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California Massage Certification

Effective Sept. 1, 2009, the California Massage Certification law went into effect, providing for certification of massage practitioners and massage therapists by the California Massage Certification Council.

  1. Voluntary

    • Massage certification in California is voluntary, not required. The advantage of certification is that it lets the massage therapist practice anywhere in California without obtaining additional local licenses and permits.

    Requirements

    • To apply for certification, you must be 18 years of age or older, meet specified educational requirements, provide the California Massage Certification Council certain information, provide fingerprints for a criminal background check and pay required fees.

    Levels

    • The two levels of certification available are CMT (Certified Massage Therapist) and CMP (Certified Massage Practitioner), based on the hours of massage education completed. Generally, CMT requires 500 hours of massage education and CMP requires 250 hours.

    Special Circumstances

    • The certification process offers some provisions for special circumstances, such as grandfathering longtime massage practitioners and applicants with an out-of-state education.

    Considerations

    • California massage certification is valid only in California.

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