Title 5
Businesses and Professions

Chapter 95
Licensing of Massage Therapists

§ 5-95-9. Licensing — Qualifications for licensure (initial and endorsement); Issuance or denial of license.

(a) Every person desiring to begin the practice of massage therapy, except persons with special provisions as provided in this chapter, shall present satisfactory evidence to the division of professional regulation of the department that the person:

(1) Is over eighteen (18) years of age;

(2) Has submitted to a national criminal background check in accordance with this chapter;

(3) Effective January 1, 2025:

(i) For an applicant for licensure pursuing a first massage therapist license:

Has successfully completed an approved massage therapy education program, meeting the minimum requirements established by the board, including at least eight hundred (800) hours of supervised in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work and has completed six hundred fifty (650) hours prior to December 31, 2024;

(ii) For an applicant for licensure by endorsement, holding a massage therapist license in another state:

Has successfully completed a massage therapy education program that meets the approved massage therapy education program definition in § 5-95-3, including eight hundred (800) hours of supervised in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work or its equivalent.

(iii) Hour equivalents may be granted in the following manner:

(A) Each fifty (50) to sixty (60) minutes obtained from a course of study in massage therapy equals one hour;

(B) Each one semester credit hour of massage therapy-related college/university study equals fifteen (15) hours;

(C) Each year of full-time practice as a massage therapist equals one hundred (100) hours;

(D) Up to one hundred (100) hours may be granted for completion of continuing education programs related to the massage therapy scope of practice described in § 5-95-4; and

(4) Has successfully completed an examination approved by the board. Any examination approved by the board must meet generally recognized standards including development through the use of a job-task analysis and must meet appropriate psychometric standards.

(b) The department may grant a license to any applicant who has satisfied the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, has completed all appropriate forms, paid all appropriate fees, and has met substantially equivalent standards in obtaining a valid license, permit, certificate, or registration issued by any other state or territory of the United States or by a foreign country.

(c) The department shall, within sixty (60) days from the time any application for a license is received, grant the application and issue a license to practice massage therapy for the remaining two-year (2) cycle from that date if the department is satisfied that the applicant complies with the rules and regulations promulgated in accordance with this chapter. An applicant, whose national criminal background check reveals a conviction for any sexual offense, including, but not limited to, those offenses defined in chapters 34 and 37 of title 11, shall be denied a license under this chapter.

(d) The fee for original application for licensure as a massage therapist and the fee for annual license renewal every two (2) years shall be determined by the department.

(e) Any person applying for a license under this chapter shall undergo a national criminal background check. Such persons shall apply to the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or local police department for a national criminal background check. Fingerprinting shall be required. Upon the discovery of any disqualifying information as defined in subsection (f) of this section, the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or the local police department shall inform the applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information and, without disclosing the nature of the disqualifying information, shall notify the board, in writing, that disqualifying information has been found. In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been found, the bureau of criminal identification shall inform the applicant and the board in writing of this fact. An applicant against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that a copy of the national criminal background report be sent to the board, which shall make a judgment regarding the licensure of the applicant. The applicant shall be responsible for payment of the costs of the national criminal background check.

(f) “Disqualifying information” means those offenses, including, but not limited to, those defined in chapters 34, 34.1, and 37 of title 11, and § 23-17-37.

(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any city or town may, by ordinance, regulate the opening, the presence, the location, and the operation of any bodyworks business or any business providing bodyworks services. Provided, however, no ordinance may impose additional qualifications beyond those adopted by the department pursuant to this chapter respecting national criminal background checks for persons applying for a license.