I do massages for man, I took a course a few months back but never finished. I post my ads online but I don't have a license.
I tell my clients the truth that I don't have a license and they still agree to the massage. But is this penalized, could I go to jail for this???
I am very clear with them. The first thing I say to them is "do you agree to the massage knowing that I don't have my license" and if they say yes, then we go on with it.
I just need to know if this is penalized in Miami, FL.
2007-10-21 03:35:02 · 4 answers · asked by LiberatedMe2008 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Massage therapy is fully licensed in Florida.
From Florida statues (laws) regarding the massage:
It is unlawful for any person to:
(a) Hold himself or herself out as a massage therapist or to practice massage unless duly licensed under this chapter or unless otherwise specifically exempted from licensure under this chapter
"Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083"
Among the penalties is listed include jail time -"For a misdemeanor of the first degree, by a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year" and a monetary fine of "$1,000, when the conviction is of a misdemeanor of the first degree."
And if you were to injure a client while practicing illegally, I would suspect even tougher penalties. As well as the fact that even if you carried malpractice/liability insurance - no policy will cover you if you are found to be practicing illegally.
In my opinion, not worth risking everything on it.
2007-10-22 18:27:45 · answer #1 · answered by skeptical 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
FL is a licensed state. You must have a license to practice massage therapy. You may not get thrown into jail, but you could possibly get a hefty fine ($10,000 or more), and depending on whether or not you are dispensing information and therapies that could be looked at as practicing medicine without a license, you best leave the country because your future could become very cloudy and stormy for many years to come. FL has a good website on all of this information, laying it out in the laws, statutes and regulations. I would advise you read through it thoroughly to know what is coming your way if you continue to advertise and work without a license.
2007-10-22 10:13:36 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes you must be licensed in FL and you should stop doing massage if you don't have one. Not only is it illegal, but it's not ethical, and being ethical is the cornerstone of being a good massage therapist. It infuriates me that I spent thousands and thousands of dollars on a quality education, busted my butt learning anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, pathology, orthopedic assesment etc etc...and someone out there who never finished a "course" has the nerve to say they do massage therapy. I hope you do get penalized.
2007-10-22 05:54:16 · answer #3 · answered by Michelle T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are performing a service for profit. Florida is probably one of the biggest States for being licensed in whatever type work you do for others. Hopefully you are insured and bonded since any of your "willing" customers could slap a lawsiut on you for something. You would look guilty from the beginning since you are working illegally.
2007-10-21 03:43:03 · answer #4 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most places you have to be licensed there are a few places where you don't have to be but they probably won't be places you want to live (e.g. rural Kansas) I would very strongly advise you not to do an online program. I don't care if it's cheaper/faster/etc. Massage requires lots of hands on learning. You won't be able to know if you're doing things right if you don't have an actual instuctor there to help you. Plus you won't havethe advantage of learning from your peers.
2016-03-13 03:53:21 · answer #5 · answered by Barbara 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋