A.
No person may engage in the business of providing or otherwise provide as a service to the public, massages or related services as an owner, operator, employee or contractor, or massage therapist without first obtaining a massage practitioner license from the state, unless such person is a health care provider.
B.
No person shall advertise, use the title of or otherwise hold themselves out as a massage therapist, masseuse, masseur or massage practitioner unless such person is licensed by the state to provide massage or massage-related services or is a health care provider.
C. "Engaging in the business of providing massages or related services" "Health care provider" "Massage" "Massage practitioner"
For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated in this subsection:
means administering for compensation or hire massages or a method of treating the superficial parts of the human body through physical contact with or by rubbing, stroking, kneading, tapping, rolling, pounding or vibration for the purposes of relaxation, hygiene or improvement of physical appearance, muscle tone or circulation.
means a health care provider who holds a current, valid license issued under AS Title 8, including chiropractors, naturopaths, physicians, nurses, physical therapists and other such health care providers, who are authorized under this license to perform massage therapy as a part of their licensed practice.
means the treatment of the human body by soft tissue manipulation, methodical pressure, friction or the kneading of the body through the use of techniques including but not limited to effleurage, petrissage, friction or tapotement, but not including flagellation, as those terms are defined in a recognized medical dictionary such as but not limited to Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 17th edition, F.A. Davis Company, 1989.
means a person who is licensed by the state or is qualified for a license to provide massage or massage related services.
D.
License. Nothing in this section shall require a person owning or operating a massage business to obtain a license from the state provided such person does not personally provide massages or hold himself or herself out to the public as personally providing massages or as a massage therapist.
(CAC 6.28.040; AO No. 78-23; AO No. 85-26; AO No. 94-38(S-2), § 1, 7-12-1994; AO No. 94-230(S-1), § 1, 1-31-1995; AO No. 2009-70, § 1, 6-23-2009; AO No. 2015-78, § 3, 7-1-2015[1])
[1]
Editor's note — This ordinance also provided that "Effective July 1, 2015, the Municipal Clerk is directed to cease enforcing ordinances specific to the licensing of massage practitioners, including the provisions of Anchorage Municipal Code section 10.40.010."