1. A person desiring a license to practice massage therapy shall be at least eighteen years of age, shall pay the appropriate required application fee, and shall submit satisfactory evidence to the board of meeting at least one of the following requirements:

(1) Has passed a statistically valid examination on therapeutic massage and body work which is approved by the board, prior to August 28, 1999, and applies for such license by December 31, 2000; or

(2) Has completed a program of massage therapy studies, as defined by the board, consisting of at least five hundred hours of supervised instruction and subsequently passing an examination approved by the board. The examination may consist of school examinations. The program and course of instruction shall be approved by the board.

(a) The five hundred hours of supervised instruction shall consist of three hundred hours dedicated to massage theory and practice techniques, one hundred hours dedicated to the study of anatomy and physiology, fifty hours dedicated to business practice, professional ethics, hygiene and massage law in the state of Missouri, and fifty hours dedicated to ancillary therapies, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.

(b) A person completing a massage therapy program comprised of less than five hundred hours of supervised instruction may submit an application for licensure and the board shall establish requirements for the applicant to complete the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subdivision.

2. A person who has practiced less than three years or has less than one hundred hours of training may request a waiver of the requirements of subsection 1 of this section and apply for a temporary two-year license which shall not be renewable. By the end of such two-year period, such person shall complete at least one hundred additional hours of formal training, including at least twenty-five hours in anatomy and physiology, in a school approved by the board. Such person shall have until December 31, 2000, to apply for a temporary license pursuant to this subsection.

3. Each license issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall expire on its renewal date. The board shall renew any license upon:

(1) Application for renewal;

(2) Proof, as provided by rule, that the therapist has completed twelve hours of continuing education; and

(3) Payment of the appropriate renewal fee.

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Failure to obtain the required continuing education hours, submit satisfactory evidence, or maintain required documentation is a violation of this subsection. As provided by rule, the board may waive or extend the time requirements for completion of continuing education for reasons related to health, military service, foreign residency, or other good cause. All requests for waivers or extensions of time shall be made in writing and submitted to the board before the renewal date.

4. An applicant who possesses the qualifications specified in subsection 2 of this section to take the examination approved by the board may be granted a provisional license to engage in the practice of massage therapy. An applicant for a provisional license shall submit proof that the applicant has applied for the examination approved by the board. A provisional license shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance and shall be deemed void upon its expiration date. A provisional licensee is prohibited from practicing massage therapy after expiration of the provisional license.

5. As determined by the board, students making substantial progress toward completion of their training in an approved curriculum shall be granted a student license for the purpose of practicing massage therapy on the public while under the supervision of a massage therapy instructor.

6. A student license may be renewed until the student completes such student’s training. Upon request, the board may extend a provisional license for good cause at the discretion of the board. An application for the extension of a provisional license shall be submitted to the board prior to the expiration of the provisional license.

7. The following practitioners are exempt from the provisions of this section upon filing written proof with the board that they meet one or more of the following:

(1) Persons who act under a Missouri state license, registration, or certification and perform soft tissue manipulation within their scope of practice;

(2) Persons who restrict their manipulation of the soft tissues of the human body to the hands, feet or ears;

(3) Persons who use touch and words to deepen awareness of existing patterns of movement in the human body as well as to suggest new possibilities of movement;

(4) Persons who manipulate the human body above the neck, below the elbow, and below the knee and do not disrobe the client in performing such manipulation.

8. Any nonresident person licensed, registered, or certified by another state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or foreign territory or recognized certification system determined as acceptable by the board shall be exempt from licensure as defined in this chapter, if such persons are incidentally called into the state to teach a course related to massage or body work therapy or to provide massage therapy services as part of an emergency response team working in conjunction with disaster relief officials.

9. Any nonresident person holding a current license, registration, or certification in massage therapy from another state or recognized national certification system determined as acceptable by the board shall be exempt from licensure as defined in this chapter when temporarily present in this state for the purpose of providing massage therapy services at special events such as conventions, sporting events, educational field trips, conferences, and traveling shows or exhibitions.