§3556. Licensure; qualifications

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 the state of Louisiana, an applicant shall pay the application fee pursuant to R.S. 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 in-class supervised course of studies pursuant to rules promulgated by the board in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(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 R.S. 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.

B. The requirements set forth in R.S. 37:3556(A)(1) and (2) shall not apply to either 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.

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 a license to each person who meets the qualifications provided for in this Section upon payment of the professional license fee provided pursuant to R.S. 37:3562. The license, in the form of a Licensed Massage Therapist Identification Card (LMT-ID Card), grants 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.

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.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1993, NO. 766, §1.}}