(A) No person may practice or offer to practice massage therapy without a license issued in accordance with this chapter; however, a person licensed by the State under this title or any other provision of law whose scope of practice overlaps with the practice of massage therapy is not also required to be licensed under this chapter unless the person holds himself out to be a massage therapist.

(B) Unless otherwise exempt from licensure, no person or entity may open, operate, maintain, use, or advertise as a massage therapy establishment or a sole practitioner establishment without obtaining a massage therapist license, massage therapy establishment license, or sole practitioner establishment license, as applicable, pursuant to this chapter.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-30-100

  • Entity: means a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or other business entity or association as approved by the board. See South Carolina Code 40-30-30
  • Licensure: means the procedure by which an individual applies to the department and is granted approval to practice massage therapy, or the procedure by which an establishment applies to the department and is granted approval to operate as a massage therapy establishment or a sole practitioner establishment. See South Carolina Code 40-30-30
  • Massage therapist: means an individual licensed as required by this chapter, who administers massage therapy for compensation. See South Carolina Code 40-30-30
  • Massage therapy: means the application of a system of structured touch to the soft tissues of the human body with the hand, foot, knee, arm, or elbow, whether or not the structured touch is aided by hydrotherapy, thermal therapy, a massage therapy device, or application to the human body of an herbal preparation. See South Carolina Code 40-30-30
  • Massage therapy establishment: means an entity with a physical site or premise, licensed as required by this chapter, in which licensed massage therapists are employees or contractors practicing massage therapy on clients. See South Carolina Code 40-30-30
  • Sole practitioner establishment: means a licensed massage therapist who is licensed pursuant to this chapter, who is not an employee or contractor of the sole practitioner establishment, and who provides massage therapy to clients at a specific location including, but not limited to, a rental space, home office space, or outcall or onsite space. See South Carolina Code 40-30-30

(C) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to authorize an individual or establishment licensed under this chapter to practice physical therapy or chiropractic or to utilize chiropractic therapeutic modalities except where the scope of practice for massage therapy, as provided for in this chapter, overlaps with the practice of physical therapy or chiropractic.

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