We have received new information from the State about massage licensing renewals. Per its notification below, DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) will be allowing a grace period for this year's renewals, until March 31, 2017, with no late fee. This means that you will have until March 31, 2017 to renew your license and pay the $179 license renewal fee, instead of December 31, 2016.
Also, we want to thank all of you who replied to our recent emails concerning the licensing fee increase in Colorado. We received an extremely high volume of replies and are attempting to respond to each of them; we appreciate your patience as we do so. We would like to forward as many of your comments to DORA as possible. Please email nancy@abmp.com to let us know if we have your permission to forward your emailed comments about the fee increase (whether sent to us previously or sent in response to this message) to DORA/DPO. Please indicate whether you would like us to omit your name/email address from the forwarded message.
Notification from DPO:
Subject: MT Update
The Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) appreciates the feedback we have received regarding the recent fee increase for new applicants and current licensees undergoing the renewal process. The Division recognizes these are significant increases causing concern both for new graduates and experienced massage therapists.
In response to comments and suggestions from the MT community, DPO has decided to extend the grace period for renewals due at year's end through March 31, 2017. Also, the accompanying $15 late fee that would normally be charged during the grace period will be waived. The Division hopes the extended grace period and waived late fee will prove helpful in adjusting to the change.
Please understand that DPO is required by state law to adjust fees to account for cost increases, or decreases, where applicable. As many of you may know, the Massage Therapy program cost increases stemmed from a significant number of complaints received and resulting legal enforcement activity, which impacted the fee amounts. We do anticipate stabilizing fees in the future and will continue to attempt to minimize the amount of regulation necessary to protect the public by administering the program as efficiently as possible.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
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Ronne Hines
Director
P 303.894.7770 | F 303.869.0530
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202