How to Become a Massage Therapist in Georgia

Who can apply

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must have a high school diploma, GED or recognized equivalent.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• You must graduate from a board-recognized massage therapy program of at least 500 clock hours of supervised classroom and hands-on instruction.
• You must pass the MBLEx (or an accepted NCBTMB exam).
• You must pass a GCIC and FBI fingerprint background check.
• You must carry liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $3 million annual aggregate.

Step by step

1. Complete a board-recognized massage program of at least 500 supervised clock hours.
2. Pass the MBLEx and have FSMTB send official verification to the board.
3. Get liability insurance covering bodily injury, property damage and professional liability ($1 million per occurrence, $3 million aggregate).
4. Register in the GOALS portal and submit a signed, notarized application with the fee, an affidavit of citizenship and a secure and verifiable document.
5. Right after applying, register and complete your fingerprint background check through the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS/Idemia).
6. Have your school email your official transcript directly to the board, and have every state where you have held a license send a verification.
7. Fix any deficiencies within 60 days. Processing can take up to 25 business days once your file is complete.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Georgia residents must graduate from a board-recognized massage therapy education program with at least 500 total clock hours of supervised classroom and supervised hands-on instruction. "Supervised" means a qualified instructor is physically on site; online courses without an on-site instructor do not count. Board rules require at least 125 hours of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology, 40 hours of pathology, 200 hours of massage theory, technique and practice, 125 hours of contraindications, professional standards and related topics, and 10 hours of ethics and business (at least 6 in ethics), including 50 to 60 hours of supervised student clinical practice. Credits must be converted to clock hours on the transcript. Out-of-state programs must be substantially equal to Georgia programs; the board suggests checking that the school had an NCBTMB school code when you attended and is approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign-trained applicants need an evaluation from ICD or IERF.

Exam: The board accepts a passing score on the MBLEx from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, or on NCBTMB's NCETM, NCETMB or NESL. Invalidated or nullified scores make you ineligible. Georgia has no state law exam. 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.

What it costs in Georgia

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

How long it takes

The board says processing can take up to 25 business days once the application and all documents are received; documents sent later are processed within 15 business days.

Keeping your license

Renewal: Licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years and are renewed online; the late renewal period is November 1-30. You need 24 contact hours of continuing education each renewal period, and 12 of them must be from courses that are at least 70% direct, hands-on supervised instruction. Record each course and certificate in CE Broker. A license expired more than two years requires reinstatement, including CE and retaking the exam.

Good to know in Georgia

Licensed in another state: An out-of-state license does not let you practice in Georgia. You must get a Georgia license by endorsement. Non-residents of Georgia with a current, clean license elsewhere can get a six-month provisional permit to work under direct supervision of a Georgia licensee.

National certification is not a license: The board says NCBTMB certification alone does not allow you to practice; you must hold an active Georgia license.

Deficiency deadline: If the board sends a deficiency notice, you have 60 days to fix it or your application is withdrawn and you must start over with new fees.

Sources

• Georgia Board of Massage Therapy
• Georgia SOS - How to Guide: Massage Therapist
• Georgia SOS - FAQ for the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy
• Georgia Board of Massage Therapy - Fee Schedule (Rev. 03/03/2022)
• Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 345-3 - Applications
• Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 345-4 - License Renewal, Continuing Education, Inactive Status and Reinstatement
• FSMTB - MBLEx Candidate Handbook 2026
• Georgia Board of Massage Therapy Fee Schedule (rev. 03/03/2022, archived 2025)
• Georgia Board of Massage Therapy FAQ (archived April 2026)
• Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 345-8-.01 - Curriculum Requirements