CMTBC is introducing a practice hours requirement. To maintain Practising registration with CMTBC, an RMT will be required to make, during the registration renewal process, a declaration that they have obtained 500 practice hours within the previous three (3) years, or that they have met the practice hours requirement through an approved alternative. Registrants will be asked to report their practice hours for the first time when completing registration renewal for 2026.

To learn about the Practice hours requirement, read the FAQs below and see the Practice Hours page.

When do RMTs have to make a declaration regarding practice hours?

The first time that RMTs will be asked to make a declaration regarding practice hours is when completing registration renewal for 2026. All RMTs who are maintaining their Practising status and those RMTs who are changing from Non-practising to Practising status will be required to make a declaration.

Is there a minimum number of practice hours required to be completed during each year of the preceding three-year period that will be reviewed for calculating practice hours?

No, there is no minimum number of practice hours that must be obtained each year. It is the accumulation of practice hours over the preceding three-year period that is reviewed. This is because it is not uncommon for RMTs to take time away from practice for up to a year.

Example 1:

• An RMT accumulates 300 practice hours in 2023, 600 practice hours in 2024, and 900 practice hours in 2025. At the time of registration renewal for 2026, the RMT has a total of 1,800 practice hours over the previous three-year period, meeting (and exceeding) the practice hours requirement.

Example 2:

• An RMT who has had to take a leave of absence from working accumulates 900 practice hours in 2023, no practice hours in 2024, and 50 practice hours in 2025. At the time of registration renewal for 2026, the RMT has a total of 950 practice hours over the previous three-year period, meeting (and exceeding) the practice hours requirement.

Example 3:

• An RMT who is working less than part-time accumulates 100 practice hours in 2023, 150 practice hours in 2024, and 125 practice hours in 2025. At the time of registration renewal for 2026, the RMT has a total of 375 practice hours over the previous three-year period. The RMT has not met the practice hours requirement. The RMT will be required to complete a substitution for those practice hours, such as College-approved remedial course work.

What activities can be used toward practice hours?

• Clinical practice.
• Working as an Educator/Clinical Supervisor in a massage therapy education program that is fully accredited by the Canadian Massage Therapy Council For Accreditation (CMTCA).
• Teaching in post-graduate education, courses, or conferences that fall within the scope of practice of massage therapy.
• Regulatory or professional association work.
• Working in a research or academic position.

Any work task that is required of an RMT to perform their professional activities can be counted toward practice hours.

Examples:

• Time spent charting and/or writing communication to other health professionals or a third-party regarding treatment provided to a patient;
• Time spent preparing, creating materials, and engaging with students as an educator, or presenter at a conference;
• Time spent performing research tasks, such as writing a thesis.

RMTs must ensure all their practice hours are adequately documented.  

Can administrative work at a clinic be counted toward my practice hours?

Practice hours are acquired when a Practising RMT performs professional activities that fall within the scope of practice of massage therapy, as defined by the Massage Therapists Regulation. Therefore, administrative work such as reception and operation of a business cannot be counted toward practice hours.

Scenario: I currently hold Practising status. Next year (2024) I will be taking a year off from work and changing to Non-practising status. In 2025, I plan to return to Practising status and work on a part-time basis. Is there a reduced or pro-rated number of practice hours required in this circumstance?

No, the requirement for 500 practice hours remains the same.

All Practising RMTs are required to meet the practice hours requirement in one of the following ways:

• Obtaining 500 practice hours within the previous three years.
• Recent graduation from a massage therapy education program that is fully accredited by CMTCA.
• Successful completion of CMTBC-approved remedial course work within the last 18 months, or another approved substitution for the requirement.

If an RMT who holds Practising registration has not met the practice hours requirement for the preceding three years, they will be required to complete a substitution for those practice hours, such as College-approved remedial course work.

Scenario: I work as a part-time RMT and may not be able to meet the practice hours requirement. Will the College automatically cancel my registration in 2026?

No, an RMT will not immediately be required to change their status to Non-practising or resign their registration if they have not met the practice hours requirement at the time of registration renewal for 2026.

If a Practising RMT or a Non-practising RMT converting to Practising status at the time of registration renewal for 2026 is unable to meet the practice hours requirement, they will be required to complete a substitution for those practice hours, such as College-approved remedial course work. 

In this situation, the RMT would be able to renew as a Practising registrant upon agreement with the College to complete the substituted activity by a specified deadline. 

What kind of remedial course work will I be required to take if I don’t meet the practice hours requirement?

Further information regarding the process of remedial course work will be provided closer to the time of registration renewal for 2026.

What are the practice hours requirements for a Non-practising RMT?

While an RMT holds Non-practising status, they cannot obtain or record practice hours. Practice hours can only be acquired by an RMT while they hold Practicing status.

However, if at the time of registration renewal for 2026, an RMT holds Non-practising status and seeks to convert back to Practising status, they will need to make a declaration regarding their practice hours for the preceding three-year period (2023-2025). 

Scenario: I have held Non-practising status for the last three years as I recovered from an injury. I have zero practice hours, and do not meet the practice hours requirement.  How do I renew my registration as Practising for 2026 if I have been Non-practising in the preceding three years?

RMTs who have held Non-practising status for two years or more must submit an application form for review and assessment by the Registration Committee of their readiness for practice.

For more information on Registration Status Change: Non-practising to Practising, see the Practising/Non-Practising Status Change page.

I currently hold Practising status with CMTBC, and I live and work in Alberta. Can I use my clinical hours obtained by providing massage therapy in Alberta toward my practice hour requirement?

Yes. An RMT who holds Practising status can use their practice hours obtained in a non-regulated jurisdiction (for example Alberta, the Yukon, etc.) toward their practice hour requirement.

Any RMT who holds Practising status with CMTBC, irrespective of the jurisdiction in which the RMT works, is required to practice in accordance with their professional obligations as stated in CMTBC’s Bylaws, Standards of Practice, and Code of Ethics.