(a) In this section, “contact hour” means 50 minutes of actual instructional time per each 60-minute hour.

(b) To qualify for a license, an applicant shall be an individual who:

(1) Is of good moral character;

(2) Is at least 18 years old;

(3) Has graduated from an institution of postsecondary education, as defined in § 10-101 of the Education Article and approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, with at least 750 contact hours of education in a curriculum:

(i) Approved by the Board;

(ii) Endorsed by:

1. The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation; or

2. An equivalent entity that accredits both institutions of higher education and programs offering instruction in massage therapy; and

(iii) Accredited by an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education;

(4) Has completed 750 contact hours of education in a Board-approved program for the study of massage therapy that includes the following areas of content:

(i) Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology;

(ii) Massage therapy theory;

(iii) Contraindications and pathology;

(iv) Professional ethics;

(v) Health and hygiene;

(vi) Research;

(vii) Supervised hands-on techniques; and

(viii) Clinical assessment and documentation;

(5) Has passed an examination approved by the Board; and

(6) Submits to a criminal history records check in accordance with § 6-303 of this subtitle.

(c) On or before September 30, 2023, to qualify to be registered, an applicant shall be an individual who:

(1) Is of good moral character;

(2) Is at least 18 years old;

(3) Has graduated from a program for the study of massage therapy with a curriculum:

(i) Approved by the Board;

(ii) Endorsed by:

1. The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation; or

2. An equivalent entity that is an accrediting agency or organization that accredits both institutions of higher education and programs offering instruction in massage therapy;

(iii) Accredited by an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education; and

(iv) That requires at least 600 contact hours of classroom instruction that includes the following areas of content:

1. Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology;

2. Massage therapy theory;

3. Contraindications and pathology;

4. Professional ethics;

5. Health and hygiene;

6. Research;

7. Supervised hands-on techniques; and

8. Clinical assessment and documentation;

(4) Has passed an examination approved by the Board; and

(5) Submits to a criminal history records check in accordance with § 6-303 of this subtitle.

(d) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Board may waive any requirement of this subtitle for an applicant who is licensed, certified, or registered to practice massage therapy in another state.

(2) The Board may grant a waiver under paragraph (1) of this subsection only if the applicant:

(i) Pays the application fee set by the Board; and

(ii) Provides adequate evidence that the applicant:

1. Has completed educational requirements that the Board determines to be equivalent to the Board-approved educational requirements in this State;

2. At the time the applicant became licensed, certified, or registered in the other state, passed in that state or any other state an examination that the Board determines to be equivalent to the examination required in this State; and

3. Is of good moral character.

(e) On or after October 1, 2023, the Board may not issue an initial registration to practice as a registered massage practitioner.

(f) On or before October 31, 2026, the Board shall convert the registration of an individual registered by the Board as a registered massage practitioner to a license to practice massage therapy if the individual complies with regulations adopted by the Board.