Massage | North Carolina | Licensing updates
North Carolina Stretching Services Exemption Took Effect August 11, 2026
North Carolina now exempts stretching-only providers from massage licensure, but the exemption excludes named massage techniques and other soft-tissue…
- Confirm that the provider performs only passive, active, or active-assisted stretching.
- Keep effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, deep tissue manipulation, myofascial release, and other massage or bodywork techniques outside the unlicensed role.
- Remember that the establishment's license does not extend massage-practice authority to the stretching provider.
- Document employee or contractor roles clearly and verify the current statute and Board guidance before changing services.
Published: 2026-08-21 · Reviewed: 2026-08-25
Official context
North Carolina Session Law 2026-59, the Regulatory Reform Act of 2026, was signed by Governor Josh Stein on August 11, 2026. Section 8 added G.S. 90-624.1 and related changes allowing a massage and bodywork therapy establishment to employ or contract with a person who provides only stretching services without requiring that person to hold a massage and bodywork therapy license for those services. Under Section 53(b), these changes became effective when the act became law.
What this means
The exemption is narrow. Stretching services means passive, active, or active-assisted stretching and specifically excludes effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, deep tissue manipulation, myofascial release, and any other massage or bodywork activity applied to soft tissues. An establishment license does not authorize an unlicensed stretching provider to practice massage and bodywork therapy.
Official sources
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/PDF/2025-2026/SL2026-59.pdf
- https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S445
Licensing & Industry Updates is an educational summary of official public communications. It is not legal advice, and filing decisions should be checked against the current board page or rule text.