Just imagine: if massage licenses were reciprocal from state to state, massage therapists could work across state lines. Students could graduate from massage therapy schools in Oregon and work in both Portland and Vancouver. LMTs could enjoy professional mobility, providing massages in different locations in the summer and winter, or facilitating retreats across the country. All of this is possible with the newly suggested IMpact – the Interstate Massage Compact.
Defining the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact)
Just what is the IMpact? It’s a proposed system for nationalizing massage licensure, extending reciprocity from state to state. A cooperative agreement between states, the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) would empower LMTs to practice in several states with a single multistate license, while maintaining each state’s initial licensing requirements.
The History of IMpact, the Interstate Massage Compact
In 2020, the Department of Defense and the Compact of State Governments (CSG) provided a grant to the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) to develop a reciprocal massage licensing system. Over the next two years, the FSMTB facilitated dozens of public meetings, feedback sessions, and consensus-based processes derived from dozens of other professional licensing compacts. After a window of public comment and finalization, the IMpact was published in January, 2023, and the CSG has since worked toward state-by-state legislative adoption of the IMpact.
Benefits of the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact)
For massage therapists, massage business owners, massage clients, and the massage profession at large, the Interstate Massage Compact is a win-win situation.Â
Benefits for Massage Therapists: Under the IMpact, LMTs can enjoy the freedom of working between member states with one multistate license.Â
Benefits for Clients: With the IMpact, professional standards for safety are enhanced. With cross-state license verification and information sharing, the public can feel confident in LMT professionalism. Moreover, people in remote areas will have more access to LMTs as massage professionals can work across state lines.
Benefits for the Massage Therapy Profession and Massage Businesses: Massage business owners will enjoy a larger hiring pool of credentialed LMTs from several states. Spas and clinics with seasonal and multi-state locations will see increased hiring flexibility and streamlined onboarding. Compliance risk will decrease as states share information on disciplinary and license data.  Â
Adoption Process for IMpact (the Interstate Massage Compact)
The FSMTB is spearheading national adoption of the IMpact. A coalition of states must pass legislation approving licensure reciprocity. At the time of publication, the IMpact has been adopted in Nevada, Montana, Arkansas, Ohio, and Virginia. New York, Illinois, and North Carolina have active legislation in process for adopting IMpact.Â
States that do not require licensure for massage therapy are currently ineligible for IMpact adoption. Those states are California, Kansas, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wyoming.Â
Once the IMpact has been adopted in seven states, the inaugural meeting of the Interstate Massage Compact Commission will be convened to oversee rules, manage data sharing, and oversee new multistate licenses.Â
LMTs are expected to begin applying for multistate licenses as early as 2027.
Creating a Coalition of Support: Legislation Changes to Accelerate Adoption
The IMpact has had a slow rate of approval compared to other compacts considered by the CSG. In the three years that model legislation has been available, just five states have adopted the IMpact. To encourage more states to adopt the IMpact, CSG and the DOD are suggesting the following changes to the original legislation:
- Grandfathering for Nationally Certified LMTs. Therapists who took the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Exam before January 1, 2015 would be eligible for a multistate license.
- Exception for Practicing LMTs. Licensed massage therapists who graduated from state-approved programs with less than 625 clock hours would still be eligible for multi-state licensure if they have maintained a license in good standing for at least two years.Â
These proposed changes preserve the IMpact’s original educational standards while also creating flexibility for experienced LMTs. The revised legislation also provides more educational requirement flexibility for military spouses. Finally, the requirements for compact commissioners have been revised for more flexible commissioner appointment, preserving state staffing capacity.Â
East West College: Educating Tomorrow’s LMTs
At our northwest massage school and massage therapy schools across the country, instructors prepare students for their state’s licensure. Our home state requires a multi-step licensure process for Oregon LMTs, including 625 training hours, passing two exams, and fingerprinting. We look forward to educating tomorrow’s massage therapists, particularly as they’ll enjoy greater mobility and opportunity as the IMpact is adopted.
Sources
https://www.massagecompact.org/massage-professional-resourcesÂ
