Ind. Code ch. 25-21.8-4

in effect

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-1 Massage therapy licensure

Sec. 1. Persons engaged in massage therapy for compensation must be licensed by the board. As added by P.L.200-2007, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.267-2017, SEC.11.

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-2 Qualifications

Sec. 2. An individual who applies for licensure as a massage therapist must do the following: (1) Complete and submit the licensure application in the form and manner provided by the board. (2) Furnish evidence satisfactory to the board showing that the individual: (A) is at least eighteen (18) years of age; (B) has a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma; (C) has successfully completed a massage therapy school or program that: (i) requires at least six hundred twenty-five (625) hours of supervised classroom and hands on instruction on massage therapy; (ii) is in good standing with a state, regional, or national agency of government charged with regulating massage therapy schools or programs; and (iii) is authorized by the department of workforce development under IC 22-4.1-21 or accredited by another state where the standards for massage therapy education are substantially the same as the standards in Indiana, or is a program at an institution of higher learning that is approved by the board; and (D) has taken and passed a licensure examination approved by the board. (3) Provide a history of any criminal convictions the individual has, including any convictions related to the practice of the profession. The board shall deny an application for licensure if the applicant: (A) has been convicted of: (i) prostitution; (ii) rape; or (iii) sexual misconduct; or (B) is a registered sex offender. (4) Provide proof that the applicant currently has professional liability insurance with minimum coverage of two million dollars ($2,000,000) per claim and six million dollars ($6,000,000) in aggregate. (5) Submit to a national criminal history background check as prescribed by IC 25-0.5-1-9. (6) Verify the information submitted on the application form. (7) Pay fees established by the board. As added by P.L.200-2007, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.3-2008, SEC.186; P.L.177-2009, SEC.38; P.L.107-2012, SEC.62; P.L.112-2014, SEC.26; P.L.267-2017, SEC.12; P.L.152-2018, SEC.36; P.L.180-2018, SEC.16; P.L.10-2019, SEC.111; P.L.157-2023, SEC.23.

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-3 Prohibitions

Sec. 3. An individual who is not licensed under this article may not: (1) profess to be a licensed massage therapist; (2) use: (A) the title "Certified Massage Therapist", "Massage Therapist", "Licensed Massage Therapist", "Medical Massage Therapist", "Clinical Massage Therapist", "Masseuse", "Masseur", "Bodyworker", "Muscle Mechanic", or a similar term; or (B) the abbreviation "CMT", "MT", "LMT", "MMT", or other initials, words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia to imply that the individual is a licensed massage therapist or practices massage therapy; or (3) practice or offer to provide massage therapy. As added by P.L.200-2007, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.267-2017, SEC.13.

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-3.5 Advertisement prohibitions

Sec. 3.5. (a) An individual who is not licensed under this article may not advertise, publicly or privately, that the individual is a massage therapist or provides massage therapy. (b) An individual may not display or disseminate an advertisement, publicly or privately, for massage therapy that indicates or implies that massage therapy will be provided that includes sexual activity. (c) An advertisement for massage therapy by a massage therapist must include the following information: (1) The massage therapist's name. (2) The massage therapist's license number. As added by P.L.267-2017, SEC.14.

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-4 Proof of licensure

Sec. 4. An individual who is licensed as a massage therapist under this article shall display proof of licensure in a conspicuous location where the individual practices massage therapy. As added by P.L.177-2009, SEC.39. Amended by P.L.267-2017, SEC.15.

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-5 Scope of practice

Sec. 5. This article does not prohibit the following: (1) An individual who has a license, registration, certificate, or permit from the state from acting within the scope of the individual's license, registration, certificate, or permit. (2) An individual who participates in an approved training program for the purpose of acquiring a license, registration, certificate, or permit from the state from performing activities within the scope of the approved training program. (3) A student of an approved massage therapy school from performing massage therapy under the supervision of the approved massage therapy school, if the student does not profess to be a licensed massage therapist. (4) An individual's practice in one (1) or more of the following areas that does not involve intentional soft tissue manipulation: (A) Alexander Technique. (B) Feldenkrais. (C) Reiki. (D) Therapeutic Touch. (5) An individual's practice in which the individual provides service marked bodywork approaches that involve intentional soft tissue manipulation, including: (A) Rolfing; (B) Trager Approach; (C) Polarity Therapy; (D) Ortho-bionomy; and (E) Reflexology; if the individual is approved by a governing body based on a minimum level of training, demonstration of competency, and adherence to ethical standards. (6) The practice of massage therapy by a person either actively licensed as a massage therapist in another state or currently certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork or other national certifying body if the person's state does not license massage therapists, if the individual is performing duties for a non-Indiana based team or organization, or for a national athletic event held in Indiana, so long as the individual restricts the individual's practice to the individual's team or organization during the course of the individual's or the individual's team's or the individual's organization's stay in Indiana or for the duration of the event. (7) Massage therapists from other states or countries providing educational programs in Indiana for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days within a calendar year. (8) An employee of a physician or a group of physicians from performing an act, a duty, or a function to which the exception described in IC 25-22.5-1-2(a)(20) applies. (9) An employee of a chiropractor from performing an act, duty, or function authorized under IC 25-10-1-13. (10) An employee of a podiatrist or a group of podiatrists from performing an act, duty, or function to which the exception described in IC 25-29-1-0.5(a)(13) applies. (11) A dramatic portrayal or some other artistic performance or expression involving the practice of massage therapy. (12) The practice of massage therapy by a member of an emergency response team during a period of active emergency response. As added by P.L.267-2017, SEC.16.

Ind. Code § 25-21.8-4-6 Applicability; necessity of a license

Sec. 6. (a) This subsection applies to an individual who holds a certification by the board as a massage therapist on the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure. An individual to whom this subsection applies is considered to be licensed from the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure, and the board shall thereafter renew the person's license in accordance with IC 25-21.8-6. If an individual to whom this subsection applies becomes licensed under this subsection, the expiration date of the license is the same as the expiration date of the certification that the individual held on the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure. (b) This subsection applies to an individual who is not certified by the board as a massage therapist and who is practicing massage therapy for compensation in Indiana on the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure. An individual to whom this subsection applies may continue practicing massage therapy in Indiana without a massage therapy license until the date occurring one hundred eighty-three (183) days after the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure. On or after the date occurring one hundred eighty-three (183) days after the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure, an individual to whom this subsection applies may not practice massage therapy in Indiana unless the individual obtains a massage therapy license. A person to whom this subsection applies may obtain a massage therapy license by doing the following: (1) Apply for licensure before the date occurring one hundred eighty-three (183) days after the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure. (2) Provide the board with either: (A) documentation that the applicant has completed and passed a nationally recognized competency examination in the practice of massage therapy and an affidavit of at least five (5) years of work experience in the state; or (B) a certificate and transcript of completion from a massage therapy program or school with at least five hundred (500) hours of education. (3) Submit to a national criminal history background check as prescribed by IC 25-0.5-1-9. (c) Notwithstanding any other law, the board shall continue to issue massage therapy certifications under this article until the effective date of the rules adopted by the board for massage therapy licensure. As added by P.L.267-2017, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.180-2018, SEC.17.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/25Fetched: 10/17/2026