Witnesses urge Vermont committee to require licensure for massage therapists and to license businesses to curb illicit operations

At a recent meeting of the House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee, witnesses urged lawmakers to replace Vermont’s current registration system for massage therapists with mandatory state licensure and to extend licensing to massage businesses, testifying that the change would strengthen public protections and help law enforcement identify illicit operations.

The American Massage Therapy Association’s Vermont chapter argued that registration is “little more than simply a registry, a list, not an effective regulatory tool to ensure public health and safety,” and recommended a state‑mandated license with defined scope of practice, minimum education and a psychometrically valid exam. A separate witness for World Without Exploitation said licensing businesses would improve inspectors’ access and make it easier to shut down illicit massage businesses tied to human trafficking.

Why it matters: Witnesses said licensure creates enforceable standards — ownership verification, employment checks, routine inspections and clearer title protection for practitioners — that registration has not delivered. They said stronger regulatory…