Mississippi Massage Therapy Practice Act and Board Rules
What the Act and rules do
The Mississippi Massage Therapy Practice Act creates the state licensure system and delegates administration to the Mississippi State Board of Massage Therapy. The Board adopts rules that fill in application, sanitation, establishment, recordkeeping, and discipline details. Rules adopted under the Act have the force of law; a licensee must know both the statute and the current rules.
Core structure
- The Act defines massage therapy, licensure, exemptions, prohibited conduct, and enforcement authority.
- The Board licenses individual therapists and massage establishments, investigates complaints, inspects, and imposes discipline.
- A local business license or national certification does not substitute for a state massage license.
- Exemptions are narrow and apply only to listed professionals acting within their lawful scope.
Worked example
A person without a Mississippi license advertises therapeutic massage and accepts payment. The Board may treat this as unlicensed practice and false advertising, even if the person holds a certificate from another state. The relevant question is not whether the person trained, but whether a Mississippi license was required and absent.
Traps
Do not assume that a chiropractor or physical therapist exemption lets an unlicensed employee perform massage. Do not assume a city occupational license authorizes massage. Do not rely on an old rule summary; the Board’s current rules control.