CAMTC - California Massage Therapy Council - FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions for Massage Therapists

One Capitol Mall, Suite 320, Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 669-5336 | Fax (916) 444-7462

Note: watch this page for revisions and updates. Many answers still remain to be clarified.

MASSAGE THERAPISTS – SB 731 has initiated massage regulation for California Statewide Voluntary Massage Certification, thereby allowing for work in multiple California locations without the need for multiple permits and fees. SB 731 has also established criteria for the ‘Certified’ Massage Therapist (CMT) and ‘Certified’ Massage Practitioner (CMP) professional titles. Massage Therapists currently using ‘Certified’ in their title will have the choice to obtain ‘Certification’ through CAMTC and maintain that title, or maintain their local permit(s) and delete the term ‘Certified’ in their professional title. Initially there will be some certification provisions for special circumstances such as ‘grandfathering’ long-time practitioners and applicants with out-of-state education, etc.

SB 731 designated a number of qualification sets for certification. Click here to see the various "portals" to certification. When we are ready to accept applications (probably August 1) you can link to applications.

Q: How do I know if you will accept education hours from the massage school I attended?

First, ensure that the hours are in massage theory, techniques, anatomy, physiology, ethics and other core curriculum. Check the curriculum list if you're not sure.

If your school is accredited by the State of California or the U.S. Department of Education, then your school is approved by CAMTC. If your school was approved by the BPPVE (no longer in existence) then there's a good chance the school will be approved. This web site will have a school lookup page where you can check to see if your school is approved. This is still in process.

Q: My massage training was outside the USA. Will you accept my education hours?

Quite possibly, but it will require some effort on your part and some evaluation time on our part. The CAMTC Board of Directors has adopted an official policy on out-of-country transcripts. Click Here.

$150.00 for the initial application, which lasts for two years. The renewal cost is $125.00 (renewed each two years). Since we are just beginning the process, this amount may be subject to change.

Yes. There are two levels of certification: CMT (Certified Massage Therapist) and CMP (Certified Massage Practitioner). There will also be a conditional certification for the CMP category.

The levels of certification relate to the amount of education the massage therapist has completed. Generally speaking, the CMT category requires 500 hours of massage education, while the CMP category requires 250 hours.

Q: What does certification entitle me to do? Can I use "massage machines" or other specialized techniques?

There is no legal "scope of practice" for massage therapists in California. Scope of practice questions therefore fall under what your insurance provider will cover in the event of a claim, and what other professions say is their exclusive scope of practice.

If you are insured, call the company to see if they will cover you in the event of claim. Typically they cover what is "commonly done by MTs and taught in massage schools". My sesne is that you would not be covered.

To protect yourself from practice of medicine without a license you can follow the guidelines of the Freedom of Healthcare Act. You can try googling for it in CA. You would have to provide your clients with disclosures that they sign & you keep stating that you are not licensed in CA, what your education is, etc. Be aware that the law does not protect you from physical therapy or chiropractic claims. Also, you can still be unprotected in a lawsuit.

Q: What about my employer? Will my city be able to require these permits (other than city business license) for CMT’s or CMP’s who want to start their own business and hire/contract with therapists if ALL of the therapists have Certification from the CAMTC?

According to SB 731, the city cannot require a massage establishment permit (other than a business license) if all the massage therapists are certified by the CAMTC. They can require up to date proof that all staff providing massages are currently certifed. As for new businesses, cities may resist exempting the business from all provisions of the local massage ordinance until they see that it meets the qualifications for exemption. We are working now with city officials on how to handle this - but pretty clearly if the business obtains a business license on the basis of being exempt from the establishment requirements (other than reasonable health & safety regulations per SB 731) if the business later doesn't demonstrate that it qualifies for exemption, the city has the right to revoke the business license. Cities might still retain the right to investigate the owner if the owner is not a massage therapist.

B&P Section 4600 (where SB 731 got coded) creates an optional certification program. Those who choose to, and qualify to certify are exempt from needing a city massage permit. The business owner must have proof of staff certification on the premises and the city does have the right to require registration of some sort. Pacifica will charge a small fee to do so - no other city I know of intends at this time to charge.

Since the certification is optional, protecting title only, there is no definition of massage. But as you know, local ordinances regulate both practice and title. So anyone who claims to be doing just Reflexology and chooses not to certify would still be subject to the local ordinances.

Your certification with CAMTC entitles you to work as a Certified Massage Therapist (or Practitioner) throughout the State of California. It does not apply outside of California, although it is possible that other states may accept California Certification as a qualification for acceptance.

Q: I am already a Certified Massage Therapist. Why should I register with the CAMTC?

As of September 1, 2009, you will no longer be able to use the CMT title (or CMP) in the State of California unless you have been certified by the CAMTC. Also, the certificate will be portable. If you get a new job in a new location, you will not have to apply for new local certifications/permits/licenses if you have a CAMTC-issued certificate.

Not at this time. However, the passage of one of the national tests may help you become certified in California. If you have passed the MBLEx, the NCETM or the NCETMB and have two years of documented professional massage experience, you will qualify for the CMT.

There are a number of ways to brush up your knowledge in massage, anatomy, physiology, etc. If your education hours were earned a long time ago, you may want to brush up on your basic knowledge with a service such as www.massage-exam.com. CAMTC does not endorse this or any other education provider, and you should do your research before engaging any test preparation service. Two organizations offering tests are the NCBTMB and the FSMTB.

Q: Will I be able to use my license from another state to get licensed in California when it goes statewide?

The general answer is yes. If your current license if from a state whose licensing requires equal or greater education for certification than the standards for California, your education will be accepted, and you will be eligible for certification here, with the caveat that all other requirements are met (fingerprinting, passport photo, fee, etc.).

Yes. There is a fingerprinting and background check required with each application. Even if you have been fingerprinted recently, you will need to have it done again with our LiveScan form so that we will receive the results. Click here for Live Scan locations. Fees vary, but they will include a Dept of Justice fee as well as the LiveScan fee. We estimate this will total less than $80.00, but it could conceivably be more in some locations.

If you own your own business, yes. A CAMTC-issued certificate will give you permission to practice anywhere, but it does not replace your business license. If you are simply an employee of another person’s business, then you do not need a business license. If you are an employee of a massage establishment, you will need no other license or permit. If you are self-employed, there may be some requirements for your place of work, but not for practicing massage.

Every two years, by mail or online if there are no extenuating circumstances or changes.

Q: My massage school is new, and has not been approved. How will the school be approved?

This question is still being worked on. The previous approving agency is not currently in existence, and we are looking at different avenues for approval.

Yes, if you obtained that title through San Diego. No place outside of the San Diego area uses the term Holistic Health Practitioner. The origins of the term were to allow massage therapists a way of avoiding onerous local regulations geared towards vice control - so an HHP was defined as someone who does massage and "something else", be it nutrition counseling, energy work or other.

It worked to some extent in your local area. But the HHP certificate from your school carries no legal meaning outside of San Diego. It was issued by a massage school, reflects a level of massage training. It is a "certificate of attendance", not a state recognized certification, as "CMT" will be.

The coalition of massage therapists/bodyworkers who worked to pass SB 731 were trying to at least obtain exemption from onerous vice regulations and the need for police permits in each city in which we work - the same thing your HHP gives you in San Diego. With almost 300 schools teaching massage and a large number of people entering the profession with 100-200 hours of education, we were not able at this time to create one standard, or even tiers of more than 250 and 500 hours. In addition, SB 731 creates a state recognized certification, not a mandatory license. It differs from the certificate of attendence that you received from your massage school, which is just that and carries no legal status.

If you like working under the HHP title and exemption, you can do so with or without being certified by the CAMTC. If you choose to certify, you would be a massage therapist under the CAMTC, and an HHP under San Diego law, and your local exemption would still work, unless the city in the future requires CAMTC certification. If you do not certify under the CAMTC, you cannot call yourself a "certified massage therapist" but the HHP will still be valid

Q: Can these certifications be obtained “along the way” to completing the program? In other words, could I complete the first 100 hours and obtain my conditional certificate thus allowing me to begin working in the industry and then after completing 250 hours of the program (but not yet having completed my full program) obtain a massage practitioner certificate, and the same for the 500 hour massage therapist certification?

Yes, they can be completed sequentially in this manner. However, since there would be three applications, you would have to go through the process (and expense) three times. Also, be sure to check with your local jurisdiction to be sure they will approve a business license to someone with a conditional certificate.

California Massage Therapy Council | One Capitol Mall, Suite 320, Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 669-5336 | camtc@amgroup.us

Special thanks to the ABMP, AMTA and numerous other stakeholders for their help in compiling this information.