Senate Bill 353 (SB 353) was enacted in late June, raising Louisiana’s minimum massage education hours from 500 to 625. Schools have until December 31, 2026, to comply with the new hour requirement.
A student will satisfy licensing requirements if they:
- Have enrolled and are participating in a massage training program at an approved school before December 31, 2026, and
- Apply for a Louisiana massage therapy license upon completion or graduation from the program
A 625-hour massage therapy training program must be taught live in a classroom setting and supervised by an instructor—unless otherwise indicated—and consist of the following:
- Massage therapy techniques and clinical practicum-related modalities (400 hours)
- Anatomy and physiology; may be taught in real-time synchronous or asynchronous distance learning (175 hours)
- Louisiana law, rules, and ethics; may be taught in real-time synchronous distance learning (10 hours)
- Marketing, first aid, and subjects related to providing massage therapy (40 hours)
SB 353 is a direct response to the federal Gainful Employment (GE) changes issued last fall. Under the new GE rules, aid-eligible schools in Louisiana would not have been able to offer programs more than the previous 500-hour state requirement and maintain federal aid eligibility. The new state licensing requirement of 625 hours allows schools to maintain aid eligibility under the new Federal Title IV regulations—protecting student aid, safeguarding enrollment, and reducing barriers to entry.