How to Become a Massage Therapist in Texas

Who can apply

• You must be at least 18.
• You must complete a TDLR-approved massage course of at least 500 hours at a licensed massage school. Online schools are not accepted for initial licensure.
• You must pass either the State of Texas massage exam (given by PSI for TDLR) or the MBLEx plus the Texas Jurisprudence Exam. TDLR says the exam must be passed within the last two years.
• You must pass a criminal history check that includes fingerprints. Some convictions make you ineligible under Occupations Code 455.152; others are reviewed case by case.

Step by step

1. Complete the 500-hour course at a Texas-licensed massage school. Texas schools register students, and TDLR emails graduates instructions to apply.
2. Submit the massage therapist license application online with the $100 nonrefundable fee and your certified transcript.
3. Once your school reports your hours, take the State of Texas exam through PSI, or pass the MBLEx through FSMTB and then the Texas Jurisprudence Exam.
4. Get fingerprinted for a national criminal history check after you apply. Your license will not be issued until this is done.
5. If you have any criminal convictions or deferred adjudications, send TDLR the Criminal History Questionnaire.
6. When TDLR issues the license, you can print an online license verification and start working while the card arrives.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: At least 500 hours in a TDLR-approved course at a licensed massage school (16 TAC 117.20): 200 hours of massage techniques and theory (at least 125 of Swedish massage); 50 hours of anatomy; 25 of physiology; 50 of kinesiology; 40 of pathology; 20 of hydrotherapy; 45 of massage laws and rules, business practices and ethics; 20 of health, hygiene, first aid, universal precautions and CPR; and a 50-hour internship. Continuing education classes cannot count toward the 500 hours.

Exam: Two routes. (1) The State of Texas massage therapist exam, given by PSI for TDLR. It includes Texas law and rules, so no separate jurisprudence exam is needed. (2) The MBLEx from FSMTB plus the Texas Massage Therapist Jurisprudence Exam on Texas laws and rules. You must take the jurisprudence exam within 30 days of paying its registration fee. The NCBTMB board certification exam (BCETMB) is not accepted. TDLR reported a 70.2% pass rate on its written exam in fiscal year 2025.

What it costs in Texas

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: Licenses are valid for two years from the date of issue. To renew you need at least 12 hours of TDLR-approved or recognized continuing education and an HHSC-approved human trafficking prevention course, then pay the $75 renewal fee online. Your renewed license will not be issued until the fingerprinting requirement is complete; TDLR asks you to finish fingerprinting at least 30 days before the license expires. First aid/CPR can count for up to 6 hours. Late renewal costs 1.5 times the fee if expired 90 days or less, and 2 times the fee if expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months. A license expired at least 18 months but less than three years can be renewed only with executive director approval, at 2 times the fee. CE audits happen after renewal.

Good to know in Texas

Licensed in another state: There is no automatic transfer. You must show a 500-hour education that meets Texas rules (with transcripts and course descriptions), a license verification letter, an experience requirement that depends on your state, and pass the MBLEx and the Texas Jurisprudence Exam before you apply.

National certification is not a license: NCBTMB certification is voluntary. You still need a Texas license to practice or advertise massage therapy.

Criminal history pre-check: You can ask TDLR for a Criminal History Evaluation Letter before you enroll or apply. Criminal history reviews can take one to six weeks.

Photo on license: A current photo of the therapist must be attached to the front of the license.

Older 300-hour transcripts: Only people who first enrolled in massage school before September 1, 2007 may use a qualifying 300-hour transcript.

Establishment license: A business offering massage therapy needs a massage establishment license unless it qualifies for the solo practitioner exemption (only one massage therapist ever works there and all advertising includes that therapist's license number or full name).

Sources

• TDLR - Massage Therapy homepage
• TDLR - Apply for a New Massage Therapist License
• TDLR - Massage Therapy Examination Requirements
• TDLR - Transferring Your Massage Therapist License from Another State
• TDLR - Renew a Massage Therapist License
• TDLR - Continuing Education Requirements for Massage Therapists
• TDLR - Massage Therapy FAQs
• 16 Tex. Admin. Code 117.20 - Massage Therapist License Requirements (Cornell LII)
• FSMTB - MBLEx Candidate Handbook 2026