Continuing education

269 CMR: BOARD OF REGISTRATION OF MASSAGE THERAPY

269 CMR 4.00: CONTINUING EDUCATION

Section

4.01: Continuing Education Requirements 4.02: Verification/Approval of Massage Therapist’s Continuing Education Activities 4.03: Verification/Approval of Provider Continuing Education Programs and Activities 4.04: Waivers of Continuing Education Requirements 4.05: Appeals on Continuing Education Matters

4.01: Continuing Education Requirements

(1) A Licensed Massage Therapist shall, as a condition of license renewal, complete a minimum of three qualified hours of Board-recognized continuing education activities in the 12 months immediately preceding their license expiration date. (For lapsed, expired, suspended, revoked or surrendered licenses, see 269 CMR 3.02 and 3.03). For a new, non-reciprocal Licensed Massage Therapist, the continuing education requirement commences following the first renewal period after initial licensure.

(2) Continuing education activities must meet the following subject matter criteria: Course content shall exceed a basic level of knowledge as it relates to the ethical obligations of massage therapy practitioners or laws and issues pertaining to human trafficking, specific to massage therapy practitioners.

(3) Only those continuing education activities which are completed during the required continuing education period (12-months prior to each renewal date) will be acceptable as qualifying continuing education activities for that period.

(4) All continuing education activities other than participating in Board-recognized continuing education programs set forth in .03(3) are subject to approval by the Board.

4.02: Verification/Approval of Massage Therapist’s Continuing Education Activities

(1) At the time of license renewal and in a manner prescribed by the Board, each Massage Therapist shall attest under the pains and penalty of perjury to having satisfied the continuing education requirements as specified in .00.

(2) For each continuing education hour earned by participation in a continuing education program, a Massage Therapist must be able to provide documentation of the following (a) the title of the program or course; (b) the number of hours spent in the program or course; (c) the name of the Board-recognized entity or the academic institution that sponsored the program or course; (d) the date(s) of attendance; and (e) the location of the program or course or indication whether it was an online program.

(3) The Board may review or randomly audit the documentation of a Massage Therapist's continuing education activities and may request the documentation described in 269 CMR 4.02(1) through (2) for two prior licensure renewal/continuing education periods. The Board shall determine whether the activity/program documentation submitted meets all criteria for continuing education as specified in .00.

(4) Continuing education activities which do not meet the requirements of .00 may be rejected in part or in whole by the Board.

(5) Any incomplete or inaccurate documentation of continuing education may be rejected in part or in whole by the Board.

(6) The Board may determine requirements to be fulfilled in order to allow a Massage Therapist who has not met the continuing education requirement to renew the license.

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(Mass. Register #1560, 11/7/2025)

269 CMR: BOARD OF REGISTRATION OF MASSAGE THERAPY

4.02: continued

(7) Failure to complete or provide required documentation of completion of continuing education requirements may result in non-renewal of a license or disciplinary action for failure to respond to a communication from the Board pursuant to 269 CMR 3.05.

4.03: Verification/Approval of Provider Continuing Education Programs and Activities

(1) For a program to be eligible for approval for continuing education hours, the course content shall meet the subject matter criteria set forth in .01(2).

(2) Course work meeting the requirements of .01(1) and endorsed or sponsored by the following organizations shall be deemed approved for continuing education hours: (a) American Massage Therapy Association; (b) Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals; (c) National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork; (d) Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards; (e) Alliance for Massage Therapy Education; (f) a Licensed Massachusetts Massage School pursuant to .00 and interpretive policies; or (i) any other nationally recognized provider of continuing education, determined to be acceptable to the Board.

(3) The Board may approve other continuing education course work that complies with .03(1) if the organization providing the course work submits to the Board the following information 90 days prior to commencement of the course: (a) name, date, and location of continuing education course work; (b) detailed description of the course content; (c) description of the educational objectives; (d) description of each instructor's education, training, and experience background; and (e) continuing education hours offered for completing the course. (g) any other nationally recognized provider of continuing education, determined to be acceptable to the Board. (4) The provider shall report any change in the course content or instructor to the Board prior to commencement of the course.

(5) The Board shall revoke the approval of any continuing education course work for failure of the provider to comply with the provisions of .03.

4.04: Waivers of Continuing Education Requirements

(1) The Board may waive continuing education requirements for any Massage Therapist who, for reasons of health, disability, out of state military service, or undue hardship, cannot meet the requirements.

(2) An application for a waiver shall be submitted to the Board on a form provided by the Board.

(3) A waiver of continuing education requirements shall be effective for no more than one continuing education period (12 months prior to each renewal date).

(4) After expiration of a waiver, a Massage Therapist may apply for one additional consecutive waiver.

(5) If a temporary waiver is granted, the Massage Therapist shall comply with all continuing education requirements for all subsequent renewal periods, after such time that the waiver expires unless a subsequent waiver is granted.

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269 CMR: BOARD OF REGISTRATION OF MASSAGE THERAPY

4.05: Appeals on Continuing Education Matters

Any individual who wishes to appeal the decision of the Board regarding continuing education matters must submit a letter of appeal to the Board within 21 days of the receipt of the Board's decision. The applicant or licensee must supply the Board with any additional requested information and may be asked to appear before the Board. The Board reserves the right, upon request of licensee, to allow the licensee to practice massage therapy during the Board's appeals process.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

.00: M.G.L. c. 13, § 99; c. 112, § 234

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