Title 17 — Professions, Occupations, and Businesses

This chapter may be referred to and cited as the “Massage Therapy Act”.

(1) As used in this chapter:(1) “Entity” means a corporation, association, limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or other organization recognized under the laws of the State of Arkansas or any other state;(2) “Licensee” means an…

(a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be found guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months or by a fine not exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500)…

An applicant applying for enrollment in a massage therapy school, postsecondary massage therapy school, or massage therapy apprenticeship program or applying as a new massage therapy licensee, an individual applying for a new massage therapy school license, a person applying indi…

(a) (1) The Massage Therapy Technical Advisory Committee shall consist of seven (7) members, who shall be appointed by the State Board of Health for a term of three (3) years.(2) (A) Six (6) of the members shall be licensees under this chapter.(B) Only one (1) of the members shal…

(a) The Department of Health may employ an executive director, regular or special counsel, inspectors, clerks, secretaries, and other personnel it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. (b) An employee under this section shall not have any financial interest…

(a) (1) The State Board of Health may promulgate and enforce reasonable rules for the purpose of carrying out this chapter.(2) The board shall follow the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, § 25-15-201 et seq., as to “rule” and “rulemaking” definitions and for the adoption and…

(a) (1) The Department of Health shall maintain a record book and computer file in which will be entered the names and addresses of all persons and entities to whom licenses or registrations have been granted under this chapter, the license or registration number, and the dates o…

(a) (1) All moneys remitted to the Department of Health under this chapter shall be made payable to the Department of Health.(2) The Department of Health shall deposit all such funds received in a timely manner in accordance with laws of the State of Arkansas and rules of the Dep…

(a) It shall be unlawful:(1) For any person who does not hold a valid massage therapy license to use the following titles: massage therapist, massage practitioner, myotherapist, massotherapist, massage technologist, masseur, masseuse, therapy technologist, master massage therapis…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person or school to be licensed or any establishment to be operated under the provisions of this chapter unless the following requirements are met and practiced:(1) A sink for hand washing with hot and cold running water and soap must be accessibl…

(a) For an applicant seeking enrollment in a massage therapy school or massage therapy apprenticeship program on or after January 1, 2024, in order to be issued a massage therapy learning permit, the applicant seeking enrollment in a massage therapy school or massage therapy appr…

(a) A person who holds a license as a massage therapist issued by the Department of Health and who submits satisfactory evidence to the department that he or she has completed and meets the requirements stated in § 17-86-102 is entitled to be upgraded to master massage therapist.…

(a) A person who holds a license as a master massage therapist issued by the Department of Health and who submits satisfactory evidence to the department that he or she has successfully completed and meets the requirements stated in § 17-86-102 shall be entitled to be upgraded to…

(a) A person shall not establish, operate, or maintain a massage therapy school without first having obtained a certificate of massage therapy school licensure issued by the Department of Health. (b) A massage therapy school shall not be approved by the department or granted a ce…

(a) (1) A person or entity shall not establish, maintain, or operate a massage therapy establishment unless the person or entity is registered with the Department of Health.(2) To open a massage therapy establishment, each principal of a massage therapy establishment shall submit…

(a) (1) The Department of Health may enter into reciprocal relations with other states and territories whose licensure requirements are substantially the same as those provided in this chapter.(2) (A) If the applicant's transcript or a copy of the applicant's transcript is not ob…

(a) (1) (A) A license issued under this chapter is valid for two (2) years and expires on the licensee's birthday.(B) (i) If a license issued under this chapter is not renewed by the first day of the month preceding the birthdate of the licensee in the biennial renewal year, the …

(a) (1) An official massage therapy license shall be conspicuously and publicly displayed in the place where the holder engages in the practice of massage therapy or instruction of massage therapy.(2) An official massage therapy school license shall be conspicuously displayed in …

(a) The Massage Therapy Technical Advisory Committee may deny, suspend, place on probation, or revoke a license or registration upon any one (1) of the following grounds:(1) A felony listed under § 17-3-102 or the offense of prostitution, either in this state or another state;(2)…

(a) All registration fees and other fees due the Department of Health shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and all other laws and rules of this state. (b) (1) The initial inspection fee for a massage therapy school shall not exceed one hundred dollars (…

A.C.A. § 17-86-313Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) If a licensee fails to renew timely his or her license because the licensee is or was on active duty with the United States Armed Forces or on state active duty with the Arkansas National Guard, the licensee may renew the license by:(1) Requesting renewal of the license befor…

A. The Interstate Massage Compact is enacted into law and entered into by this state with all states legally joining therein and in the form substantially as follows:Click here to view table.Click here to view table.Click here to view table.ARTICLE 1- PURPOSEThe purpose of this C…

(a) The Department of Health is the Interstate Massage Compact administrator for this state. (b) The department may adopt rules that are consistent with the Interstate Massage Compact necessary to implement this subchapter. (c) The department is not required to adopt the rules of…