How to Become a Massage Therapist in Louisiana

Who can apply

• You must complete a massage course that meets Louisiana law: the statute text the Legislature lists as in effect now requires at least 500 in-person, instructor-supervised hours of technique and practicum; the 2024 amendment (625 hours) applies once it takes effect. Ask the Board which applies to you (see training details).
• You must pass the MBLEx or an NCBTMB national exam.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident and able to read, write, speak and understand English fluently.
• You must not have been convicted of a nonviolent felony in the past 5 years.
• You must never have been convicted of (or pled no contest to) a violent felony or a crime involving sexual misconduct.
• You must clear a state and federal fingerprint background check.

Step by step

1. Complete a massage program at an approved school.
2. Pass the MBLEx through the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), or an NCBTMB exam.
3. Schedule a fingerprint appointment with IdentoGO using the Board's service code (27N68S) for a Louisiana State Police and FBI background check. You pay IdentoGO directly.
4. Download the New Applicant application from the Board's website, complete it, and return it to the Board office with the $75 application fee (cashier's check or money order). Online applications are not available right now.
5. After approval, register your license within 45 days by sending the registration form and fee. If you miss 45 days, you must apply again.
6. When your license arrives, attach a recent 2x2 inch photo to it. Your establishment must post your license or LMT-ID card, and you must carry your LMT-ID card while giving massage and show it on request.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Under La. R.S. 37:3556 as amended by Act 779 of 2024, the new standard course is at least 625 instructor-supervised hours taught in person: at least 400 hours of massage techniques and clinical practicum, up to 175 hours of anatomy and physiology (which may be taught by distance learning), at least 10 hours of Louisiana law, rules and ethics, and the rest in related subjects such as first aid and marketing. Schools have until December 31, 2026 to comply, and a course that met the law in effect when you enrolled also counts if you enrolled at an approved school before December 31, 2026 and apply when you finish. The Legislature's official statute page notes that this 625-hour version takes effect only when a proposed federal amendment (34 CFR 668.14(b)(26)) becomes effective; until then its text keeps the 500-hour minimum of in-person, instructor-supervised technique and practicum hours. The Board's 2026 law compilation shows the 625-hour text, and its current rule describes a 500-hour in-class curriculum (325 technique, 125 anatomy and physiology, 50 related hours). Ask the Board or your school which standard applies to you.

Exam: Louisiana accepts the MBLEx from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) or the NCBTMB national exam. There is no separate state exam.

What it costs in Louisiana

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: Every license expires March 31 each year. Renewal costs $125; a late renewal adds $100. Except in your first year of licensure, you need at least 12 hours of continuing education each year from a Board-registered provider (for the 2026 renewal, CE had to be completed between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026). Renewals must be postmarked or received by March 31.

Good to know in Louisiana

Provisional license (new August 1, 2026): Graduates of a state-approved Louisiana massage school can get a provisional license for one 3-month term that cannot be renewed. You may only work at a registered massage business that employs a fully licensed therapist, and the business must tell clients you hold a provisional license. If you do not pass the national exam before it expires, you must apply again as a new applicant.

Licensed in another state: If you hold a current license in a state with substantially similar requirements, the education and exam requirements can be waived. You apply by reciprocity and must have license verification sent from every state where you were licensed, active or expired.

Military members and spouses: Active or retired military members and spouses who move to Louisiana with a license from a state with substantially equivalent requirements can be licensed without meeting the education and exam requirements again.

Register within 45 days: After the Board approves your application, you must register your license within 45 days. If you wait longer, you must complete the whole application process again.

Welcome Home Act: If you live in Louisiana (with proof of residency) and hold a license from another state that has been active for at least one year and is in good standing, you may qualify under the Welcome Home Act. You need a background check and license verification, and the Board must give a written decision within 60 days of receiving a complete application. A license issued this way cannot be used under an interstate compact or for reciprocity elsewhere.

Lapsed license: If your Louisiana license has lapsed with no discipline, you file a separate Lapsed License application with a background check, and must complete 24 board-approved continuing education units in the current licensure year.

Sources

• Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy
• LBMT - Professional Applications
• LBMT - Register Your License (fees, provisional license)
• LBMT - Background Information (IdentoGO fingerprinting)
• LBMT - National Exam
• LBMT - Licensee Notices (2026 renewal)
• Louisiana Massage Therapy Act, La. R.S. 37:3551 et seq., as effective August 1, 2026 (posted by LBMT)
• LAC Title 46, Part XLIV - Massage Therapists rules (posted by LBMT)
• La. R.S. 37:3556 (Louisiana State Legislature)