Effective 28 Aug 2018

334.610. License to practice required, exceptions — unauthorized use of titles prohibited. — Any person who holds himself or herself out to be a physical therapist or a licensed physical therapist within this state or any person who advertises as a physical therapist or claims that the person can render physical therapy services and who, in fact, does not hold a valid physical therapist license is guilty of a class B misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished as provided by law. Any person who, in any manner, represents himself or herself as a physical therapist, or who uses in connection with such person's name the words or letters "physical therapist", "physiotherapist", "registered physical therapist", "doctor of physical therapy", "P.T.", "Ph.T.", "P.T.T.", "R.P.T.", "D.P.T.", "M.P.T.", or any other letters, words, abbreviations or insignia, indicating or implying that the person is a physical therapist without a valid existing license as a physical therapist issued to such person pursuant to the provisions of sections 334.500 to 334.620, is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. Nothing in sections 334.500 to 334.620 shall prohibit any person licensed in this state under chapter 331 from carrying out the practice for which the person is duly licensed, or from advertising the use of physiologic and rehabilitative modalities; nor shall it prohibit any person licensed or registered in this state under section 334.735 or any other law from carrying out the practice for which the person is duly licensed or registered; nor shall it prevent professional and semiprofessional teams, schools, YMCA clubs, athletic clubs and similar organizations from furnishing treatment to their players and members. This section, also, shall not be construed so as to prohibit masseurs and masseuses from engaging in their practice not otherwise prohibited by law and provided they do not represent themselves as physical therapists. This section shall not apply to physicians and surgeons licensed under this chapter or to a person in an entry level of a professional education program approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) who is satisfying supervised clinical education requirements related to the person's physical therapist or physical therapist assistant education while under on-site supervision of a physical therapist; or to a physical therapist who is practicing in the United States Armed Forces, United States Public Health Service, or Veterans Administration under federal regulations for state licensure for health care providers.

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(L. 1969 H.B. 39 § 13, A.L. 1974 S.B. 336, A.L. 1981 S.B. 16, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1365 merged with S.B. 737, A.L. 1995 S.B. 452, A.L. 2007 S.B. 272, A.L. 2008 S.B. 788, A.L. 2018 S.B. 975 & 1024 Revision)