How to Become a Massage Therapist in Alabama

Who can apply

• You must complete at least 650 hours of massage therapy instruction that meets the Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Act.
• You must pass the MBLEx or the BCETMB (or another exam the state approves case by case).
• You must complete a fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check.
• You must carry professional and general liability insurance of at least $1 million with an "A"-rated or better insurer.
• You must prove U.S. citizenship or lawful presence.

Step by step

1. Complete at least 650 hours of instruction at a massage therapy school.
2. Pass the MBLEx (or the BCETMB) and have your score report sent to the ADPH Massage Therapy Program.
3. Buy professional and general liability insurance of at least $1 million.
4. Create an account in the online Gateway and submit your license application with the $150 fee, your lawful-presence documents and proof of insurance.
5. Have your school email your official transcript to the program, and send license verifications from every state where you have been licensed.
6. After you submit the application, register with FieldPrint and get fingerprinted for the background check.
7. ADPH reviews your file and issues your two-year license.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Alabama requires at least 650 hours of instruction from a massage therapy school: 100 hours of anatomy and physiology (including 35 hours of myology, 15 of osteology, 10 of the circulatory system and 10 of the nervous system), 250 hours of basic massage therapy and related touch modalities (including at least 50 hours of supervised massage), 50 hours of business, hydrotherapy, first aid, CPR, ethics and state massage laws, and 250 hours of electives set by the school. ADPH lists approved schools and instructors. If you were licensed in another state and your program did not match Alabama's, your continuing education and work experience may be considered.

Exam: Pass the MBLEx from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) or the Board Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCETMB). The MBLEx is a 100-question, computer-adaptive test with 110 minutes, given at Pearson VUE centers and reported as pass or fail; the application fee is $265 and you must reapply and pay again to retake it. Other state exams are approved only case by case, and ADPH says it currently does not accept Texas exams in place of a national exam.

What it costs in Alabama

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Keeping your license

Renewal: Renew every two years on or before the license anniversary date. The renewal fee is $125. You must upload certificates for 16 contact hours of continuing education from approved providers, completed in the 24 months before renewal, and show current $1 million liability insurance. Keep CE records for four years. A license expired more than five years cannot be reinstated; reinstatement within that window costs $175.

Good to know in Alabama

Agency change: The Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board (AMTLB) used to issue licenses. As of October 1, 2026, ADPH is the regulating agency. Applications still go through the same Gateway at gateway.amtlb.alabama.gov.

Fingerprint timing: Do not get fingerprinted before you apply. If ADPH receives your background check before your application, you must redo and pay for it again. Only FieldPrint prints made for an Alabama massage license are accepted.

Licensed in another state: You can apply by endorsement with primary source verification of your other state license, proof that state's requirements were equal to or stricter than Alabama's when you were licensed, your transcript, insurance and a background check.

Temporary permit: A first-time applicant with a complete application may get one temporary permit for supervised practice, valid up to 120 days, at a named licensed establishment with a licensed massage therapist on site.

Military spouses: An eligible military spouse with an active, unencumbered license in another state can get a 365-day temporary permit and is exempt from the initial license fee.

Age and disqualifications: You must be at least 18 when you apply. You cannot be licensed if you knowingly performed massage at or for a sexually oriented business, or were convicted of (or pleaded no contest to) prostitution or another sexual offense in the three years before applying.

Sources

• ADPH - Massage Therapy Program home
• ADPH - (LMT) Massage Therapists: new license and renewal instructions
• ADPH - Massage Therapy Fee Schedule (Rule 532-X-1-.11)
• ADPH - Massage Therapy Fingerprinting
• Ala. Admin. Code Chapter 532-X-3 - Massage Therapist Licensure
• Ala. Admin. Code Chapter 532-X-6 - Continuing Education
• FSMTB - MBLEx Candidate Handbook 2026
• Ala. Admin. Code r. 532-X-3-.01 - Qualifications for licensure (LII copy)