Under Oklahoma’s new massage therapy law, every massage therapist must hold a state-issued massage therapy license by May 1, 2017 in order to practice after that date. If you do not have a license by May 1, 2017, you will not be able to legally practice in Oklahoma until you get your license. We had expected that the Cosmetology Board would issue regulations filling in the details of the new massage law prior to making license applications available, but the Board has instead issued application forms before issuing regulations. Regulations have not been issued yet.
The license by grandfathering application form is now available on the Board’s website. The Board will start accepting grandfathering applications on August 26, 2016.
Qualifying for Licensure before May 1, 2017 (grandfathering)
You can apply for your license by grandfathering until May 1, 2017. After May 1, 2017 you will no longer be able to apply by grandfathering.
The Board’s website states that “Persons issued a license under the grandfathering clause will be issued a license effective until May 1st, 2017. Licensee will then be required to renew the license with applicable fee.” Therefore, applicants will get a “temporary” license by grandfathering before May 1, 2017, and then will have to renew that license sometime around May 1, 2017 for an additional $50 fee. That license will then be good for two years, but the Board will have to specify the actual expiration date in the regulations.
You can qualify for a state license by grandfathering by providing one of the following:
1. documentation that the applicant has completed and passed a nationally recognized competency examination in the practice of massage therapy, or
2. an affidavit of at least five (5) years of work experience [in massage therapy] in the state, or
3. a certificate and transcript of completion from a massage school with at least five hundred (500) hours of education.
Additionally, all applicants must be at least 18 years of age, must provide proof of professional liability insurance, and must disclose any prior criminal proceedings taken against the applicant.
If you do not meet any of these criteria, please contact ABMP Government Relations Coordinator Nancy Potter at nancy@abmp.com to discuss how you can qualify by the May 1 deadline.
The Board has not identified what exams qualify as a “nationally recognized competency examination in the practice of massage therapy,” or provided any further detail on the educational requirements. It seems likely that the MBLEx exam will qualify, but it is best if you contact the Board to be sure. The work history affidavit form is attached to the application form.
What You Need to Do Now
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If you qualify for grandfathering, print out the grandfathering application form now. Click here for the application form.
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Fill out the application form.
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After August 25, 2016, mail in your completed application form with a cashier’s check or money order for $25 made payable to OSBCB (personal checks are not accepted). Do not mail your application in before August 25, 2016.
Qualifying for Licensure After May 1, 2017
After May 1, 2017, all applicants for licensure will be required to provide proof of 500 hours of massage education and proof that they have passed a nationally recognized competency examination approved by the Board. Additionally, all applicants must be at least 18 years of age, must provide proof of professional liability insurance, and must disclose any prior criminal proceedings taken against the applicant. If you do not have your license by May 1, 2017, you will not be able to practice between May 1, 2017 and the date you actually receive your license, which could be several months, depending on how quickly license applications are processed. Therefore, we recommend that you apply by grandfathering well before May 1, 2017 so that you do not have to stop working while you’re waiting to get your license.
Modalities Excluded from the License Requirement
The following modalities are exempted from the statute and do not require a massage therapy license:
The practice of any person in this state who uses touch, words and directed movement to deepen awareness of existing patterns of movement in the body as well as to suggest new possibilities of movement while engaged within the scope of practice of a profession with established standards and ethics, provided that the services are not designated or implied to be massage or massage therapy. Practices shall include but are not limited to the Feldenkrais Method of somatic education, Rolf Movement Integration by the Rolf Institute, the Trager Approach of movement education, and Body-Mind Centering. Practitioners shall be recognized by or meet the established standards of either a professional organization or credentialing agency that represents or certifies the respective practice based on a minimal level of training, demonstration of competency, and adherence to ethical standards.
Questions?
We will try to answer your questions about the application process, but many questions can only be answered by the Board. If you have questions please contact ABMP at nancy@abmp.com or contact the Board directly at phone: (405) 521-2441 or email: jmcree@cosmo.ok.gov.