New Jersey massage therapists must attend an approved massage school, pass the program, pass a background check and apply and be approved by the NJ Board of Massage Therapy in order to practice massage therapy professionally. You can verify that a massage therapist is licensed on the Board of Massage Website.
To be eligible to be licensed as a massage therapist in New Jersey one must fullfill these requirements as listed in the laws:
45:11-60 Eligibility for licensure
To be eligible for licensure as a massage and bodywork therapist, an applicant shall be of
good moral character and submit to the board satisfactory evidence of:
a. Successful completion of a minimum of 500 hours in class study in the field of massage
and bodywork therapies approved by the board;
b. Successful completion of a written examination approved by the board, which shall
consider relevant education, training and practical work experience, to determine the
applicant’s competence to practice massage and bodywork therapies; and
c. Coverage by a professional liability insurance policy in a minimum amount of
$1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate per policy year.
NEW JERSEY ADMINISTRATIVE C ODE (PDF)T ITLE 1 3 L AW AND P UBLIC S AFETY C HAPTER 3 7A
“Massage and bodywork therapies” or “massage and bodywork” means systems of activity of structured touch offered or provided to the public that includes holding, applying pressure, positioning, and mobilizing soft tissue of the body by manual technique and use of visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and palpating skills to assess the body for purposes of applying therapeutic massage or bodywork principles. Such application may include the use of therapies such as heliotherapy or hydrotherapy, the use of moist, hot, and cold external applications, explaining and describing myofascial movement, self-care, and stress management as it relates to massage and bodywork therapies. Massage and bodywork therapy practices are designed to affect the soft tissue of the body, including practices of structured touch of the soft tissues that affect energy fields of the body, for the purpose of promoting and maintaining the health and well-being of the client. Massage and bodywork therapies do not include the diagnosis of illness,disease, impairment, or disability.
45:11-73 Licensure required for use of certain titles
a. No person shall engage in the practice of massage and bodywork therapies as a licensed massage and bodywork therapist or present, call or represent himself as a licensed massage and bodywork therapist unless licensed pursuant to this amendatory and supplementary act.
b. No person shall assume, represent himself as, or use the title or designation “massage or bodywork therapist,” “licensed massage and bodywork therapist” or any title or designation which includes the words “massage,” “bodywork,” “masseur,” “masseuse,” “shiatsu,” “acupressure,” “accupressure,” “accu-pressure,” “nuad bo’rarn,” “amma,” “anma,” “chi nei tsang,” “tuina,” “polarity educator,” “polarity therapist,” “polarity therapy,” “polarity practitioner” or any of the abbreviations “MT,” “BT,” “MBT,” “MBST,” “CMBT,” “COBT,” “CMT,” “LBT,” “LMBST,” “LMBT,” “LABT,” “LOBT,” “AB,” “ABT,” “OB,” “RPP,” or “LMT” or similar abbreviations as determined by the board, unless licensed under this amendatory and supplementary act.
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
Enid Vazquez
Executive Director
P.O. Box 45048
Newark, New Jersey 07101
