06/10/2022
On June 7, 2022, Governor Ducey signed into law House Bill 2438 (HB 2438), which requires massage therapists to undergo a more thorough criminal background check before receiving a license.
HB 2438 will require massage therapists and applicants to have a valid fingerprint clearance card to apply for, or renew, a license. This will be required for all applications and renewals after January 1, 2023. Fingerprint cards are required under state law in many professions, including teachers, school bus drivers, and individuals who work in school classrooms.
The new fingerprint clearance card process will require the Arizona Department of Public Safety to review a person’s criminal history—those who have been convicted of certain crimes will be ineligible to receive fingerprint clearance cards. These crimes are identified in statute as “misdemeanor(s) involving prostitution or solicitation or another similar offense involving moral turpitude that has a reasonable relationship to the practice of massage therapy.”
HB 2438 goes into effect January 1, 2023.