Upcoming Michigan Massage License Deadline

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If you have already obtained your Michigan massage therapy license, you can disregard this reminder.
All massage therapists in Michigan are required to have a Michigan massage therapy license by November 29, 2014 in order to practice. If you do not have your license by November 29, 2014, you cannot practice massage in Michigan until you get your license. This is not the application deadline; it is the deadline to have your license in hand. The processing time for applications can be several months. Therefore, you should apply for your license now in order to be sure that you will have your license by the November 29 deadline. Don’t delay!
Click here for the license application and instructions.
You can apply by grandfathering prior to November 29, 2014. There is no “automatic” grandfathering – you must apply to be grandfathered in.
You can apply by grandfathering if:
(1) you were a member of ABMP for at least one full year prior to January 9, 2009, or
(2) you took and passed the MBLEx exam or an NCBTMB exam, or
(3) you have practiced massage therapy for an average of at least 10 hours per week for the past 5 years, or
(4) you have practiced massage therapy for an average of at least 10 hours per week for the past 3 years and you completed at least 300 hours of massage therapy coursework at an approved school, or
(5) you completed 500 hours of a Board-approved supervised curriculum in massage therapy.

After November 29, 2014, in order to qualify for a license you must have:
(1) completed 500 hours of a Board-approved supervised curriculum in massage therapy, AND
(2) taken and passed the MBLEx exam or an NCBTMB exam.

Different requirements apply if you hold a current massage license issued by another state. Also, if your practice is limited to one or more of the following modalities, you are not required to obtain a Michigan massage therapy license:

• The Feldenkrais method
• The Trager approach
• Polarity or polarity therapy
• Asian bodywork therapy
• Reiki.
• Shiatsu.
• Reflexology, or
• Structural integration.

If you submitted your application more than 3 months ago but have not yet received your license, you should check the status of your application at http://www2.dleg.state.mi.us/appstatus/, or contact the Michigan Board of Massage directly at (517) 335-0918 or [email protected].
Renewals: All Michigan massage licenses will expire on October 31, 2014, no matter when the license was issued. The Board will mail renewal information to your address on file three months before the expiration date. If you’ve recently moved, make sure the Board has your current mailing address. You must renew your license within 60 days after the expiration date, or your license will lapse. Your renewed license will be valid for three years. You will not need to complete any continuing education (CE) to renew in 2014, but there will be a CE requirement for subsequent renewals. The Board has not yet determined how many CE hours will be required.
Please contact [email protected], or the Michigan Massage Board at (517) 335-0918 or [email protected], with any questions.