(See Editor's notes.) Licensure of Massage Therapists; Application and Requirements

1. Law
2. Georgia Code
3. Professions and Businesses
4. Massage Therapy Practice
5. General Provisions
6. (See Editor's notes.) Licensure of Massage Therapists; Application and Requirements

1. No person may practice massage therapy in this state who is not a licensed massage therapist or the holder of a valid provisional permit issued by the division director pursuant to this chapter.
2. Any applicant for a license as a massage therapist must submit a completed application upon a form and in such manner as the board prescribes, accompanied by applicable fees, and evidence satisfactory to the board that:
   1. The applicant is at least 18 years of age;
   2. The applicant has a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
   3. The applicant is a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident of the United States;
   4. The applicant is of good moral character. For purposes of this paragraph, "good moral character" means professional integrity and a lack of any conviction for acts involving moral turpitude where the underlying conduct relates to the applicant's fitness to practice massage therapy;
   5. The applicant has satisfactory results from a fingerprint record check report conducted by the Georgia Crime Information Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as determined by the board. Application for a license under this Code section shall constitute express consent and authorization for the board or its representative to perform a criminal background check. Each applicant who submits an application to the board for licensure by examination agrees to provide the board with any and all information necessary to run a criminal background check, including, but not limited to, classifiable sets of fingerprints. Such applicant shall be responsible for all fees associated with the performance of such background check;
   6. The applicant has completed successfully a board recognized massage therapy educational program consisting of a minimum of 500 hours of course and clinical work;
   7. The applicant has passed satisfactorily the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, an equivalent test approved by the board, or an examination administered by another state, territory, or jurisdiction whose license requirements meet or exceed those of this state; and
   8. The applicant has and agrees to maintain continuously during the term of licensure liability insurance coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and professional liability in coverages and amounts of not less than $1 million per occurrence, with not less than a minimum annual aggregate of $3 million for all occurrences, as determined by the board.

(Code 1981, §43-24A-8, enacted by Ga. L. 2005, p. 1251, § 1/SB 110; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1032, § 1/SB 143; Ga. L. 2019, p. 591, § 1/HB 242.)

The 2019 amendment, effective May 6, 2019, substituted "Such" for "The" at the beginning of the last sentence of paragraph (b)(5); in paragraph (b)(6), inserted "massage therapy" in the middle and deleted "and" at the end; in paragraph (b)(7), inserted "the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards," in the middle, inserted ", territory," near the end, and substituted "; and" for a period at the end; and added paragraph (b)(8).

Code Commission notes.

- Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 2005, double quotes were substituted for single quotes in paragraph (c)(4) (now paragraph (b)(4)).

For application of this statute in 2020, see Executive Orders 04.20.20.01, 04.23.20.02, 05.12.20.02, 05.28.20.02, 06.11.20.01, 06.29.20.02, 07.15.20.01, 07.31.20.02, 08.15.20.01, and 08.31.20.02.

A listing of Executive Orders issued in 2020 can be found at https://gov.georgia.gov/executive-action/executive-orders/2020-executive-orders.

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