How to Become a Massage Therapist: License Requirements by State
Checked against official state sources ·
Massage therapists are licensed by a state massage therapy board or health department in almost every state. Most require graduation from an approved program (typically 500 to 1,000 hours), passing the MBLEx from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards or a state exam, and a background check — and many add a state law exam, liability insurance or continuing education. A few states have no state license and leave massage to cities and counties.
Of the 48 states covered here, 43 require an exam and 45 require a set number of education hours. Kansas and Wyoming have no state massage license and are not listed. California offers only voluntary state-level certification (CAMTC), and Minnesota has no license until its optional registry opens in 2028; both are included here.
The steps most states share
- Complete a state-approved massage therapy program with the hours your state requires.
- Pass the exam your state requires (usually the MBLEx; New York has its own exam, and California requires none) and any state law or jurisprudence exam.
- Complete a background check and fingerprints if your state requires them.
- Apply to your state massage board with the fee and any required insurance.
- Renew on schedule and complete the continuing education your state requires.
Requirements by state
| State | Exam | Training | Term | State fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $150 application and license fee for a two-year license (rule 532-X-1-.11, effective June 23, 2025). |
| Alaska | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $565 at application: $200 nonrefundable application fee, $290 license fee, $75 fingerprint processing fee. |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $217 at application: $195 application fee plus $22 background check fee. First-time applicants with family income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines may get a one-time waiver of the $195 fee. |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $75 learning permit application fee (nonrefundable), $80 original license fee and $25 state exam fee, set in Ark. Code 17-86-303(d). |
| California | No | Yes | 2 yrs | No state license fee. CAMTC charges $300 for two-year certification. |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | — |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $375 application fee set by statute; DPH charges $379.75 online, which includes the National Practitioner Data Bank query. |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $175 Licensed Massage Therapist application fee (nonrefundable). |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $155 total: $50 nonrefundable application fee, $100 initial license fee and $5 unlicensed activity fee. |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $125 initial license fee plus a $5 online processing fee (board fee schedule revised March 3, 2022; fees are nonrefundable and the board says they may change). |
| Hawaii | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $50 non-refundable application fee, plus a licensure fee after you pass: $164 if issued July 1 of an even year through June 30 of an odd year, or $82 if issued July 1 of an odd year through June 30 of an even year. |
| Idaho | Yes | Yes | Renew annually ($65) or every two years ($130), on or before your birthday. | $50 application fee plus $130 initial license fee (by exam); $50 plus $150 by endorsement. All fees are non-refundable. |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $175 non-refundable application fee. |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | 4 yrs | $100 non-refundable application fee. |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $120 nonrefundable license fee. |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $200 initial massage therapist license fee (nonrefundable). |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $75 application fee plus a license registration fee set by month: $125 (April-August), $80 (September-December) or $75 (January-March). The statute lists the original license fee as $125. |
| Maine | No | No | 1 yrs | $40 license fee plus a $21 State Police (SBI) criminal background check fee. |
| Maryland | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | Under COMAR 10.65.07.02: $150 application fee, $275 state (jurisprudence) examination fee, and $200 license fee, all nonrefundable except the jurisprudence exam fee in limited cases. Application, exam and initial license fees must be paid by certified check or money order (or through the online portal). |
| Massachusetts | No | Yes | 1 yrs | $225 license application fee (non-refundable). |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | $270.10 application fee plus 3-year license fee (by exam or endorsement). |
| Minnesota | No | No | 2 yrs | No state fee today. For registration, the statute caps the initial registration and application fee at $640.50. |
| Mississippi | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $50 application fee plus $200 two-year license fee (includes the Mobile Therapist Card). |
| Missouri | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $125 massage therapist application fee. |
| Montana | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $140 application fee plus $5 litigation fund fee. |
| Nebraska | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $110 initial license fee; $27.50 if your license is issued May through October of an odd-numbered year. Temporary license: $25. Fees are waived for young workers, low-income individuals and military families. |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $480 online ($295 license fee, $100 application fee, $85 background investigation fee); $510 for a paper application. All fees are non-refundable. |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | Licenses currently expire on the last day of your birth month in even-numbered years (RSA 328-B:7), so a first license may last less than two years. Starting July 1, 2027, a 2026 law (ch. 305, HB 1469) changes this so licenses expire under RSA 310:8, which sets a 2-year term from the date of issuance. | $121 application processing and licensing fee for a 2-year license; the same fee applies to renewal and reinstatement (Plc 1002.24, effective July 1, 2025). Active military and military spouses pay no application fee. |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $75 application fee plus a $120 initial license fee ($60 if your license is issued in the second year of the biennial renewal period). |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $75 application fee plus a prorated initial license fee of $5 per month. |
| New York | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | $108 for licensure and first registration, per the NYSED license requirements page (Education Law 7804 lists $115 for exam admission and initial license; $45 for each re-exam). |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $20 application request fee plus a $150 initial license fee. |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $150 license fee. |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $150 application fee plus a $3.50 transaction fee ($153.50 total); not refundable. |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $100 license fee (covers two years); $115 by reciprocity or with out-of-state education. |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $135 application fee, $47.25 fingerprint processing fee, and an initial license fee of $135 (first renewal less than 12 months away) or $270 (more than 12 months away). |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $100 application fee for initial licensure. |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $65 application fee (covers the first license until its next expiration date); nonrefundable. |
| South Carolina | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $150 initial application fee; nonrefundable and not prorated. |
| South Dakota | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $100 nonrefundable application fee, plus a $65 annual license fee. |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $280 due with the application: $85 application fee, $185 initial license fee, and $10 state regulatory fee. |
| Texas | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $100 nonrefundable application fee. |
| Utah | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 nonrefundable application fee (DOPL fee schedule). Fingerprint search fees are added. |
| Vermont | No | No | 2 yrs | $90 registration application fee; $275 biennial renewal. |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $140 application and initial licensure fee (nonrefundable). |
| Washington | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $226 application and initial license fee (includes a $16 HEALWA library fee), nonrefundable. |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $50 application fee plus a $300 two-year license fee (194 CSR 4). |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $75 initial license fee. |
More states are added only once their rules are checked against the state's own commissioning office.
General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with your state's commissioning office before you apply.