Massage bylaw changes
Massage bylaw
On Jan. 1, 2013, revisions to the Massage Licence Bylaw came into effect. These changes differentiate between massage categories resulting in two separate licensing bylaws – Massage Licence Bylaw and a new Body Rub Licence Bylaw which regulates both massage practitioners and massage centres.
Massage bylaw information
Massage Licence Bylaw differentiates between massage categories, resulting in two separate licensing bylaws: Massage Licence Bylaw and a new Body Rub Licence Bylaw, which regulates both massage practitioners and massage centres. Body Rub Centre letter
Existing massage centres or massage offices will be affected in the following way:
To remain licensed as a massage centre or massage office, all practitioners working out of your centre or office must be licensed as a massage practitioner. If all practitioners working out of your centre are not members in good standing with one of the following six (6) massage associations, you will need to license your business using the new licence category, "body rub centre."
A massage practitioner is a member in good standing with one of the following five (5) recognized massage associations*.
- Remedial Massage Therapists Association (RMTA)
- Massage Therapist Association of Alberta (MTAA)
- Alberta Association of Therapeutic Masseurs (AATM)
- Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC)
- Certified Registered Massage Therapist Association (CRMTA)
- Alberta Regional Massage Therapy Association (ARMTA)
*Proof of affiliation to one of the six (6) recognized massage associations must be produced in order to be licensed as a massage practitioner.
Body Rub Practitioner Licence
A Body Rub Practitioner Licence will be issued to those practitioners who have a minimum of two hundred and fifty (250) hours of education/training from an approved school of massage and are not a member of one of the five (5) recognized massage associations listed above.
New business licence category – Body rub centre
The new category of "body rub centre" will have the following requirements.
A body rub centre:
- Can employ both massage practitioners and body rub practitioners
- A Body Rub Practitioner Licence will be issued to those practitioners who have a minimum of two hundred and fifty (250) hours of education/training from an approved school of massage and are not a member in good standing of one of the five (5) recognized massage associations.
- Will not be allowed to operate as a home-based business (applies to new applications only).
- Must be a minimum distance of 300m from another body rub centre (applies to new body rub centres only). Distance is determined by measuring the closest points from parcel to parcel.
- As of Jan. 1, 2013, existing body rub centres that apply to relocate will be subject to the 300m rule.
- Will not be allowed to provide mobile massage (applies to new body rub centres only).