Next Delaware Massage License Renewal is August 31, 2010 - All Massage Technicians must acquire a minimum of 12 CEU hours and all Massage Therapist a total of 24 CEU hours to maintain a current license.

All CEU classes need to be approved by The Delaware Professional Regulations Board. Check for approved  classes: http://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/massagebodyworks/documents/ContinuingEducation.pdf

7.0 Continuing Education

7.1 Hours required. For license or certification periods beginning September 1, 2004 and thereafter, each massage/bodywork therapist shall complete twenty-four (24) hours of Board approved continuing education during each biennial licensing period, except as otherwise provided in these Rules and Regulations. Each massage technician shall complete twelve (12) hours of acceptable continuing education during each biennial licensing period, except as otherwise provided in these Rules and Regulations. Completion of the required continuing education is a condition of renewing a license or certificate. Hours earned in a biennial licensing period in excess of those required for renewal may not be credited towards the hours required for renewal in any other licensing period.

7.1.1 Calculation of Hours. For academic course work, correspondence courses or seminar/workshop instruction, one (1) hour of acceptable continuing education shall mean 50 minutes of actual instruction. One (1) academic semester hour shall be equivalent to fifteen (15) continuing education hours; one (1) academic quarter hour shall be equivalent to ten (10) continuing education hours.

7.1.2 If during a licensing period an individual certified by the Board as a massage technician is issued a license as a massage and bodywork therapist, the continuing education requirement for that licensing period is as follows:

7.1.2.1 If the license is issued more than twelve (12) months prior to the next renewal date, the licensee shall complete twenty-four (24) hours of acceptable continuing education during the licensing period.

7.1.2.2 If the license is issued less than twelve (12) months prior to the next renewal date, the licensee shall complete twelve (12) hours of acceptable continuing education during the licensing period.

7.2 Proration. Candidates for renewal who were first licensed or certified twelve (12) months or less before the date of renewal are exempt from the continuing education requirement for the period in which they were first licensed or certified.

7.3 Content.

7.3.1 Except as provided in Rule 7.3.2, continuing education hours must contribute to the professional competency of the massage/bodywork therapist or massage technician within modalities constituting the practice of massage and bodywork. Continuing education hours must maintain, improve or expand skills and knowledge obtained prior to licensure or certification, or develop new and relevant skills and knowledge. For each biennial licensing period, massage therapists must complete at least eighteen of the required twenty-four hours of continuing education hours in supervised in-class hands-on study of the “practice of massage and bodywork” as defined in Rule 1.4. For each biennial licensing period, massage technicians must complete at least nine of the required twelve hours of continuing education hours in supervised in-class hands-on study of the “practice of massage and bodywork” as defined in Rule 1.4.

7.3.2 For each biennial licensing period, massage therapists may complete (but are not required to complete) up to six hours of the required twenty-four hours of continuing education hours in any combination of the areas and methods listed in Rules 7.3.2.1 through 7.3.2.5. In each biennial licensing period, massage technicians may complete (but are not required to complete) up to three hours of the required twelve hours of continuing education hours in any combination of the areas and methods listed in Rules 7.3.2.1 through 7.3.2.6.         ( editors note: The following classes are in the 25% catagory)

7.3.2.1 Courses in modalities such as are listed in Rule 1.5, which are  modalities other than in the practice of massage and bodywork

7.3.2.2 Personal growth and self-improvement courses

7.3.2.3 Business Management Courses

7.3.2.4 Courses taught by correspondence or mail

7.3.2.5 Courses taught by video, teleconferencing, video conferencing or computer.

7.3.2.6 Courses in anatomy or physiology

7.4 Board approval.

7.4.1 All continuing education must be pre-approved by the Board. Continuing education programs or providers must apply for pre-approval of continuing education hours by submitting a written request to the Board which includes the program agenda, syllabus and time spent on each topic, the names and resumes of the presenters and the number of hours for which approval is requested. The Board reserves the right to approve less than the number of hours requested.

7.4.2 Self-directed activity: The Board may, upon request, review and approve credit for self-directed activities, including, but not limited to, teaching, research, preparation and/or presentation of professional papers and articles. A licensee must obtain pre-approval of the Board prior to undertaking the self-directed activity in order to assure continuing education credit for the activity. Any self-directed activity submitted for approval must include a written proposal outlining the scope of the activity, the number of continuing education hours requested, the anticipated completion date(s), the role of the licensee in the case of multiple participants (e.g. research) and whether any part of the self-directed activity has ever been previously approved or submitted for credit by the same licensee.

7.4.3 The Board may award additional continuing education credits, on an hour for hour basis, to continuing education instructors for the first-time preparation and presentation of an approved continuing education course for other practitioners, to a maximum of 6 additional hours. (e.g. an instructor presenting a 8 hour course for the first time may receive up to 6 additional credit hours for preparation of the course). This provision remains subject to the limitations of Rule 7.3.2.

7.5 Reporting.

7.5.1 For license or certification periods beginning September 1, 2004 and thereafter, each candidate for renewal shall submit a summary of their continuing education hours, along with any supporting documentation requested by the Board, to the Board on or before May 31 of the year the license or certification expires. No license or certification shall be renewed until the Board has approved the required continuing education hours or granted an extension of time for reasons of hardship. The Board’s approval of a candidate’s continuing education hours in a particular modality does not constitute approval of the candidate’s competence in, or practice of, that modality.

7.5.2 If a continuing education program has already been approved by the Board, the candidate for renewal must demonstrate, at the Board’s request, the actual completion of the continuing education hours by giving the Board a letter, certificate or other acceptable proof of attendance provided by the program sponsor.

7.6 Hardship. A candidate for renewal may be granted an extension of time in which to complete continuing education hours upon a showing of unusual hardship. “Hardship” may include, but is not limited to, disability, illness, extended absence from the jurisdiction and exceptional family responsibilities. Requests for hardship consideration must be submitted to the Board in writing prior to the end of the licensing or certification period for which it is made. If the Board does not have sufficient time to consider and approve a request for hardship extension prior to the expiration of the license, the license will lapse upon the expiration date and be reinstated upon completion of continuing education pursuant to the hardship exception. The licensee may not practice until reinstatement of the license.

7.7 Continuing Education Requirements for Reinstatement of a Lapsed License. Unless extended by the Board for hardship as defined in Rule 7.6, and subject to the one (1) year limitation set forth in Rule 5.0, a massage therapist applying for reinstatement of a lapsed license must provide to the Board adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of twenty-four (24) hours of Board approved continuing education within the immediately preceding two (2) year period prior to the date of application for reinstatement. A massage technician applying for reinstatement of a lapsed license must provide to the Board adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of twelve (12) hours of Board approved continuing education within the immediately preceding two (2) year period prior to the date of application for reinstatement. Continuing education hours required for reinstatement of a lapsed license may not be credited towards the hours required for renewal in any other licensing period.

7.7.1 A massage therapist who has let his/her license lapse for more than one (1) year and is ineligible for reinstatement and therefore required to submit a new application shall not be permitted to circumvent continuing educations requirements. The massage therapist must provide to the Board adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of twenty-four (24) hours of Board approved continuing education within the immediately preceding two (2) year period prior to the date of the new application. A massage technician who has let his/her license lapse for more than one (1) year and is ineligible for reinstatement and therefore required to submit a new application shall not be permitted to circumvent continuing education requirements. The massage technician must provide to the Board adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of twelve (12) hours of Board approved continuing education within the immediately preceding two (2) year period prior to the date of the new application. Continuing education hours required to be filed with a new application may not be credited towards the hours required for renewal in any other licensing period.

7.8 Continuing Education Requirements for Licensees Returning from Inactive Status. Unless extended by the Board for hardship as defined in Rule 7.6, a massage therapist returning from inactive status must provide notice to the Board as set forth in Rule 6.2 and must provide to the Board adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of twenty-four (24) hours of Board approved continuing education within the immediately preceding two (2) year period prior to the date of the notice to return to active. A massage technician returning from inactive status must provide notice to the Board as set forth in Rule 6.2 and must provide to the Board adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of twelve (12) hours of Board approved continuing education within the immediately preceding two (2) year period prior to the date of the notice to return to active status. Continuing education hours required to return to active status may not be credited towards the hours required for renewal in any other licensing period.

3 DE Reg. 1516 (5/1/00)

4 DE Reg. 1245 (2/1/01)

4 DE Reg. 1944 (6/1/01)

5 DE Reg. 1409 (1/1/02)

7 DE Reg. 40 (7/1/03)

8 DE Reg. 692 (11/1/04)