New Jersey's New Requirements

New Jersey Certification and Licensure of Massage and Bodywork

As of September 4, 2012, NJ State is requiring all massage therapists who have not previously applied for certification/licensure to submit applications. A new email address will be created to allow online applications. Starting 9/4, the Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Therapy committee will no longer exist.

If you apply before 9/4/2012, the current board will process your application. Rates will be pro-rated and you will need to renew in November 2012. All NJ State licensed therapist renew at the same time: November in even numbered years. If you apply starting 9/4 you will not need to renew until November 2014.

For all therapists currently certified by NJ, you do not need to apply for licensure. When you renew in November, you will be issued a license upon renewal.

Anyone with NJ State questions, you should call 973-504-6430.

NEW JERSEY STATE LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

Upon completion of the requirements to graduate, for an alumnus to become New Jersey State Certified/Licensed, the therapist is required to submit a completed New Jersey State application (http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/massage/massappl.pdf) and pay a registration fee to the state. At the time the application is submitted the graduate therapist will request that TMTC submit a transcript indicating completion of classes. At graduation, the transcript is free. After 1 year, it is a $25 cost for TMTC submission of the transcript to New Jersey State.

New Jersey will contact the graduate therapist and request they register with Sagem Morpho to be fingerprinted. When the graduate therapist completes fingerprinting, the New Jersey State Board of Nursing (as of 2010) compiles all the documents and registers the student as a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT). Until New Jersey notifies a therapist that they are certified they cannot use the term Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) on their business cards or represent themselves with that title to the public.

National License Requirements

Therapeutic Massage & Training Center is registered with The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Body... (NCBTMB) and  Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). TMTC assists graduates in the process to become nationally certified.

NCBTMB: To become nationally licensed, a graduate therapist must register with The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCTMB). A graduate will request TMTC to submit a transcript to NCTMB. You will need to contact NCBTMB to register, pay the required fees and set a date, time and location to take the national exam. More information is available at NCTMB’s web site: http://www.ncbtmb.org/

FSMTB: To become nationally licensed, you also may register with the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) to take the MBLex exam. To register with FSMTB, simply go to the their website at https://www.fsmtb.org/index.html and select Therapeutic Massage & Training Center.

CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE FOR NJ STATE LICENSURE:

The minimum criteria for becoming a massage therapist are that you must attend 500 or more hours of approved education or have passed the National Certification Exam. CPR is a requirement for applying for your license.

You can apply if you have a minimum or 200 hours of approved education and have been working as a massage therapist for 2 years (full-time) or 5 years (part-time). The timeframe within which you can apply once applications are being taken by the Board is a 360 days. If you miss the 360 day deadline to become NJ State licensed, you will need to attend 500 or more hours of education or pass the national exam.

If you do not meet these requirements, you should begin preparation to meet the requirements for state licensure so you are ready when the law goes into effect.

If you are already an active New Jersey Certified Massage Therapist, you need do nothing. Your certification will be “grandfathered” into becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist. If you presently are New Jersey State Certified, be sure to stay current with your renewal, which occurs in November every two years (even numbered years). You are required to have taken 20 Continuing Education Units (10 CEU per year) to renew. If you allow your certification to lapse, you may need to re-apply for the state licensure.

If you are not New Jersey Certified (including those of you Nationally Certified), you will need to register with the New Jersey State Board starting September 4, 2012.

If you have previous education or are Nationally Certified, you may want to apply to New Jersey State for Certification now and avoid the mass influx of applications when the time comes for licensure.

Rules and regulations of the current voluntary State Certification Act:
http://www.amtanj.org/archive/NJBoardofNursingRegulations[1].doc

Applying to become New Jersey State Certified:
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/massage/massappl.pdf.

The phone number of the State Examining Committee Office responsible for the application process is 973-504-6430.