How to Become a Massage Therapist in Tennessee

Who can apply

• You must be at least 18 (proved with a birth certificate or equivalent). Applicants not born in the U.S. must prove lawful presence.
• You must complete a massage curriculum of at least 650 classroom hours at a school approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (or its equivalent in another state) or the Tennessee Board of Regents.
• You must pass the MBLEx or another board-approved competency exam before you apply.
• You must pass a criminal background check through the state's contracted vendor.
• A conviction for prostitution or a sexual misconduct offense disqualifies you. A Tennessee felony conviction may disqualify you.

Step by step

1. Complete a 650-hour massage program at an approved school, including 5 hours on Tennessee massage laws taken in person or live.
2. Register with FSMTB and pass the MBLEx (or another board-approved exam), then have the result sent directly to the board.
3. Get a criminal background check from the vendor named in the board's application materials.
4. Collect two recent (within 12 months) signed letters from licensed health care professionals attesting to your character and ethics.
5. Submit the application online through the board's licensure system (or by mail) with the $280 fees, proof of age, and your school transcript sent directly from the school.
6. Wait for the board's decision. An initial decision is made by the end of the month in which a complete application arrives.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: At least 650 classroom hours (Rule 0870-01-.05): 200 hours of sciences (anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, HIV/AIDS and bloodborne pathogens, hygiene); 300 hours of massage theory and practice (including supervised practice and intern clinic); 125 hours of related subjects (business, communication, CPR/first aid, ADA, specialized modalities); 20 hours of ethics; and 5 hours of Tennessee massage statutes and rules taken in person or in a live format. Up to 195 hours may be online, but kinesiology and hands-on coursework may not be online. The school must be approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or its equivalent in another state, or by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Exam: You must pass the MBLEx (from FSMTB) or another board-approved competency exam before you apply. The board's page also names the NCBTMB exam. You apply and pay the exam fee to the testing agency, not to the board, and the agency sends your result directly to the board.

What it costs in Tennessee

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's instructions say average processing is about six weeks absent complicating factors; an initial decision on a complete application is made before the end of the month in which it is received (Rule 0870-01-.08).

What other sites get wrong about Tennessee

Keeping your license

Renewal: Licenses renew every two years on a date set by the state's staggered renewal system; renewal can be done online up to 45 days before expiration. The renewal fee is $185 plus a $10 state regulatory fee ($100 extra if late). A license not renewed within 60 days of expiration is administratively revoked. You need 24 hours of board-approved continuing education every two calendar years, including 2 hours on Tennessee massage statutes and rules and 2 hours on practice management, ethics, or substance abuse. At most 8 of the 24 hours may be online or other multimedia. New licensees are not exempt: their hours are pro-rated by the month they were licensed (from 24 hours if licensed in January of the cycle's first year down to 4 hours late in the second year).

Good to know in Tennessee

Hours rose from 500 to 650: Tennessee rules used to require 500 classroom hours. The current rule requires 650 hours, and older board forms that still say 500 are out of date.

Disclosures: You must disclose any criminal conviction (except minor traffic offenses), licensing denial or discipline in any state, malpractice judgments or settlements, and any failed licensing exam.

Temporary authorization: After initial approval by a board member or consultant, the board may issue a temporary authorization while your license is ratified.

Advertising: Licensees must use the title Massage Therapist (M.T.) or Licensed Massage Therapist (L.M.T.) in every advertisement.

Licensed in another state: You can apply by reciprocity with a transcript meeting Tennessee's curriculum plus a passing approved exam, or skip the education rule under T.C.A. 63-18-116 by having NCBTMB send proof of your certification for the 5 years immediately before you apply and showing massage practice in another state for those same 5 years. All reciprocity applicants must show 5 hours of Tennessee law and 20 hours of ethics, not self-directed.

Missing documents deadline: If your application is incomplete, the board sends a deficiency letter. The requested documents must reach the board within 65 days of that letter or your file is closed (Rule 0870-01-.08(3)).

Establishment license: A massage therapy establishment must be separately licensed by the board unless it is exempt under T.C.A. 63-18-110 (Rule 0870-01-.06).

Sources

• Tennessee Department of Health - Board of Massage Licensure
• Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0870-01 - General Rules Governing Licensed Massage Therapists and Establishments (rev. January 2026)
• Tennessee Secretary of State - Rules of the Board of Massage Licensure (0870)
• Tennessee Department of Health - PH-3546 Instructions for Licensure as a Massage Therapist