Massage Therapy is a healthcare profession regulated by the New York State Office of Professions. Those who are licensed with registration have passed a New York state board examination to be legally called a massage therapist. Only practitioners who hold a New York State license and a valid registration can practice massage therapy and are required to satisfy continuing education to renew their registration. Upon initial licensing, a practitioner can legally advertise the word "massage" and all its modalities and promote themselves under the title "massage therapist", the preferred title over "masseuse/masseur" in the state of New York. The state of New York does not recognize out-of-state licenses or certificates for an individual to practice massage therapy in New York State.