Massage therapists in Illinois must be licensed: Is yours?

To combat two dangerous criminal activities, human trafficking and prostitution, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is targeting unlicensed massage therapists and warns the public to verify that their therapist is licensed. 

“The single biggest prevention method to ensure consumers protect themselves when they get a massage is to check for a license,” said Bryan A. Schneider, IDFPR Secretary. “If licensure cannot be verified, we strongly encourage individuals not to use the offered services and report any observed impropriety to our Department. With over 12,000 licensed massage therapists in Illinois, we want to ensure that those individuals and entities holding themselves out as massage therapists adhere to the licensure qualifications and standards for professional practice.”   

Massage therapists are required to:

• display their license, or a copy, in a conspicuous place in their primary office or any other location where the holder renders massage therapy services. 
• undergo a fingerprint background check and are automatically disqualified from licensure if they have been convicted of prostitution, rape, sexual misconduct or are registered as a sex offender. 

As an added security measure, IDFPR now offers a unique quick response (QR) code on all certificates of licensure, allowing the public to verify the authenticity of a license from any mobile device through use of a QR reader app. 

Under Illinois law, massage therapists must meet standards of qualification, education, training and experience prior to licensure. Individuals who knowingly practice or offer to practice massage therapy in Illinois for compensation without a license for that purpose, or knowingly aids, abets, assists, procures, advises, employs, or contracts with any unlicensed person to practice massage therapy contrary to state law, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Subsequent convictions are a Class 4 felony. 

Exemptions to massage therapy licensure exist under Illinois law, and can be found here: 

IDFPR’s announcement is the latest in Illinois’ ongoing attempts to combat human trafficking. They encourage individuals who suspect an unlicensed massage therapist to file a complaint with the Department online complaints or by calling their consumer hotline number at 1.888.4REGUL8 (1.888.473.4858).