How to Become a Massage Therapist in Arizona

Checked against Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy · Verified 2026-10-17

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: $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.
Licensed by: Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy

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Who can apply

You must be at least 18 years old.
You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
You must have a high school diploma or GED (or have passed a federally recognized ability-to-benefit exam).
You must complete at least 700 classroom and clinical hours at a board-recognized massage school.
You must hold a current Arizona DPS Level One fingerprint clearance card and pass a state and FBI fingerprint check.
In the five years before applying, you cannot have a misdemeanor conviction for prostitution, solicitation or a similar offense related to massage.
If English is not your native language, you must pass the TOEFL iBT (25 in each section) or the TOEIC within 24 months before you apply.

Step by step

Complete a massage program of at least 700 hours at a board-recognized school.
If your school is out of state, or is an Arizona school the board does not exempt, pass the MBLEx (or the NCBTMB BCETMB).
Submit the initial application on the board website with a passport-style color photo and the $217 fee ($195 application plus $22 background check). You may apply up to 30 days before graduation.
Get two FD-258 fingerprint cards: mail one to the board, and use the other to apply to Arizona DPS for a Level One (Non-IVP) fingerprint clearance card.
Have your school send transcripts, FSMTB or NCBTMB send your exam result, and every state where you have held a license send a verification directly to the board.
Email the board a scan of your DPS Level One card when you get it.
The board issues your license after the FBI check clears and it has your DPS card copy.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Arizona's rule requires at least 700 classroom and clinical hours of supervised instruction at a board-recognized school for applications filed on or after January 1, 2008. The board recognizes Arizona schools approved by the State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or run by a career technical education district. Out-of-state schools must be accredited or approved by a similar agency, and must apply to the board for recognition.

Exam: Graduates of out-of-state schools must pass the MBLEx (FSMTB) or the NCBTMB board certification exam (BCETMB), with results sent directly to the board. Under A.R.S. 32-4222(B)(1) and the board's FAQ, graduates of an Arizona school accredited by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognizes are exempt from the exam; the board's licensing notice says the MBLEx is mandatory for any Arizona program that is not COMTA nationally accredited. The MBLEx is a 100-question, computer-adaptive test with 110 minutes at Pearson VUE centers, reported as pass or fail, with a $265 application fee for each attempt.

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What it costs in Arizona

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

Board application fee$195
Board background check fee$22
DPS Level One fingerprint clearance card (fee paid to DPS)$
MBLEx application fee (FSMTB), if an exam is required(optional)$265
Massage school tuition (700+ hours)$
License renewal every two years$95

Estimated total in Arizona$312Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Arizona DPS Level One fingerprint clearance card: fee paid directly to DPS (the board does not state the amount).
Fingerprint rolling on FD-258 cards (set by the fingerprint provider).
MBLEx application fee: $265, paid to FSMTB, if you must take the exam.
School tuition varies by program.

Keeping your license

Renewal: Licenses renew every other year on your birthday. The renewal fee is $95 ($40 more if late). You must affirm at least 24 hours of board-approved continuing education in the two years before renewal; no more than 12 hours may be distance learning, and extra hours do not carry over. You must keep a valid DPS Level One clearance card. A license lapsed more than three years requires a new application.

Good to know in Arizona

Licensed in another state: You can apply by reciprocity if you have been licensed in another state for at least two of the last five years, or if you hold current NCBTMB certification and finished at least 500 school hours. You can also use Arizona's universal recognition law if you have held a license in another state for at least one year, it is active, and you live in Arizona.

California applicants: The board says applicants coming from California's voluntary certification program do not qualify for the reciprocity route.

Temporary license: The executive director may issue a temporary license to an applicant who has filed a complete application, meets the basic qualifications and finished a board-recognized course. It lasts no more than 180 days.

No work while pending: You cannot work as a massage therapist while your application shows as pending. You must wait until the board issues your license.

Past discipline elsewhere: You are not eligible if, in the past five years, you voluntarily surrendered an Arizona massage license or had a massage or similar license revoked elsewhere for conduct the board could discipline. If another jurisdiction is investigating you, the board pauses your application until that investigation is resolved.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy before you apply.