Massage Regulations, State-By-State

Listed below are the requirements for licensing massage practitioners for each state. Required hours means the number of hours of training a masseur must receive before the state recognizes him as a professional. Typical massage curriculum covers anatomy and physiology, pathology and medical conditions, and clinical (practical) and business skills. Many states do not regulate the practice of massage, but this does not mean that local city codes do not govern it. California, for example, has no statewide licencing requirements, but almost all major cities have their own local rules.

NCETMB is the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. It is administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, a private organization which seeks to standardize the training and knowledge required to practice massage in the United States. Their test is accepted in most states for licensure.

Alabama
Required Hours: 650
Exams Required: NCETMB
Alabama Licensing Board
610 S. McDonough St.
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-269-9990

Alaska
None

Arizona
Required Hours: 750
Exams Required: NCETMB
State of Arizona
Board of Massage Therapy
1400 West Washington, Suite# 230
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
(602) 542-8604

Arkansas
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: State board or NCETMB
State Board of Massage Therapy
P O Box 20739
Hot Springs, AR 71903
501-623-0444

California
Varies per municipality
Legislation has been introduced to require state licensure

Colorado
None

Connecticut
Required Hours: 500 hrs. from an approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB

State of Connecticut
Dept. of Public Health
Massage Therapy Licensure
410 Capital Ave. MS12MQA
Hartford, CT 06134
860-509-7570

Delaware
Required Hours: Massage Therapist - 500 supervised hours, Massage Technician - 100 supervised hours
Exams Required: NCETMB

Division of Professional Regulations
861 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 203
Dover, DE 19904
302-739-4522

Florida
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB
Florida Dept. of Health
Division of Medical Quality Assurance Board of Massage Therapy
4052 Bald Cypress Way - BIN # C06
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3259
850-488-0595

Georgia
none

Hawaii
Required Hours: 570
Exams Required: State-administered exam

Dept. of Commerce & Consumer Affairs
State Board of Massage
P O Box 3469
1010 Richards Street
Honolulu, HI 96801
808-586-3000

Idaho
none

Illinois
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB
Illinois Dept. of Professional Regulation
320 West Washington Street
Springfield, IL 62786
217-782-8556

Indiana
none

Iowa
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB

Iowa State Dept. of Public Health
Bureau of Professional Licensure
Lucas State Office Building
321 E. 12th St. - 4th Floor
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
515-281-6959

Kansas
none

Kentucky
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB
Division of Occupations & Professions
P O Box 1360
Frankfort, KY 40602
Phone: 502-564-3296

Louisiana
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB and state-administered oral exam

Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy
12022 Plank Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70811
225-771-4090

Maine
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB

State of Maine
Dept. of Professional & Financial Regulations
Office of Licensing & Registration 35 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0035
Phone: 207-624-8613

Maryland
Required Hours: 500 hrs. from an approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB

Maryland Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene
Massage Therapy Program
4201 Patterson Street
Baltimore, MD 21215-2299
410-764-4738

Massachussetts
none

Michigan
none

Minnesota
Legislation has been introduced to require state licensure

Mississippi
Required Hours: 600 in class, 100 supervised hours of practice
Exams Required: NCETMB

State Board of Massage
P O Box 12489
Jackson, MS 39236-2489
601-856-2127

Missouri
Required Hours: 500 and state-administered written exam
Exams Required: NCETMB

Missouri State Board of Therapeutic Massage
3605 Missouri Blvd.
PO Box 1335
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1335
573-522-6277

Montana
none

Nebraska
Required Hours: 1,000
Exams Required: NCETMB and state-administered practical exam
HHSR&L Credentialing Division
P O Box 94986
Lincoln, NE 68509
402-471-2117

Nevada
none

New Hampshire
Required Hours: 750
Exams Required: NCETMB and state-administered practical exam

New Hampshire Dept. of Health & Human Services
129 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301-3857
603-271-0853

New Jersey
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB

Board of Nursing
P O Box 45010
Newark, NJ 07101
973-504-6493

New Mexico
Required Hours: 650
Exams Required: NCETMB
State of New Mexico
Massage Therapy Board
2055 Pacheco Street - Suite 400
Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-476-7090

New York
Required Hours: 1,000
Exams Required: Written exam
New York State Education Dept.
State Board of Massage Therapy
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
518-474-3866

North Carolina
Required Hours: 500 hrs. at an approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB

North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy
P O Box 2539
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-546-0050

North Dakota
Required Hours: 750
Exams Required: State-administered written & practical exams

State Board of Massage
119 Victoria Court
Grand Forks, ND 58201
701-225-3906

Ohio
Required Hours: 600
Exams Required: State-administered written exam

State Medical Board of Ohio
Massage Licensing Division
77 S. High Street - 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6127
614-466-3934

Oklahoma
none

Oregon
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB and state-administered practical exam
Oregon Board of Massage Therapy
746 Hawthorne Avenue, NW
Salem, OR 97301
503-365-8657

Pennsylvania
none

Rhode Island
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB
State of Rhode Island
Division of Health Services
Regulation
3 Capitol Hill - Room 104
Providence, RI 02908
401-222-2827

South Carolina
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB

South Carolina Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
P O Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29211-1329
803-896-4490

South Dakota
none

Tennessee
Required Hours: 500 hrs. from an approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB

Massage Licensure Board
Cordell Hull Bldg., 1st Floor
425 5th Avenue, North
Nashville, TN 37247-1010
615-532-5135

Texas
Required Hours: 250 hrs. and a 50 hr. internship
Exams Required: State-administered written & practical exams

Department of Health Professional Licensing
Massage Therapy Program
1100 W. 49th Street
Austin, TX 78756-3183
512-834-6616

Utah
Required: Graduate of approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB or state-administered exam

Division of Occupational & Professional Licensing
Board of Massage Therapy
P O Box 146741
Salt Lake City, UT 84144-6741
801-530-6628

Vermont
none

Virginia
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB

Department of Health Professions
Board of Nursing
6603 W. Broad Street - 5th Floor
Richmond, VA 23230-1712
804-662-7636

Washington
Required Hours: 500 hrs. from an approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB

Washington State Dept. of Health
Health Professions Quality Assurance
Board of Massage
P O Box 47868
Olympia, WA 98504-7868
360-236-4866

Washington, DC
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB and city-administered written exam

Board of Massage Therapy
825 N. Capitol Street NE
Second Floor - #2224
Washington, DC 20002
202-442-9200

West Virginia
Required Hours: 500
Exams Required: NCETMB

Massage Therapy Licensure Board
200 Davis Street #1
Princeton, WV 24740-7430
304-487-1400

Wisconsin
Required Hours: 600 hrs. at an approved school
Exams Required: NCETMB

State of Wisconsin
Department of Regulation & Licensure
Massage Therapy and Bodywork
P O Box 8935
Madison, WI 53708-8935
608-266-2112

Wyoming
none

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