Massage Therapy Permit Requirements in Shreveport, LA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy — Massage Therapist License

   Massage therapists in Louisiana must be licensed by the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy (9619 Interline Ave., Suite B, Baton Rouge; 225-756-3488; labmt.org). Applicants submit an original notarized application with an official transcript meeting the Louisiana Massage Therapy Act's education standard and a criminal background check enrolled through IdentoGO. Once the application is approved, the license must be registered within 45 days or the whole application process must be repeated. Reciprocity, Welcome Home Act (for licensees moving from another state), military/spouse, provisional and lapsed pathways each have their own application.

   Official government source

   $75 non-refundable application fee (cashier's check or money order), then a first-year pro-rated registration fee determined by the month you register: $125 April–August, $80 September–December, $75 January–March. A lapsed-license registration is $575 with 24 CEUs. Establishment (business) licenses register at $100 April–August, $80 September–December, $60 January–March.·Not published as a processing time. Registration must be completed within 45 days of application approval, or the application process starts over.

   $75 non-refundable application fee (cashier's check or money order), then a first-year pro-rated registration fee determined by the month you register: $125 April–August, $80 September–December, $75 January–March. A lapsed-license registration is $575 with 24 CEUs. Establishment (business) licenses register at $100 April–August, $80 September–December, $60 January–March.

   Not published as a processing time. Registration must be completed within 45 days of application approval, or the application process starts over.

2. Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Louisiana. The Louisiana state sales tax rate is 5%. Sellers must apply for a sales tax certificate with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana also has parish- and municipal-level sales taxes collected separately by local collectors, so the combined rate varies by parish and you must register with each applicable local collector in addition to the state.

   Official government source

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.·Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

   Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

1. City of Shreveport Revenue Division — Occupational License

   Shreveport requires an Occupational License for all businesses operating within city limits, administered by the Department of Finance (318-673-5500). A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained first. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.·Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.

   Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

2. Zoning / Certificate of Occupancy

   A Certificate of Occupancy is required before applying for an occupational/business license for any commercial space used as a massage therapy practice in Shreveport. It is issued by the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission's Zoning Permits Center (505 Travis St., Ste. 130; 318-673-6480), not the Revenue Division.

   Official government source

   $125 flat for a commercial location; $75 flat if home-based; no fee outside city limits.·Not published by the city. The Certificate of Occupancy must be in hand before the occupational license application.

   $125 flat for a commercial location; $75 flat if home-based; no fee outside city limits.

   Not published by the city. The Certificate of Occupancy must be in hand before the occupational license application.

Official Sources

• City of Shreveport Revenue Division

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