334.610. License to practice required, exceptions--unauthorized use of titles prohibited. - Missouri Statutes

License to practice required, exceptions--unauthorized use of titlesprohibited.

334.610. Any person who holds himself or herself out to be a physicaltherapist or a licensed physical therapist within this state or any personwho advertises as a physical therapist or claims that the person can renderphysical therapy services and who, in fact, does not hold a valid physicaltherapist license is guilty of a class B misdemeanor and, upon conviction,shall be punished as provided by law. Any person who, in any manner,represents himself or herself as a physical therapist, or who uses inconnection with such person's name the words or letters "physicaltherapist", "physiotherapist", "registered physical therapist", "doctor ofphysical therapy", "P.T.", "Ph.T.", "P.T.T.", "R.P.T.", "D.P.T.", "M.P.T.",or any other letters, words, abbreviations or insignia, indicating orimplying that the person is a physical therapist without a valid existinglicense as a physical therapist issued to such person pursuant to theprovisions of sections 334.500 to 334.620, is guilty of a class Bmisdemeanor. Nothing in sections 334.500 to 334.620 shall prohibit anyperson licensed in this state under chapter 331, RSMo, from carrying outthe practice for which the person is duly licensed, or from advertising theuse of physiologic and rehabilitative modalities; nor shall it prohibit anyperson licensed or registered in this state under section 334.735 or anyother law from carrying out the practice for which the person is dulylicensed or registered; nor shall it prevent professional andsemiprofessional teams, schools, YMCA clubs, athletic clubs and similarorganizations from furnishing treatment to their players and members. Thissection, also, shall not be construed so as to prohibit masseurs andmasseuses from engaging in their practice not otherwise prohibited by lawand provided they do not represent themselves as physical therapists. Thissection shall not apply to physicians and surgeons licensed under thischapter or to a person in an entry level of a professional educationprogram approved by the commission for accreditation of physical therapistsand physical therapist assistant education (CAPTE) who is satisfyingsupervised clinical education requirements related to the person's physicaltherapist or physical therapist assistant education while under on-sitesupervision of a physical therapist; or to a physical therapist who ispracticing in the United States Armed Services, United States Public HealthService, or Veterans Administration under federal regulations for statelicensure for health care providers.

(L. 1969 H.B. 39 § 13, A.L. 1974 S.B. 336, A.L. 1981 S.B. 16, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1365 merged with S.B. 737, A.L. 1995 S.B. 452, A.L. 2007 S.B. 272, A.L. 2008 S.B. 788)