If you are licensed in Florida, please take the time to read about a couple recent rule changes.
Two changes to note:
- A recent 2×2 photo required to be displayed with a massage license.
- HIV course is no longer required for renewal.
Even though I happily reside most of the year in Iowa, I also hold a Florida Massage License (Let me take the time to insert my license number – as required by Florida Law – MA66325).
Today I am going to tell you a little more about massage regulations in the Sunshine State.
Initial Licensing
Each week I help 2-5 people transfer their license to Florida through their reciprocity/endsorsement process. Florida’s licensing process is very specific and there is now only one course required in addition to the other licensing requirement, 10 hours Florida Laws and Rules.
License Renewal
And every two years I help many, many massage therapists in Florida renew their licenses. We all have to take three required courses to renew our licenses also (An update in laws and rules, professional ethics, and a medical errors refresher).
Speaking of renewing massage licenses, all licenses in Florida expire on the same day: every odd year on August 31st. I am getting ready for this now, even though this date is almost a year away. It requires a lot of preparation on my part. As a Florida-approved provider (#50-16951), I have to submit hours for every class that someone takes through a broker service Florida uses to track the CEU’s of their licensees (CE Broker).
Here are a few other fun facts:
- Today, according to Florida Department of Health website, there are 34,500 massage therapists in Florida. You and I each account for .000029% of Florida massage therapists.
- If all massage therapists renew there licenses (at $105 each), that is about 3.6 million dollars that goes to the DOH/MQA in Florida every two years.
- If you go by the US Bureau of labor statistics, there are a little over 150,000 massage therapists in the US. That means 1 of 5 massage therapists in the US, is licensed in Florida.
In the coming year there will be a few more Florida-inspired blogs here and there. If you are not interested in the Florida posts on this website, just delete any email that comes from me that has “Florida” in the title.
Open and read the rest.
Where do I find the list for States that have reciprocity. I know FL doesn’t have Reciprocity bit what about Oklahoma, I will be licensed in FL soon, bit may have to move to Oklahoma. Do I need more hrs, Where do I find out what requirements are. Tls 🙂
Most states offer reciprocity. Some are easier than others to navigate. Oklahoma (as of 2016) has no massage licensing laws, so it would be best to contact the city/county government where you plan to move to and see what requirements they have for massage businesses (if any).
Ivy
I love the information, great job. Can you tell me what is the actual insurance coverage needed for a massage establishment? Thanks in advance.
The establishments are required to maintain property damage and bodily injury liability insurance coverage on the massage establishment.
Hi Ivy, I’ve recently moved to Florida and would like to be licensed here. I am still licensed in Iowa, but Grandfathered in 21 years ago. What test do you think would be best for me to take? Thank you for your help, I really appreciate how easy your information is on your site. Colleen
Hi Colleen,
I lean towards the MBLEx. I have a comparison blog here:
http://www.massageexamacademy.com/mblex-vs-ncetmb/
If you have any other questions, let me know.
And Go Hawks!!!!
Great post! I’ve had some weird licensing issues in the past myself. Thanks for the info!
Hi there!
I was originally licensed in FL in 2003 and have maintained active status ever since, despite moving to a few different states and gaining license there along the way (I am currently licensed in MD).
I am contemplating changing my FL license to inactive and am just wondering if I do this if I still need to complete my CEU’s within the 24 month time period. I’m asking in case I do for some reason move back to FL and want to reactivate it, will I be able to if I did not complete my CEU’s in the proper time frame (by Aug 31st this year for example…since I am a procrastinator and have not yet!)
I realize I will need the appropriate CEU’s for the time frame that I was licensed if and when I decide to reactivate it but does it matter exactly when they are completed?
Thank you for any advice you can lend! I appreciate it!
Hi Angela,
If you go inactive, I believe you do not need to show your CEU’s or pay your renewal fees until you return to active status. I would feel better if you verified this with the board. I am pretty sure this is what would happen, but not absolutely positive ;).
You can be inactive for 2 biennial cycles. I am not sure if you go inactive now, when you would have to be active by (2015 or 2017). That is something else I would ask.
You can just send the BOM an email with all of your questions. Please let me know what you find out ([email protected]).
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I was assuming the same thing but not totally sure. I emailed the board and am just awaiting their response. I’ll let you know what they have to say. Thank you again!
I finally heard back from the Board. I copied and pasted the response from a “Regulatory Specialist” there below:
“You may simply take the CE’s at some point before your graduate. The total is looked at not the dates for inactive status. To place your license on an inactive status you will need to print the renewal form off. There is a section on the renewal form to indicate you are placing your license on an inactive status you will click on the following link and select renew my license. Once you have logged in to your account renew license will be the first option on the left hand side. You will be selecting option 2, this will allow you to print the renewal form. Mail the renewal form and payment to the address indicated on thee form.”
I’m assuming “graduate” means “renew” and that I will be safe going into inactive status and then completing my CEU’s at some point before I decide to reactivate if I so choose(which I understand won’t be possible until 2015).
As for the renewal fee, I will still need to pay $105.00 to renew at inactive status which surprised me. I am also not able to renew online but have to mail in a renewal form that can be printed out on the MQA website. It just has to be postmarked before August 31.
Thank you again for your help. This blog is pretty awesome. Keep up the great work!
Hello my name is Tina,
I was licensed in Florida in 06, and in 09′ put my massage license on an ‘inactive’ status due to moving to california and having a baby. I have already put my license on ‘inactive’ twice and now I am facing a possibility of moving back to Florida in the next 2 months. I don’t want to loose my license, and I am searching for the best possible option for my situation at hand. I just learned about the possibility of changing my ‘inactive’ status to a ‘retired’ status. Noone seems to know much about this not even MQA. If I put my license on ‘inactive’ again I will have to face the board when I choose to reactivate it at some point. From the little that I have read on going from ‘retired’ to ‘active’…you are only required to have all CE’s up to date, and pay the fees. I was curious if you knew anything about this and if you had any suggestions. I don’t plan on working right away if we move back to Florida as I homeschool, and am a stay at home mom. I know I will want to go back to work on some point, and would love to be able to reactivate my license with the least amount of headaches possible.
Thank you for your time,
Tina Smith
Hi Tina,
As a homeschooling / stay-at-home (I actually still schedule 4 massage still a week), I sincerely understand your situation. I wish I knew more about going inactive to retired, but I do not. Reactivation is something the board does not thoroughly explain in the rules. It just says “contact the board”.
Since you got your license in 06, I assume you took the old FL state massage exam. If you had to get your license again, you would have to take the MBLEx or NCETMB as they do not accept the old exam anymore (even if you were licensed in FL before). So, if you let it expire-expire, you would have to go take that. If you do not like exams, I would do whatever needed to keep your license. If taking a board exam is not that big of a deal, then I would just reapply to the board when you are ready to practice again. It will cost you a little money to reapply and take the exam, but with being gone so many years, you will have a lot of money to spend on CEUs and past renewal fees if you just keep going on inactive retired status.
Whew – this is tough call. I am trying to put myself in your shoes to think what would be best to do. See if you can give the Board of Massage one more chance to give you your best option. Let me know what you find out.
hi Ivy – thanks for confirm on the 2×2 photo..
Wonder how many of the 34,500 massage therapists in Florida are practicing (and making a living).
I have also noticed the mass of CEU providers … have they figured out a better way to make money??
LIKE UR BLOG!!!
Jonathan Thorne FL licensed MT
This is very helpful information:)