How to Become a Massage Therapist in Rhode Island

Who can apply

• You must be over 18 years old.
• For applications filed on or after January 1, 2026, you need an official transcript showing 800 hours of in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work (or the equivalent if you are already licensed in another state).
• You must pass the MBLEx or another national exam approved by the Department.
• You must hold current first aid and CPR certificates.
• You must pass a national fingerprint-based criminal background check. A conviction for any sexual offense means the license must be denied.

Step by step

1. Complete an approved massage therapy program of at least 800 hours of supervised in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work.
2. Pass the MBLEx (or another Department-approved national exam) and have the score sent directly to the Board by the exam agency.
3. Get fingerprinted for a national criminal records check through your Rhode Island local police or the RI State Police; the report must go directly from the Bureau of Criminal Identification to the Board.
4. Have your school send your official transcript directly to the Board. If you hold or held a license elsewhere, send the Interstate Verification Form to each of those states.
5. Mail the application with a copy of your ID, first aid and CPR certificates, and the $65 fee by check or money order payable to the RI General Treasurer.
6. Finish within one year. Applications expire one year after RIDOH receives them.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Rhode Island's massage law (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-95-9, enacted in 2024) requires an approved massage therapy program with at least 800 hours of supervised in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work. RIDOH's application applies the 800-hour rule to applications filed on or after January 1, 2026. Applicants licensed in another state can use equivalents: 15 hours per semester credit of related college study, 100 hours per year of full-time practice, and up to 100 hours of continuing education.

Exam: You must pass the MBLEx from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards or another national exam approved by the Department, with results sent directly from the exam agency. The MBLEx is a computer-based test of 100 multiple-choice questions in 110 minutes; the FSMTB application fee is $265, and FSMTB does not limit retakes, but you must reapply and pay again each time.

What it costs in Rhode Island

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 law says the Department shall act on an application within 60 days of receiving it.

Keeping your license

Renewal: Under RIDOH's current application and rules, licenses expire every year on June 30, renewal is $65, and you need 6 continuing education units each year. The 2024 law (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-95-10) moves massage licenses to renewal every two years with 24 CE units every two years, with details to be set by board rule. Check with RIDOH which cycle applies when you renew.

Good to know in Rhode Island

Law change: Rhode Island's massage licensing law moved to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-95 in 2024. It raised the education requirement to 800 hours and calls for two-year licenses with 24 CE units per cycle. The current RIDOH rules (216-RICR-40-05-10) still describe a 650-hour minimum, one-year licenses and 6 CE units a year.

Criminal background: If your national background check reveals a conviction for any sexual offense, the license must be denied. If other disqualifying information is found, you can ask that the report be sent to the Board, which then decides on your license.

Military applicants: Active-duty service members, reservists, their spouses and honorably discharged veterans can request expedited processing by sending an LES, letter from command, orders or a DD-214.

Local rules: Cities and towns may regulate where and how massage businesses operate, but they cannot add background check requirements for licensees beyond the state's.

Sources

• RIDOH - Application for License as a Massage Therapist (rev. 9/30/2025)
• RIDOH - Massage Therapy licensing page
• R.I. Gen. Laws 5-95-9 - Qualifications for licensure
• R.I. Gen. Laws 5-95-10 - Licensure renewal and continuing education
• R.I. Gen. Laws 23-1-54 - Department of Health fees
• 216-RICR-40-05-10 - Massage Therapists (rules)
• FSMTB - MBLEx Candidate Handbook 2026