Section 0870-01-.04 - NECESSITY OF LICENSURE(1) Massage therapy is one of the healing arts and, as such, the practice is restricted to those persons issued a credential by this Board. Persons engaging in the practice of massage therapy without being licensed or expressly exempted by the laws are in violation of T.C.A. §§ 63-1-123 and 63-18-104. It is unlawful for any person who is not licensed in the manner prescribed in Title 63, Chapter 18 of the Tennessee Code Annotated to present himself or his establishment as a licensed massage therapist or a licensed massage establishment or to hold himself or his establishment out to the public as being licensed by using a title on signs, mailboxes, address plates, stationery, announcements, telephone listings, calling cards, or other instruments of professional identification. Students may not hold themselves out as licensed massage therapists until such time as they are licensed.(2) Use of Titles - Any person who possesses a valid, current and active license issued by the Board that has not been suspended or revoked has the right to use the titles "Massage Therapist (M.T.)" or "Licensed Massage Therapist (L.M.T.)" and to practice as a massage therapist, as defined in T.C.A. § 63-18-102. Any person licensed by the Board to whom this rule applies must use one of the titles authorized by this rule in every advertisement he or she publishes. Failure to do so will constitute an omission of a material fact which makes the advertisement misleading and deceptive and subjects the massage therapist to disciplinary action pursuant to T.C.A. §§ 63-18-104(b) and 63-18-108(5), and rule 0870-01-.19(1)(m).Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0870-01-.04
Original rule filed November 13, 1996; effective January 27, 1997. Amendment filed March 24, 2006; effective June 7, 2006. Amendment filed June 16, 2006; effective August 30, 2006. Amendment filed April 30, 2008; effective July 14, 2008. Repeal and new rule filed April 9, 2012; effective July 8, 2012. The Government Operations Committee filed a stay of the rules on July 2, 2012; new effective date August 3, 2012. The Government Operations Committee filed a second stay of the rule on July 13, 2012; new effective date September 6, 2012. Amendments filed May 19, 2017; effective August 17, 2017. Rule was previously numbered 0870-01-.03 but was renumbered 0870-01-.04 with the addition of a new rule 0870-01-.02 filed May 19, 2017; effective 8/17/2017.Authority: T.C.A. §§ 63-1-123, 63-1-145, 63-1-146, 63-18-102, 63-18-104, 63-18-105, 63-18-108, and 63-18-111.