Licensed Massage Therapist

Requirements for all applicants

• Be at least 18 years of age or have received a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma.
• Determine the correct method of application:
  • If you do not hold an active massage therapist license in another state, or if you hold an active license which did not require you to graduate from a course of study of 500 or more clock hours, you will need to apply by examination.
  • If you do hold a massage therapist license in another state which required you to complete a course of study of 500 or more clock hours as a requirement of licensing, you will likely apply by endorsement. You will be required to pass an approved examination if the state you are endorsing from did not require you to take an examination for licensing.
  • Additional requirements for examination and endorsement methods can be found below.
    
• Complete a background screening with an approved Livescan provider.
  Visit flhealthsource.gov/background-screening for additional information.
• Submit your application and fee payment. To explore additional requirements, choose a method below:

Additional Requirements for Examination Applicants

For applicants with…

• Complete a course of study at a board approved massage school consisting of 500 or more clock hours.
  • For applicants who graduated from a Florida board approved massage school, completion will be verified using an official transcript or graduate list.
  • For applicants who graduated from a school in another state, completion will be verified by submission of an official transcript. If staff cannot verify the approval of your school, additional documentation may be requested.
  • For applicants who graduated from a school outside the United States, completion will be documented by the submission of an evaluation of your transcript prepared by an education credentialing service.
  • Documentation of your completed course of study must come directly from your school, the custodian of records if your school has closed, or the credentialing service if you graduated from a school outside the United States. Unofficial transcripts and transcripts sent directly by applicants will not be accepted.
• Pass an examination approved by the Board.
  The following examinations are currently approved by the Board.
• Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB).Exam scores may be requested online at www.fsmtb.org. The FSMTB can be reached by phone at 1-866-962-3926. The FSMTB will provide your scores directly to the Board office. Do not submit score reports as a part of your application.
• National Certification Exam in Therapeutic Massage (NCETM),
  National Certification Examination in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB), or National Exam for State Licensure (NESL), if taken through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) prior to their retirement. Exam scores can be requested online at ncbtmb.org. The NCBTMB can be reached by phone at 1-800-296-0664. The NCBTMB will provide your scores directly to the Board office. Do not submit score reports as a part of your application.
• Complete a ten-hour Florida Laws and Rules course with an approved CE provider, or as part of a course of study at a board approved massage school in Florida. Approved courses and providers can be found by visiting www.cebroker.com.

If you have been found guilty of or had adjudication withheld for, or pled guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to a crime in any jurisdiction other than a minor traffic offense, you will need to need to submit the following for each conviction:

• Self-Explanation describing in detail the circumstances surrounding the arrest and conviction.
• Arrest records from the arresting jurisdiction.
• Final disposition of the case.
• Documents showing completion of sentence (probation, parole, sanctions, fines, etc.).

If arrest, disposition, or completion of sentencing records are unavailable, the clerk of courts or other agency responsible for those records may submit documentation attesting to the unavailability of those records.

Some convictions may require review by the Board of Massage Therapy during a regularly scheduled meeting. Board staff cannot advise you as to how the board may find based on documented criminal history, as applications which require board review are evaluated by the board on a case-by-case basis.

Reviews are scheduled for 90 or less days from the date your application is complete, including receipt of all supporting documentation. If your application is scheduled for review, you will be notified in writing by board staff.

Failure to disclose criminal history on your application may result in the denial of your application or conditions (fines, additional continuing education) imposed on your license, once issued.

If you have ever been denied a license, had disciplinary action taken against a license, have action pending against a license, or have had other action taken against you by a licensing agency (e.g. unlicensed activity) you will need to submit the following for each denial, action, pending action or prior action:

• Self-Explanation describing in detail the circumstances surrounding the circumstances of the action.
• Agency records of that action, including all administrative complaints and final orders.

Disciplinary history requires review by the Board of Massage Therapy during a regularly scheduled meeting; board staff cannot advise you as to how the board may find based on disciplinary history, as applications which require board review are evaluated by the board on a case-by-case basis.

Reviews are scheduled for 90 or less days from the date your application is complete, including receipt of all supporting documentation. When your application is scheduled for review, you will be notified in writing by board staff.

Failure to disclose disciplinary history on your application may result in the denial of your application or conditions imposed on your license once issued.

If a “Yes” response was provided to any of the questions in this section, provide the following documents directly to the board office:

A letter from a Licensed Health Care Practitioner, who is qualified by skill and training to address the condition identified, which explains the impact the condition may have on the ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety. The letter must specify that the applicant is safe to practice the profession without restrictions or specifically indicate the restrictions that are necessary. Documentation provided must be dated within one year of the application date.

A written self-explanation, identifying the medical condition(s) or occurrence(s); and current status.

Effective July 1, 2012, Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes (F.S.), provides that health care boards or the department shall refuse to issue a license, certificate or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant:

1. Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under Chapter 409, F.S., (relating to social and economic assistance), Chapter 817, F.S., (relating to fraudulent practices), Chapter 893, F.S., (relating to drug abuse prevention and control) or a similar felony offense(s) in another state or jurisdiction unless the candidate or applicant has successfully completed a drug court program for that felony and provides proof that the plea has been withdrawn or the charges have been dismissed. Any such conviction or plea shall exclude the applicant or candidate from licensure, examination, certification, or registration, unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or plea ended:
   1. For the felonies of the first or second degree, more than 15 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
   2. For the felonies of the third degree, more than 10 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
   3. For the felonies of the third degree under section 893.13(6)(a), F.S., more than five years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
2. Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 (relating to controlled substances) or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396 (relating to public health, welfare, Medicare and Medicaid issues), unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the date of the application;
3. Has been terminated for cause from the Florida Medicaid program pursuant to section 409.913, F.S., unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with the Florida Medicaid program for the most recent five years;
4. Has been terminated for cause, pursuant to the appeals procedures established by the state or Federal Government, from any other state Medicaid program, unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with a state Medicaid program for the most recent five years and the termination occurred at least 20 years before the date of the application;
5. Is currently listed on the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities.

Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on August 31, 2025.

The Department will renew your license upon receipt of:

• Completed CE requirements
• Completed renewal application
• Complete a mandatory background screening or retain* your current fingerprints. To learn more, please visit https://flhealthsource.gov/background-screening/.

*Required section 456.0135(6)(1), Florida Statutes, a $43.25 fee is required for FDLE to retain your fingerprint for background screening during this licensure cycle. This fee is collected at the time of licensure renewal if your fingerprint retention is expiring this licensure period. If your fingerprint retention expires in the next 60 days, you will need to to pay separately through the Clearinghouse Applicant Initiated (CHAI) System.

To ensure you receive your renewal notification from the department, your current mailing address must be on file. Failure to renew an active or inactive license by the expiration date will result in the license being placed in delinquent status. Failure by a delinquent licensee to renew before the expiration of the current licensure cycle renders the license null and void without any further action by the board or the department.

Licensees requesting to reactivate their license from inactive or retired status are required to pay additional fees and comply with specific continuing education requirements. Please contact the board office at info@floridasmassagetherapy.gov to request your reactivation requirements.

There have been changes to the license renewal process. Please visit CE Broker to learn more.

In continued response to COVID-19 and the ongoing concerns of licensees, the Board of Massage Therapy approved an additional two-year change to renewal requirements.

Check here for additional information about completing hands-on courses by distance learning.

Licensees who wish to reactivate their Inactive Massage Therapist license must meet the following requirements:

1. Submit a statement to the board requesting reactivation of license with the applicable fee.
2. Submit proof of completion of continuing education requirements for each biennium the license was in Inactive status.

Check here for a list of CE requirements per biennium (PDF).

A licensee who remained on inactive status for more than two consecutive biennial licensure cycles may be required to demonstrate the competency to resume active practice by sitting for a special purpose examination or by completing other reactivation requirements.