This information is always changing. Please be sure to check with your state board for exact requirements for massage licensing.
These links are for informational gathering only. The states listed have state requirements for practicing massage. Please check your local city, state and county for further information on what you need to practice massage in your area. If a state is not listed there is no state licensing required. Check with you city, county or town for further information.
Please let me know if you have any to add!
| Alabama Board of Massage Therapy 610 S. McDonough St. | Title: Licensed Massage Therapist Requirements: 650hrs from an accredited massage school and NCETMB, Practical Exam CE for renewal:16hrs/2yrs Board Approved Providers | Laws & Rules & Regulations License Search
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| Alaska Alaska Board of Massage Emily Sullivan, Licensing Examiner Phone: (907) 465-3811 Email: BoardofMassageTherapists@Alaska.Gov PO Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 | Title: Massage Therapist Requirement: 625 hours Renewal: 16 hours/2 years | Statutes and Regulations |
| Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy | Title: Licensed Massage Therapist Requirements: 700 hours & NCETMB or MBLEx CE Renewal: 25hrs/2yrs Max 12 hrs online |
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Arkansas State Board of Massage Therapy | Title: Licensed Massage Therapist, Master Massage Therapist, Instructor Requirements: 500 hrs and MBLEx CE Renewal: 18hrs/2yrs approved CE List (PDF) Online CE hrs not accepted by the state | Rules and Regulations (PDF) |
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California Massage Therapy Council | Title: Certified Massage Therapist or Certified Massage Practitioner Renewal every 2 years, NO CE Required. California Massage Council
| Professions code (PDF)Voluntary Certification :www.amta-ca.org
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| Colorado State Office of MT Registration | Title: Registered Massage Therapist “massage therapist”, “registered massage therapist”, “massage practitioner”, “masseuse”, “masseur”, the letters “M.T.” or “R.M.T.”, Requirements: 500 hours and MBLEX or NCETMB Renewal: no CEU req/2yrs License Verification | Massage Therapy Rules and Regulations, Practice Act |
| Connecticut Department of Public Health Connecticut Department of Public HealthMassage Therapist Licensure 410 Capitol Ave., MS # 12 APP P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134 Phone: (860) 509-7603 Fax: (860) 707-1982 Email: dph.alliedhealth@ct.gov |
http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3121&q=389350
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| Delaware Board of Massage and Bodywork Mailing address:Cannon Building, (302) 744-4500 | 500 hours Therapist, 100 hour tech.. NCETMB Approved CE | |
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District of Columbia | 500 hours, NCETMB/ MBLEx http://dchealth.dc.gov/ (pdf) Regulations Health Professions Licensing Administrations
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Florida | Department Of Health All courses must be obtained through a Board of Massage Therapy Approved Provider. To view approved CE providers and courses, please visit the www.cebroker.com website.
| 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Georgia | Georgia Board of Massage Therapy | 500 hours & NCE or MBLEx |
| Hawaii Address:
| Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: Division of Professional and Vocational Licensing
570 hours | http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/pvl/hrs/hrs_pvl_452.pdf
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Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses
| Proposed Laws/Changes State licensure is required as of July 1, 2013. Prior to July 1, 2013, please contact the individual city or cities you will be practicing in to verify if there are any massage license requirements. | |
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IllinoisDepartment of Financial & | 500 hours NCETMB/MBLEx CE: Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); B); The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and its chapters; C) Any approved massage therapy program or accredited school, college, university or State agency; and D) Any other person, firm, or association that has been approved and licensed by the Division pursuant to subsection (c)(2) to coordinate and present continuing education courses and programs in conjunction with this Section. List of Approved CE Sponsors (PDF) | Massage Licensing ACt |
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Indiana Professional Licensing Agency | MBLExIndiana Professional Licensing (a) Applicants for certification must have successfully completed a massage therapy school or program that: (1) requires at least five hundred (500) hours of supervised classroom and hands-on instruction on massage therapy; (2) is in good standing with a state, regional, or national agency of government charged with regulating massage therapy schools or programs; and (3) is: (A) accredited by: (i) the Indiana commission on proprietary education established by IC 21-17-2-1; or ii) another state where the standards for massage therapy education are substantially the same as the standards in Indiana; or (B) a program at an institution of higher learning that is approved by the board. (b) An applicant who has been educated as a massage therapist in a foreign country may be required to submit a certified copy of all academic records and an evaluation, from an accredited evaluation service approved by the board, of all academic records and credentials so that the board can determine if the applicant’s education is equivalent to the educational requirements in this section.
| C 25-21.8-1-4 “Massage therapy” Sec. 4. “Massage therapy”: Respect the client’s right to refuse, modify, or terminate services at any point, regardless of the client’s prior consent. (c) The certificate holder shall not do the following: (1) Massage the breasts of a female client unless the certificate holder has: (A) training in techniques related to therapeutic massage of mammary tissue; and (B) first obtained informed written consent for the treatment from the client. (2) Perform pregnancy massage unless the certificate holder has: (A) training in techniques related to pregnancy or prenatal massage; and (B) first obtained informed written consent for the treatment from the client. |
| Iowa Department of Public Health 321 E. 12th Street,Des Moines, Iowa, 50319-0075 (515) 281-7689 or toll-free at 1-866-227-9878
| 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/ACO/IC/LINC/Chapter.152C.pdf “Massage therapy” means performance for compensation of massage, myotherapy,massotherapy, bodywork, bodywork therapy, or therapeutic massage including hydrotherapy, superficial hot and cold applications, vibration and topical applications, or other therapy which involves manipulation of the muscle and connective tissue of the body, excluding osseous tissue, to treat the muscle tonus system for the purpose of enhancing health, muscle relaxation, increasing range of motion, reducing stress, relieving pain, or improving circulation.4. “Reflexology” means manipulation of the soft tissues of the human body which isrestricted to the hands, feet, or ears, performed by persons who do not hold themselves out to be massage therapists or to be performing massage therapy. It is unlawful for a person to engage in or offer to engage in thepractice of massage therapy, or use in connection with the person’s name, the initials “L. M. T.”or the words “licensed massage therapist”, “massage therapist”, “masseur”, “masseuse”, or any other word or title that implies or represents that the person practices massage therapy,unless the person possesses a license issued under the provisions of section 152C.3. Exemptions: Reflexologists, Feldenkrais Practitioners, Trager, Mind/Body Centering programs |
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Kansas | No licensing 2008 Senate Bill 572 bill dead | |
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Kentucky | Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinent | 500 hours and NCETMB or MBLEx |
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Louisiana | Louisiana board of Massage | 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Maine | Office of Licensing and Registration | 500 hours, No exam |
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Maryland | Board of Chiropractic Examiners | 500 hours, NCETMB |
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Massachusetts | Board of Registration for Massage Therapy | 500 hoursMBLEx |
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Michigan | House bill 5651 | |
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Minnesota | Freedom of Access but some licensing attempts being made | |
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Mississippi | State Board of Massage | 700 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Missouri | State board of Therapeutic Massage | 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Montana | Montana Board of Massage) | |
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Nebraska | Health and Human Services | 1,000 hours, NCETMB |
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Nevada | Board of Massage Therapy | 500 hours, NCETMB |
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New Hampshire | Dept of Health and Human Services | 750hrs, NCETMB and practical exam MBLEx |
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New Jersey | board of NursingFact sheet | |
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New Mexico | Massage Therapy Board | 650 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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New York | Office of Professions | 1000 hours. State Exam. |
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North Carolina | Board of Massage | 500 hours, NCETMB MBLEx |
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North Dakota | Board of Massage | 750 hours, written and practical exam, NCETMB MBLEx |
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Ohio | State of Ohio Medical Board | 600 hours, written examMBLEx |
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Oklahoma | 2/26/08: House Bill 3199 | |
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Oregon | Board of Massage | 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Pennsylvania | 06/26/08: House Bill 2499, | |
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Rhode Island | Health Professions Regulations | 500 hours, written and practical exam, NCETMB |
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South Carolina: | Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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South Dakota | Board of Massage | 500 hours, NCETMB or MBLEx, and CPR |
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Tennessee | Dept of Health Massage Licensure Board | 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Texas | Department of State Health Services | 500 hours and an approved exam (MBLEx or NCETM or NCETMB) |
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Utah | Occupational and Professional licensing | therapist -600 hours, apprentice – 1,000 hours NCETMBMBLEx |
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Vermont | Vermont Secretary of State Massage Board | |
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Virginia | Board of Nursing | 500 hours, NCETMBMBLEx |
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Washington | State Dept of Health | 500 hours, NCETMB or state examMBLEx |
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West Virginia | Massage Therapy Licensure Board | 500 hours, no examMBLEx |
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Wisconsin | Dept of Regulations and Licensing | 600 hours, 1 million liability ins, NCETMB |
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Wyoming | no licensing or current movements |