Maintaining Your License


Maintaining Your License

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What is inactive status?

INACTIVE status can be elected by a licensee who is not practicing in the state of Florida who wishes to maintain their license each renewal. Generally, this status is elected by licensees when they intend to return to practice in Florida, but cannot (or do not wish to) complete Continuing Education required for renewal. Facilities cannot elect INACTIVE status.

Licenses in INACTIVE status can be reactivated. A practitioner who has elected INACTIVE status is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida.

Can I put my massage therapist license in inactive status?

Yes. You may request a change to inactive status at any time. See our “How do I…?” for additional information.

Can I put my massage therapist license in retired status?

Yes. You may request a change to inactive status at any time. See our “How do I…?” for additional information.

Can I put my massage establishment license in inactive or retired status?

No. Massage establishment licenses cannot be placed in retired status.

What is delinquent status?

A license in DELINQUENT status indicates that a licensee who held a CLEAR, ACTIVE or CLEAR, INACTIVE license failed to renew their license before it expired. The licensee is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida.

Can I practice while my license is delinquent?

No. You cannot practice on a DELINQUENT license.

Can I give up (voluntarily relinquish) my license?

Yes, in most cases. If there is no pending disciplinary action against the license, it can be voluntarily relinquished at any time. See our “How do I…?” for additional information.

Once a license has been voluntarily relinquished, it cannot be reinstated. A license that has been voluntarily relinquished does not authorize the former licensee to practice.

What is retired status?

RETIRED status is a license status that can be elected by a licensee when they are not practicing in the state of Florida if they want to maintain their license in the event they might return to their profession by coming out of retirement. A licensee who has elected RETIRED is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida.

What is a massage establishment owner?

A massage establishment owner is defined in 480.033(10), Florida Statutes, as

…a person who has ownership interest in a massage establishment. The term includes an individual who holds a massage establishment license, a general partner of a partnership, an owner or officer of a corporation, and a member of a limited liability company and its subsidiaries who holds a massage establishment license.

What is a change of ownership?

Change of ownership refers to a change in the entity operating a massage establishment which requires the issuance of a new license pursuant to 480.043(9)(a), Florida Statutes.

The following are some examples of a change of ownership:

  • A license originally issued to an individual (sole proprietor), where the individual has changed.
  • A license originally issued to an individual (sole proprietor) who has since formed a Limited Liability Company or Corporation for the purposes of operating the massage establishment.
  • A license originally issued to a partnership where the partners have changed.
  • A license issued to a Limited Liability Company whose members have changed.
  • A license issued to a Corporation which has dissolved and reincorporated.

Do I have to update my massage establishment owner(s)?

Yes, massage establishment owners must be updated if your license was issued to a corporation and your corporate owners or officers have changed.

Some ownership updates may constitute a transfer or change of ownership. If a change of ownership has occurred, you will need to apply for a new massage establishment license.

Do I have to update my address?

Yes, you are required to update your address, pursuant to 456.035, Florida Statutes.