Extension of Time for Existing Practitioners to Submit License Application

If you have already obtained your Pennsylvania massage therapy license, you may disregard this email.

The Pennsylvania State Board of Massage Therapy has granted an extension of time to July 31, 2012 for existing practitioners to apply for a massage therapist license under the regulations’ grandfathering provision.  If you missed the previous deadline, this is your chance to apply.  However, if you previously applied for a license and were denied because you were unable to prove that you were practicing on October 9, 2010, or for some other reason, do not re-apply; you do not qualify for the extension.

Qualifying under the grandfathering provision

In order to qualify for a license under the grandfathering provision, you must satisfy two requirements: 

(1) you must submit documentation that you were an existing practitioner on the exact date of October 9, 2010, AND

(2) you must meet one of the four requirements in Section 3 of the application.

How to apply as an “existing practitioner”

If you would like to apply as an existing practitioner, please click here first and carefully read the Application Instructions and Application.  You must submit your completed application no later than July 31, 2012 but we highly recommend you submit it as soon as possible. It is illegal to practice massage therapy without a license in Pennsylvania.  The application contains three sections.  

• Under Section 1 of the application, you must submit ALL of the following: 
       
  1. the completed application,
  2. the $65 application fee (make the check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania),
  3. a copy of your legal identification card,
  4. the Certificate of Good Moral Character (this form is included in the application packet),
  5. an official Criminal History Record Information Check.  If you don’t have a criminal record you can choose the first option, “Online Request,” and the result will likely be available immediately.  You may print this and mail it with your application; it does not need to be sent directly from the state police. 
  6. current Basic Adult CPR certification.  Online CPR courses are not acceptable.  Courses must be hands-on and taken through the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or an agency substantially similar which will need to be approved by the Board.
• Under Section 2 of the application, you must submit ONE of the following four forms of proof that you were an existing practitioner on October 9, 2010: 
  1. a signed copy of your 2010 federal tax return that lists your occupation as massage therapist, or
  2. a signed copy of Schedule C of your 2010 federal tax return demonstrating that you reported income from the practice of massage therapy, or
  3. proof that you were a member of a Board-approved association, such as ABMP, at the practitioner or professional level or above on October 9, 2010.  You must have been an association member on the exact date of October 9, 2010, or
  4. a notarized statement from your employer (on the Board’s “Verification of Five Years Employment” form) attesting that you were practicing massage therapy on October 9, 2010, a copy of your employer’s business card or letterhead, and a copy of your 2009 W-2 or 1099 form. 
• Under Section 3 of the application, you must submit ONE of the following:
  1. proof you were in active, continuous practice between October 9, 2005 through October 9, 2010.  There are four different ways listed in the application as to how you may present this documentation.  Read carefully to determine which works best for you.  One way (c.) is verification of your membership in a professional association (ABMP).  If using ABMP membership to meet this requirement, your membership dates must include the time frame between October 9, 2005 through and including October 9, 2010.  Or,
  2. demonstrate you passed the National Certification Exam offered by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).  Or,
  3. demonstrate that you completed a massage therapy program of at least 500 hours.  If your school has closed, call 717-783-8228 and they will be able to inform you which school currently holds your records.  Or,
  4. demonstrate you completed at least 100 hours of massage therapy education and have passed the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB).

If you need proof of your ABMP membership dates, please email Nancy Potter, our government relations coordinator, requesting that ABMP send a letter verifying the dates of your membership to the Board, and we will do so.   

Avoid common mistakes

• If you have changed your name because of a marriage or divorce and the name on the application is different from the name you used in school, send a copy of your marriage or divorce documentation along with your application.
• Don’t lie on the screening questions.  An arrest, criminal conviction, or disciplinary action will not automatically disqualify a candidate for registration.  Lying on the application will not help your cause and could be considered a violation of ABMP’s Code of Ethics.
• Don’t skip any lines on the application.
• Send all of the documentation requested in the application.  It only delays your application to not be thorough.

Contact information

Questions can be directed to:

State Board of Massage Therapy
P.O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
Phone: (717) 783-7155, Email: RA-Massagetherapy@state.pa.us

Have questions or concerns? Contact our government relations director, Jean Robinson, or Nancy Potter, our government relations coordinator.