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Florida Statute 480.047 - Full Text and Legal Analysis Florida Statute 480.047 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Fla. Stat. § 480.047 (2026) Copy Cite Official Site Syfertize CourtListener Amendments
480.047 Penalties.—
(1) It is unlawful for any person to:
(a) Hold himself or herself out as a massage therapist or to practice massage therapy unless duly licensed under this chapter or unless otherwise specifically exempted from licensure under this chapter.
(b) Operate any massage establishment unless it has been duly licensed as provided herein, except that nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the teaching of massage therapy in this state at a board-approved massage therapy school.
(c) Permit an employed person to practice massage therapy unless duly licensed as provided herein.
(d) Present as his or her own the license of another.
(e) Allow the use of his or her license by an unlicensed person.
(f) Give false or forged evidence to the department in obtaining any license provided for herein.
(g) Falsely impersonate any other licenseholder of like or different name.
(h) Use or attempt to use a license that has been revoked.
(i) Otherwise violate any of the provisions of this act.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
History.—s. 16, ch. 78-436; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 10, 12, 13, ch. 85-280; s. 58, ch. 89-374; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 414, ch. 97-103; s. 158, ch. 97-264; s. 3, ch. 2013-212; s. 14, ch. 2021-143.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 480.047

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd
§480.047(1a)FRAUD-IMPERSONMISREPRESENT SELF AS LICENSED MASSEURM · 1st
§480.047(1b)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESOPERATE MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENT WITHOUT LICENSEM · 1st
§480.047(1c)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESPERMIT UNLICENSED PERSON TO PRACTICE MASSAGEM · 1st
§480.047(1d)FRAUD-IMPERSONPRESENT ANOTHERS MASSEURS LICENSEM · 1st
§480.047(1e)FRAUDLEND MASSEUR LICENSE TO ANOTHERM · 1st
§480.047(1f)PASS FORGEDEVIDENCE TO OBTAIN MASSEUR LICENSEM · 1st
§480.047(1f)FRAUD-FALSE STATEMENTEVIDENCE TO OBTAIN MASSEUR LICENSEM · 1st
§480.047(1g)FRAUD-IMPERSONIMPERSONATE LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPISTM · 1st
§480.047(1h)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESUSE ATTEMPT TO USE REVOKED MASSAGE LICENSEM · 1st
§480.047(1i)PUBLIC ORDER CRIMESVIOLATE MASSAGE PRACTICE ACTM · 1st

Cases Citing F.S. 480.047

Fla. Stat. § 480.047 (2026) Copy Cite Official Site Syfertize CourtListener Amendments
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·Movie & Video World, Inc. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 723 F. Supp. 695 (S.D. Fla. 1989).

Cited 25 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12310, 1989 WL 120556

...An offense under an analogous statute of a state other than Florida, or under an analogous ordinance of another county or city. 29. Specified Criminal Offense means: a. a conviction under § 60.05, Florida Statutes (Nuisance Abatement); or, b. a conviction under § 480.043, § 480.046, § 480.047, § 480.048 or § 480.049 (Florida Statutes), or subsequent regulation; or, c....
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State v. Nguyen, 980 So. 2d 1189 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2008 WL 1827430

...In each case, the defendant was charged with the felony of practicing a health care profession without a license in violation of section 456.065(2)(d)1 of the Florida Statutes (2005), and the misdemeanor of holding oneself out as a massage therapist without a license, in violation of section 480.047(1)(a) of the Florida Statutes (2005)....
...775.084, to practice, attempt to practice, or offer to practice a health care profession without an active, valid Florida license to practice that profession. . . . § 456.065(2)(d)1., Fla. Stat. (2005)(emphasis added). Under Chapter 480 of the Florida Statutes, which specifically governs massage *1191 practices, section 480.047(1)(a) & (2) provides: 480.047....
...is chapter or unless otherwise specifically exempted from licensure under this chapter. * * * (2) Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. § 480.047(1)(a) & (2), Fla....
...in addition to the specific punishments meted out by the statute governing massage therapy. The plain language of section 456.065(2)(d)1. authorizes the State to charge an individual under that statute "in addition" to charging the individual under section 480.047....
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State v. Wagner, 403 So. 2d 1349 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1981).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1981 Fla. App. LEXIS 21069

PER CURIAM. The State seeks review by certiorari of an order of the circuit court affirming the dismissal of an information charging the respondents with “massaging without a license” in violation of section 480.047, Florida Statutes (1979)....
...Before the treatment began, each officer was asked by one of the respondents if he wished to have sun tan oil applied to his body, either before or during the session. Both officers consented and allowed the respondents to apply the oil. Based on these facts, the respondents were charged with a violation of section 480.047, Florida Statutes (1979), in that each one “did unlawfully hold herself out as a masseuse without being first duly licensed under the provisions of this Chapter.” The respondents moved to dismiss the information, alleging the fore...
...The old statute prohibited the practice of massage without a license, 3 which would have made it unlawful to engage in protected activities defined as “massage.” The present statute, however, merely prohibits one from “holding himself out as a masseur unless duly licensed.” § 480.047(l)(a), Fla.Stat.(1979)....

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