Alabama Massage Licensing

State of Alabama Board of Massage Therapy
2777 Zelda Road Montgomery, AL 36106

Phone/Fax Numbers

Phone: 334-420-7233 or 866-873-4664
Fax: 334-263-6115
Email: massagetherapy@alstateboard.com

Definitions (see rules (PDF): http://www.almtbd.state.al.us/PDF/Rules/2014_MAS_Rules_Regulations.pdf) :

(g) “Massage Therapist” is a person licensed under this Act who practices massage therapy or touch modalities upon a patron of either gender for compensation, working to alleviate pain, reduced stress, and instigate the normalization of the soft tissue, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue of the patron. A massage therapist shall not be designated as a “massage parlor”employee.

h) “Massage Therapy” is the profession in which the practitioner applies massage techniques and related touch therapy modalities with the intention of positively affecting the health and well being of the client as defined in the Act. Massage Therapy does not include diagnosis except to the extent of determining whether massage therapy is indicated. Massage Therapy may be applied in response to physician, osteopathic, chiropractic, podiatric, or

other prescription by a licensed practitioner in that field acting within the scope of his or her profession.

(i) “Native American Healer” is a person who can establish by information, contained on his or her birth certificate, by tribal records or by other reliable records, that he or she is an American Indian or Alaskan Native, having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, as definite in Code of Ala. 1975, Section 25-1-10, and who practices traditional healing techniques.

Exemptions:

Students
Members of other professions acting within their scope of practice
People massaging their family members.
Visiting Massage Instructors
Member of the Massage Therapy Emergency Rescue Team (MERT) or

another nationally or internationally recognized disaster relief

association
Native American Healers

Other requirements

(a) Graduation from an Alabama Massage Therapy School with a

minimum of 650 hours; and (with specific course requirements)

(b) Successful completion of a Board approved examination; and

(c) Evidence of possession of a liability insurance policy of no

less than $1 million.

532-X-3-.01 Massage Therapist Licensure Qualifications.

18 years of age
must not have knowingly performed massage for money or engaged in prostitution
complete application form and pay fee
transcripts from approved schools

Transferring to Alabama: An applicant who is licensed or registered to practice massage therapy in another state or sovereign state and wishes to obtain licensure in Alabama must meet the minimum requirements set forth by the Board for licensure.

The Board requires 650 hours of a supervised course of

instruction:

(i) 100 hours of anatomy and physiology consisting of 35 hours of

myology, 15 hours of osteology, 10 hours of circulatory system, 10

hours of nervous system, and 30 hours of other body systems at the

discretion of the school;

(ii) 40 hours of pathology;

(iii) 250 hours of basic massage therapy, contradistinctions of

massage therapy, contraindications to massage therapy, and related

touch modalities, to include a minimum of 50 hours of supervised

massage;

(iv) 50 hours of miscellaneous required courses including business,

hydrotherapy, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and

professional ethics;

(v) 210 hours of electives to be determined by the school.

(8) To permit animal massage by a massage therapist under the

direction of prescription of a licensed veterinarian, the applicant

must graduate from a nationally approved program and complete a

minimum of 100 hours of postgraduate training and education in

animal anatomy, pathology, and physiology for the type of animal on

which the therapist will perform therapeutic massage.

Submit Application and photos

Must display license in place of business.

Establishment License required.

No massage therapy establishment owner, lessee, or legal possessor shall knowingly engage in or permit any person or persons to engage in sexual activity in that owner’s massage establishment or to use that establishment to make arrangements to engage in sexual activity in any other place.

Draping: “clean drape material for draping clients during the massage, use of which shall be explained to the client prior to the massage, and which shall cover the buttocks and genitals of a male client at all times during the massage, and which shall cover the buttocks, breasts, and genitals of a female client at all times during the massage.

Approved Massage Schools – Yes. List of Schools

Instructors must be licensed instructors except for CE Instructors

Student Clinic required.

Guidelines for Supervised Student Clinicals

(a) 50 hour minimum

(b) 100 hour maximum

532-X-5-.02 Advertising Limitations: A written advertisement by a massage therapist or a massage therapy establishment shall contain the license number of the massage therapist or establishment. (2) No person or establishment without valid massage therapy licensure shall advertise as a massage therapist or massage therapy establishment. (3) An establishment whose primary function is not massage therapy and for which establishment massage therapy is incidental to the primary function, may apply to the Board for an exemption from licensure as a massage therapy establishment pursuant to the procedure state above. (4) No sexually oriented business may use the terms “massage therapy,” or “bodywork” in any way form of advertising.

Continuing Education Required: 16 hours of continuing education within the 24 months preceding the date of renewal of licensure, from providers of courses approved by the Board, as a condition for renewing the license to practice massage therapy. CE guidelines (PDF)

Approved CE Providers(PDF) for AL.

Code of Ethics for AL Massage Therapists – YES. 532-X-7-.01 Code Of Ethics

provide highest quality care
provide only massage that they are qualified to provide
informed consent: inform public of scope and limitations of their discipline
Acknowledge the limitations and contraindications of massage therapy and refer out when appropriate
Respect licensed HCP’s
Conduct business with integrity
No discrimination
Client’s right to privacy
No sexual relations
Clients can refuse service
MT can refuse service
Ensure comfort and privacy of clients
CE
Follow all rules/regulations : Act No. 96-661