2018 NEWSLETTER
North Carolina Board of
Massage & Bodywork
Therapy
Regulating the practice of massage and bodywork therapy and its educational
institutions, for the protection of the public.
Message from the Board Chair \
Nancy Harrell , LMBT
The North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy
began 2018 with a Strategic Planning Conference in January.
The Conference provided the Board members an opportunity
to anticipate issues that may arise in the near future and discuss
how the Board would align its resources to accomplish its
mission to “regulate the practice of massage and bodywork
therapy in the State of North Carolina to ensure standards
of competency and to protect the public health, safety and
welfare”.
This past year the Board continued licensing individuals to
practice massage and bodywork in this State, granting license
renewals, approving massage and bodywork therapy schools,
investigating complaints of improper practice by licensed
individuals and conducting hearings. In 2018 the NCBMBT
licensed 867 new licensees and renewed 4,446 licenses. Of the
19 approved schools in North Carolina, 7 renewed and were
approved in 2018. The remaining 12 schools are scheduled
to renew in 2019.
Disciplinary issues, often associated with unlicensed or
illicit activity, continued to take much of the Board’s time
for investigations and hearings. To help combat illicit
practice, in April the Board held a hearing to take public
comment on its proposed rules for licensing massage and
bodywork establishments. An Ad hoc committee of the
Board was appointed to review all of the public’s comments
and suggestions. In June the proposed rules were amended
and approved by the Board and sent to the Rules Review
Commission. The rules were approved by the Rules Review
Commission in October. Following further legislative review
and approval, we anticipate these rules going into effect in
2019. In addition to the establishment rules, the Board has
also approved several other rules changes to expand the scope
of Continuing Education activities, also anticipated to begin
in 2019.
None of this work could be done without the tireless efforts
of Board staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank
our staff whose dedication and hard work on a daily basis
allows the Board members to be informed and productive at
our meetings.
As we move forward into 2019, let us strive to remember that
we are all working toward the same goal, the professional
and safe practice of massage and bodywork therapy in North
Carolina.
NCBMBT’s Top 10 List of Reminders for all L.MBT’s
1 . Please keep the Board informed of any changes to your mailing
address and email address so you will be sure to receive all
pertinent information, such as renewal reminders, newsletters, etc.
2. For all up-to-date information, as well as Board
contact information and/or questions regarding licensure,
please refer to the NCBMBT website at www.bmbt.org.
3. The Board meets every other month on the 13th floor of the
Wells Fargo Capital Center, 150 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC
27601 . The current meeting schedule isposted on the website under
‘Board Information’. All Board meetings are open to the public.
4. You can file a complaint online by going to
the File a Complaint tab on the Board’s website.
5. Online renewals will be required beginning August 1,
2019. You can access the online renewal system on the
Board’s website under the Renew Your License tab.
6. All online renewals end on December 31 at midnight. Any
renewals submitted past this date will need to be mailed and
include a letter stating whether or not you have been practicing
massage and bodywork therapy in NC since your license expired.
7. To keep your license current, all LMBTs must complete
24 hours of continuing education, including a minimum of 3
hours of ethics, through an approved provider. You may take a
maximum of 12 hours of distance learning and a maximum of
8 hours of business management, should you choose to do so.
8. Any LMBT who has completed all of the required CEU’s
during the year of their renewal may apply any additional CEU’s
taken after August 1 of that year to their next renewal period,
as long as they were not submitted for the prior renewal period.
9. You can verify a LMBT's license is valid in NC
by accessing the Board's website, clicking on the Verify A
License tab and searching by their last name or license number.
10. Licensees are required to notify the Board within 15
days if they know a person is practicing without a license, is
violating the Practice Act/Rules and Regulations, is charged
with certain criminal offenses, or is a defendent in a civil
lawsuit related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy.
IN THIS ISSUE
Message from the Chair . 1
NCBMBT's Top 1 0 List of Reminders . 1
New Board Members and Officers . 2
Board Requests Your Email Address . 2
Board Meeting Dates . 2
Administrative Director's Report . 2
CBD oil . 3
Licensure of Establishments . 4
Art of Healing License Required . 4
Disciplinary Actions . 5, 6, 7 & 8
Board Website isyour Online, Source, for Information,,.,, 9
