or retired military personnel and relocate to this state or his spouse who possesses a license from another state with substantially equivalent licensing requirements pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter.

            C. After review of the evidence submitted, the board shall notify each applicant that his application and such evidence is accepted or rejected. If an application is rejected, such notice shall state the reasons for the rejection.

            D. The board shall issue and deliver, by United States Postal Service or any other delivery option, a license to each person who meets the qualifications provided for in this Section upon payment of the professional license fee provided pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 37:3562. The license shall include a recent photo of the licensee. The board may deliver a license by electronic transmission if the license contains the licensee’s current photo and an electronic watermark or unique QR barcode. The license, in the form of a Licensed Massage Therapist Identification Card (LMT-ID Card), which contains an available anti-copy watermark or lamination, shall grant all professional rights, honors, and privileges to the licensed massage therapist.

            E. Each license granted shall have a validity period of one calendar year and shall have an expiration date as determined by administrative rules promulgated by the board.

            NOTE: Subsection F ceases to be effective on Dec. 31, 2025. See Acts 2022, No. 41.

            F. The board shall make available to any graduate of a state-approved, Louisiana-based school for massage therapy a provisional license for immediate use upon graduation at an established massage therapy business registered with the board. The provisional license shall be active for one three-month term and shall not be renewed. Any facility that employs a massage therapist who is operating under a provisional license shall notify a client of the licensure status of a provisionally licensed massage therapist prior to the client receiving any services from that massage therapist. A provisionally licensed massage therapist may only work at a facility that employs a massage therapist licensed pursuant to Subsection A of this Section.

            Acts 1992, No. 753, §2, eff. Sept. 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 766, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1013, §1; Acts 2012, No. 605, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2012; Acts 2021, No. 324, §2, eff. June 14, 2021; Acts 2022, No. 41, §1; Acts 2022, No. 420, §1.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1993, NO. 766, §1.}}