Though simple, this diagram is helpful for visualizing the Las Vegas Valley’s Massage Therapist licensing requirements…in just one more way. Let’s dive in to what it takes to ‘perform Massage Therapy’ – specifically and legally – in the Las Vegas Valley.
Employed MT (NVMT)
In Nevada, Employed LMTs (NVMTs) are registered as practicing at [a minimum of] one Address (the Employer’s); they are each attached to at least one Massage Establishment’s license as a practicing LMT at that Address. No additional – other than the State professional – license is needed.
Independent MT (NVMT + IMT)
Many MTs tell me that once they have their State license, they don’t believe that they need to have additional licenses to perform at specific [other] addresses – ‘for’ (Fees, “tips”, “donations”, etc) or ‘not for’ money. The fact is: Certified MTs have to have AT LEAST a State professional license (NVMT) to put their hands on anyone. Then, additional licenses, as “unbelievable” as they may appear, become necessary to earn money and/or ‘volunteer’ in each jurisdiction in which they put their hands on anyone.
IF an NVMT performs massage therapy outside of an employment/Employer situation, that NVMT is [also] in business as an Independent Massage Therapist (IMT). NVMTs must have a Local business license (IMT) that applies to the Address at which you want to practice – ‘for’ or ‘not for’ money. In either case, an IMT is providing a regulated professional service, which is considered ‘doing business’ or ‘practicing’. If an NVMT is giving away massage – ‘donating’ – then the NVMT has to be working for the NVMT’s own Organization (e.g. Sole-Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation). Self-employment connotates an IMT business license, which is needed in order to adhere to legal means of providing massage therapy and being a valid liability-insurance policyholder.
Are there any Exceptions to having to get Business Licensed (as an IMT)?
Exceptions to being business-licensed may include providing Massage Therapy to immediate household residents and/or any family or family up to two generations outside of the practitioner’s (eg. son/grandson or aunt/niece). If Exceptions to practicing massage therapy without a business-license exist, they may differ slightly in each jurisdiction; check with each jurisdiction for these Exceptions.
How do I know which Business License I need?
The legal differences between NVMTs practicing as Employees and/or IMTs can be confusing. Since every Certified Massage Therapist that practices Massage Therapy in Nevada needs a State professional license (NVMT), that first license-required has been met. The next pertinent question for practicing legally in the Las Vegas Valley outside of an Establishment/Employment is: “Which Local business license to I need to perform a massage at ___________(insert address here)________?”
The answer to this question may be found in either the GIS or OpenWeb databases; each is updated with official, Jurisdictional data by all the different Jurisdictions’ property-tax Assessors to communicate official ownership and LOCATION (“Jurisdiction”) of your client’s Street Address in the Las Vegas Valley.
Two Tools for the same goal: Finding your [client’s] Address’s Jurisdiction
Tool 1 – Enter one, simple Address; get several text-based Results
The GIS database is a simple-to-use interface for quick Results without your viewing-device needing a lot of bandwidth. The database is a Multi-Jurisdictional Tool for determining the Jurisdiction with authority over its issued [IMT] Business Licenses. To find your Address’s Jurisdiction in the GIS database:
Step 1: Visit the GIS Database webpage (I save this in my browser’s Bookmarks for easy access),
Step 2: Enter (not case-sensitive) the Street Number and Street Name only of the location in which you want to perform massage therapy and click the “Validate”-button,
Step 3: The precise Address’s row will have a column labeled “Jurisdiction”: contained in that cell is the Jurisdiction of the Address.
Tool 2 – Key in one, simple Address; Select a specific Address; get a specific Result … and a mapped-Location
The OpenWeb database is a simple-to-use interface for fast, thorough Results. The database is a Multi-Jurisdictional Tool for determining the Jurisdiction with authority over its issued [IMT] Business Licenses. To find your Address’s Jurisdiction in the OpenWeb database:
Step 1: Visit the OpenWeb database webpage (I save this in my browser’s Bookmarks for easy access),
Step 2: start entering (not case-sensitive) the Address of the location in which you want to perform massage therapy,
Step 3: click the full Address that appears in the drop-down list. (Unit, Apartment, or Suite numbers do not affect the Jurisdiction-determination),
Got your “Jurisdiction”? One more Step…
Step 4: based on the database’s determination, ask yourself: “Do I have a business license for that Jurisdiction?” If the answer is ‘YES!’, then go to your massage therapy appointment. If not, then find out how to get that business license BEFORE you attend to your client at that location/Address.
I continually use this method with success: paying my appropriate business-Taxes, keeping my conscious clear and my hands practicing massage therapy legally.
Good Fortune!
This post was originally published on May 6, 2009. It has been updated with a more-readable and accessible licensing-Requirements diagram and to reflect current links/URLs.
