Licensing Information
Massage Licensing Information for California
1.) Starting Sept 2009 a voluntary massage certification will be available in California. The application is now available.
- Massage Practitioner (250 Hours Required, 100 of 250 Hours must be in anatomy & physiology, contraindications, health and hygiene and business & ethics)
- Massage Therapist (500 Hours Required, 100 of 500 Hours must be in anatomy & physiology, contraindications, health and hygiene and business & ethics)
Online Application for Certification
Downloadable Application for Certification
Application Instructions
Click Here if you are having trouble downloading applications
Certification Requirements
Live Scan Form
Check on Status of Your Application
CA Massage Therapy Council
2.) A License is required for each different city you want to work in.
3.) Each City's licensing requirements are subject to change at any time.
Additional Massage Licensing Information
MassageTherapy.com - List of State Massage Boards
AMTA List of State Massage Boards
Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards
Los Angeles Police Commission: This organization oversees Los Angeles City Massage Permits
Los Angeles City Office of Finance
California City Websites
California County Websites
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
IPPT School Codes
IPPT California School Code: 1925331
IPPT NCBTMB Assigned School Code: 490499
IPPT Approved CE Provider Code: 400440-00
*COURSES OFFERED AT IPPT ARE VALID FOR MASSAGE LICENSING/PERMITS*
Los Angeles Area Cities Contact Info
*Licensing/Permit Hours Requirements are subject to change at any time*
Other Basic Information about Licensing
Certificate Hours: In all cities, hourly requirements for licensing are strictly based on certificate hours (classroom time) only. As a rule, work experience and non-school related internships/externships will not be accepted for licensing hour requirements.
Application Costs: The cost of most initial applications varies between cities. For the most up-to-date information, please call your local licensing agency.
License Renewal: Each year, you must renew your license/permit. Different cities charge different fees. Almost all cities in the Los Angeles area charge less than $75 for renewals. For the most up-to-date information, please call your local licensing agency.
Licensing Calendar: In most cities (especially LA City) licenses are only effective on a calendar year basis. Thus, it is highly recommended that you apply for a new license/renewal at the beginning on a new calendar year. Most cities will not pro-rate the cost of your license even if you get the license in November. Thus, you will still have to renew your new license by December 31st of that same year. In most cities (Especially LA City) if you ever fail to renew your license you must restart the whole licensing process in order to get another valid license.
Fingerprinting: Almost every city requires you to provide their police commission with a set of your fingerprints. The average cost of fingerprinting is about $50.
Massage Examinations: Some cities require you to take a test in order to get your license. These tests usually involve a combination of both written questions and a practical demonstration of your technique. In most cases the applicant must pay an additional fee for taking the licensing test. For the most up-to-date information, please call your local licensing agency.
Processing Time: The processing time varies from city to city. In some cities, you can pay an additional fee to help expedite the process.
Off-Premise Permit: Some cities require you to obtain an additional permit if you want to go from home to home to provide massage services. Of course, this additional permit may cost you additional money. Also, it is important for you to know that it may be illegal to provide massage services to the public in your own home. For the most up-to-date information, please call your local licensing agency.
Medical Facilities: In many cases you can work under the license of a chiropractor, physical therapist and/or medical doctor. However some chiropractors, physical therapists and/or medical doctors will still ask you to have a license if you want to work for them.
*Physical Therapy Aides/Chiropractor Assistants do not need a license to work as a Physical Therapy Aide/Chiropractor Assistant. Physical Therapy Aides/Chiropractor Assistants must always work under the direct supervision of a Physical Therapist/Chiropractor and/or Medical Doctor.
