2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 37 — Professions and occupations
RS 37:3556 — Licensure; qualifications


LA Rev Stat § 37:3556 What's This?

§3556. Licensure; qualifications

A.(1) No person shall act as or perform the duties of a massage therapist unless he possesses a current license issued pursuant to this Chapter or is exempt under the provisions of this Chapter.

(2) A licensed massage therapist shall not perform massage therapy, whether or not for compensation, at or for a sexually oriented business, as defined in R.S. 37:3558(D).

(3) A licensed massage therapist shall not be directly employed by a person licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy pursuant to R.S. 37:1261 et seq.

B. A person desiring to be licensed as a massage therapist shall apply to the board to take the examination provided for in R.S. 37:3557. To be eligible to take the examination, an applicant shall pay the examination fee, except as otherwise provided in R.S. 37:3562(B), and shall submit evidence satisfactory to the board that he has met one of the following requirements:

(1) Has satisfactorily completed massage therapy studies in a minimum five hundred-hour supervised course of instruction. The course of instruction may be provided by a proprietary massage therapy school licensed by the state Department of Education. The minimum five hundred hours shall consist of three hundred twenty-five hours dedicated to the study of basic massage therapy techniques and clinical practicum-related modalities, one hundred twenty-five hours dedicated to the study of anatomy and physiology, and an additional fifty hours of discretionary related course work, including but not limited to hydrotherapy, business practices and professional ethics, health and hygiene, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.

(2) Has been in the practice of massage therapy for a minimum of three consecutive years prior to the date of application, provided that no person shall qualify to take the examination pursuant to the provisions of this Paragraph after March 1, 1998.

(3) Holds a valid license as a physical therapist pursuant to R.S. 37:2401 et seq.

(4) Has been licensed or registered as a massage therapist in another state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia which has and maintains standards and requirements of practice and licensure or registration which 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 either satisfactory and accepted or unsatisfactory and rejected. If an application is rejected, such notice shall state the reasons for the rejection.

Acts 1992, No. 753, §2, eff. Sept. 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 766, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1013, §1.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1993, NO. 766, §1.}}

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