Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 4601
Massage Therapy Act
Redline — January 1, 2011 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2015
As of January 1, 2011
(a) The council shall issue a certificate under this chapter to an applicant who satisfies the requirements of this chapter.
(b) (1) In order to obtain certification as a massage practitioner, an applicant shall submit a written application and provide the council with satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the following requirements:
(A) The applicant is 18 years of age or older.
(B) The applicant has successfully completed, at a single approved school, curricula in massage and related subjects totaling a minimum of 250 hours that incorporates appropriate school assessment of student knowledge and skills. Included in the hours shall be instruction addressing anatomy and physiology, contraindications, health and hygiene, and business and ethics, with at least 100 hours of the required minimum 250 hours devoted to these curriculum areas.
(C) All fees required by the council have been paid.
(2) New certificates shall not be issued pursuant to this subdivision after December 31, 2015. Certificates issued pursuant to this section or subdivision (a) or (c) of Section 4604 on or before December 31, 2015, shall, after December 31, 2015, be renewed without any additional educational requirements, provided that the certificate holder continues to be qualified pursuant to this chapter.
(c) In order to obtain certification as a massage therapist, an applicant shall submit a written application and provide the council with satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The applicant is 18 years of age or older.
(2) The applicant satisfies at least one of the following requirements:
(A) He or she has successfully completed the curricula in massage and related subjects totaling a minimum of 500 hours. Of this 500 hours, a minimum of 250 hours shall be from approved schools. The remaining 250 hours required may be secured either from approved or registered schools, or from continuing education providers approved by, or registered with, the council or the Department of Consumer Affairs. After December 31, 2015, applicants may only satisfy the curricula in massage and related subjects from approved schools.
(B) The applicant has passed a massage and bodywork competency assessment examination that meets generally recognized psychometric principles and standards, and that is approved by the board. The successful completion of this examination may have been accomplished before the date the council is authorized by this chapter to begin issuing certificates.
(3) All fees required by the council have been paid.
(d) The council shall issue a certificate to an applicant who meets the other qualifications of this chapter and holds a current and valid registration, certification, or license from any other state whose licensure requirements meet or exceed those defined within this chapter. The council shall have discretion to give credit for comparable academic work completed by an applicant in a program outside of California.
(e) An applicant applying for a massage therapist certificate shall file with the council a written application provided by the council, showing to the satisfaction of the council that he or she meets all of the requirements of this chapter.
(f) Any certification issued under this chapter shall be subject to renewal every two years in a manner prescribed by the council, and shall expire unless renewed in that manner. The council may provide for the late renewal of a license.
(g) (1) The council shall have the responsibility to determine that the school or schools from which an applicant has obtained the education required by this chapter meet the requirements of this chapter. If the council has any reason to question whether or not the applicant received the education that is required by this chapter from the school or schools that the applicant is claiming, the council shall investigate the facts to determine that the applicant received the required education prior to issuing a certificate.
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1) and any other provision of this chapter for which the council is authorized to receive factual information as a condition of taking any action, the council shall have the authority to conduct oral interviews of the applicant and others or to make any investigation deemed necessary to establish that the information received is accurate and satisfies any criteria established by this chapter.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Approved school” or “approved massage school” means a school approved by the council that meets minimum standards for training and curriculum in massage and related subjects, that meets any of the following requirements, and that has not been otherwise unapproved by the council:
(1) Is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
(2) Is approved by the Department of Consumer Affairs.
(3) Is an institution accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities or the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and that is one of the following:
(A) A public institution.
(B) An institution incorporated and lawfully operating as a nonprofit public benefit corporation pursuant to Part 2 (commencing with Section 5110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, and that is not managed by any entity for profit.
(C) A for-profit institution.
(D) An institution that does not meet all of the criteria in subparagraph (B) that is incorporated and lawfully operating as a nonprofit public benefit corporation pursuant to Part 2 (commencing with Section 5110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, that has been in continuous operation since April 15, 1997, and that is not managed by any entity for profit.
(4) Is a college or university of the state higher education system, as defined in Section 100850 of the Education Code.
(5) Is a school requiring equal or greater training than what is required pursuant to this chapter and is recognized by the corresponding agency in another state or accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(b) “Certificate” means a valid certificate issued by the council pursuant to this chapter.
(c) “Compensation” means a payment, loan, advance, donation, contribution, deposit, or gift of money, or anything of value.
(d) “Council” means the California Massage Therapy Council created pursuant to this chapter, which shall be a nonprofit organization exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
(e) “Massage” means the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues. For purposes of this chapter, the terms “massage” and “bodywork” shall have the same meaning.
(f) “Massage establishment” or “establishment” means a fixed location where massage is performed for compensation, excluding those locations where massage is only provided on an out-call basis.
(g) “Massage practitioner” means a person who is certified by the council pursuant to Section 4604.2 and who administers massage for compensation.
(h) “Massage therapist” means a person who is certified by the council under Section 4604 and who administers massage for compensation.
(i) “Sole provider” means a massage business where the owner owns 100 percent of the business, is the only person who provides massage services for compensation for that business pursuant to a valid and active certificate issued in accordance with this chapter, and has no other employees or independent contractors.
Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.