Massage License Requirements in Louisiana

Fee Breakdown

Continuing Education

12 hours every 1 year.

LAC 46:XLIV §3701.A requires 12 CEU hours annually (each hour defined as at least 50 uninterrupted minutes of instruction) from board-approved providers/programs, per §3701 and §3703. §3701.B exempts licensees from the requirement during the first 12 months after initial licensure. No ethics-specific CE-hour carve-out was found — Chapter 9's Code of Ethics governs professional conduct standards, not a separate continuing-education hour mandate.

Licensure by Endorsement

Per La. R.S. 37:3556(B), the national-exam and education requirements do not apply to applicants who hold a valid, current, unexpired license or registration to practice massage therapy in another state, territory, commonwealth, or DC with standards that substantially conform to Louisiana's, as determined by the board (which verifies directly with the issuing state's licensing agency and obtains transcript information from the applicant's school). Active or retired military personnel and their spouses relocating to Louisiana with a substantially equivalent license also qualify under §3556(B)(3). Separately, LABMT's own site describes a 'Welcome Home Act' pathway for applicants with a current, active, in-good-standing out-of-state massage license held for at least one year who can show proof of Louisiana residency (Louisiana state ID, voter registration card, or homestead exemption documentation).

Local & City Requirements

La. R.S. 37:3567 states that this Chapter's provisions supersede any political-subdivision regulation relating to the licensing or regulation of massage therapists or massage establishments, except that local zoning requirements and generally applicable occupational license taxes remain valid. Local or state law enforcement may assist in enforcement, but are expressly prohibited from imposing additional zoning, educational, or licensure-fee rules specific to massage therapy.