How to Get a Massachusetts Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Massachusetts is the one state where liability insurance is not a good idea — it is the law. Under M.G.L. c.112 §229, a licensed massage therapist must show the board proof of professional liability coverage as a condition of renewal. On top of that sit 650 hours with a published subject breakdown and, unusually, 100 hours of unpaid supervised clinical internship inside them.

What Massachusetts Actually Requires

• 650 hours from a board-approved school, broken down as: 100 hours anatomy and physiology, 45 pathology, 45 kinesiology, 300 supervised in-classroom massage theory and technique, and 60 ethics, professionalism and business practices.
• 100 hours of unpaid, supervised clinical internship or externship inside the 650 — the word unpaid is in the requirement.
• The MBLEx from the FSMTB ($265) or the NCETMB from NCBTMB, taken on or after 2010.
• Professional liability coverage — required by statute at renewal.
• A CORI check — Massachusetts screens by Criminal Offender Record Information, not fingerprints. You submit a CORI Acknowledgement Form with the application through eLIPSE.
• An establishment license for the premises if you operate one — Massachusetts licenses massage facilities separately, as a solo or multiple establishment license.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Renewal fee	Not less than $100	Set by the executive office of administration and finance under M.G.L. c.7 §3B
MBLEx exam	$265	Paid to FSMTB; NCETMB also accepted if taken on or after 2010
Massage school (650 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	Includes 100 hours of unpaid clinical internship — unpaid working time is a real cost
Professional liability insurance	Required by law	Proof of coverage is a condition of renewal, not a recommendation
Massachusetts LLC	$500	Certificate of organization — among the highest LLC filing fees in the country
Solo or multiple establishment license	See the Board’s current schedule	Facility licensure under 269 CMR 6.00 — separate from your therapist license

Before You Open a Practice: Premises, Background Checks and Out-of-State Licenses

Does Massachusetts license massage establishments?

Yes — the state licenses the facility as well as the therapist, and it does so in two forms. The Board of Registration of Massage Therapy issues a solo establishment license and a multiple establishment license, under the facility licensure rules at 269 CMR 6.00. Which one you need turns on whether you are the only therapist working there.

That means the sequence for opening in Massachusetts is two applications, not one: your own massage therapy license first, then a facility license for the premises. Budget the time for both, and check the Board’s current fee schedule — facility fees are set separately from the therapist fees already listed above.

What about your city or town? Massachusetts settled this at state level. Local boards of health are preempted from licensing and regulating massage therapists — the Board publishes guidance under exactly that heading. Under M.G.L. c.112 §§ 227–236 no person may practice massage therapy unless licensed by the state board, with a narrow exemption for certain barbers and hairdressers. What a local board of health may still regulate is other fields that are not licensed as massage therapy under those sections — so an adjacent service on your menu can still land under municipal rules even though your massage practice does not.

The practical version: do not accept a demand for a municipal massage therapist license without checking that preemption guidance first — but do expect zoning, building and fire requirements like any other commercial tenant, and do check whether anything else you offer falls outside the massage therapy definition.

Does Massachusetts require a background check?

Yes, but not the kind most states run. Massachusetts screens through CORI — Criminal Offender Record Information — rather than a fingerprint-based FBI check. You submit a CORI Acknowledgement Form and the Division’s CORI form with your application, all through the eLIPSE online platform.

The disqualification rules are specific, and they are time-limited — which cuts both ways. An applicant is disqualified from licensure if they have been convicted, in any jurisdiction, of a sexually-related crime or a crime involving moral turpitude in the 10 years immediately before the date of application. An applicant convicted of any felony within the past ten years may also be disqualified. Beyond those rules the Board evaluates records under the Division’s Policy Bulletin on the Handling and Evaluation of CORI Records, and it publishes its own policy regarding applicants with criminal convictions.

Two things follow. First, the ten-year clock runs to the date of application, so for a borderline conviction the filing date genuinely matters. Second, because this is a records check rather than a fingerprint search, accuracy of what you disclose is on you — if you are unsure what your record shows, request your own CORI before you file rather than after.

Can you transfer an out-of-state massage license to Massachusetts?

This is the question where the statute and the practice diverge, so take the practice.

M.G.L. c.112 § 230 is titled “Reciprocal licenses for massage therapists from other jurisdictions,” and provides that the board may grant reciprocal licenses where another jurisdiction’s standards are reasonably equivalent to those in section 229, with rules and a fee to be set. The permission exists in law.

In practice, Massachusetts does not currently operate a reciprocity process. An out-of-state licensee cannot transfer a license — you submit a new Massachusetts massage therapy license application like any other applicant, and meet the full requirements. What your existing license buys you is not a shortcut but a documentation obligation: you must send the Board a certificate of standing (also called a verification of licensure) for every jurisdiction where you have held a license, showing status and disciplinary history.

So plan on the full route, including the CORI screening and the 269 CMR facility license if you intend to open somewhere. If your circumstances are unusual — a very long licensure history, or training that predates current standards — call the Board on 617-701-8630 before filing, because a reciprocity provision that exists in statute but is not currently implemented is exactly the kind of thing worth asking about directly rather than assuming.

Liability Coverage Is a Statutory Condition of Renewal

Most states leave insurance to your judgment, your landlord, or your employer. Massachusetts wrote it into the licensing statute. M.G.L. c.112 §229 requires every licensed massage therapist, as a condition of renewal, to furnish the board with satisfactory proof of professional liability coverage — alongside proof of continuing education and a declaration that they have not been convicted of a sexually-related crime or a crime involving moral turpitude since first applying.

Practically, that means the policy is not a business expense you can defer to your second year. It is part of staying licensed, so build it into your first-year numbers alongside the renewal fee.

The other Massachusetts distinctive is the 100 hours of unpaid supervised clinical internship inside the 650. Those hours are real working time you are not paid for, and they extend the calendar of your training well beyond what an hour count alone suggests — worth factoring in if you are training while holding another job.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Complete 650 hours at a board-approved school with the 100/45/45/300/60 breakdown.
2. Complete the 100-hour unpaid supervised clinical internship inside that program.
3. Pass the MBLEx or NCETMB (on or after 2010).
4. Apply to the Board of Registration of Massage Therapy.
5. Bind professional liability coverage — you will need to prove it to renew, so start the policy with the practice.
6. Opening a studio? Register the entity, check your municipality, and keep the certificate of insurance current.

Staying Licensed

Renewal in Massachusetts requires three things beyond the fee, which is set by the executive office of administration and finance and is not less than $100: proof that you have not been convicted in any jurisdiction of a sexually-related crime or a crime involving moral turpitude since your original application; proof that you hold professional liability coverage; and proof of continuing education in massage therapy and business practices reflecting acceptable national standards, as reviewed and approved by the board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Massachusetts require massage therapists to carry insurance?

Yes. Under Mass. General Laws chapter 112, section 229, every licensed massage therapist must furnish the board with proof of professional liability coverage as a condition of renewing the license. Insurance is not optional in Massachusetts — no coverage, no renewal.

How many hours does Massachusetts require for a massage license?

650 hours of study from a board-approved school: 100 hours anatomy and physiology, 45 hours pathology, 45 hours kinesiology, 300 hours of supervised in-classroom massage theory and technique, and 60 hours of ethics, professionalism and business practices. The 650 hours must also include 100 hours of unpaid, supervised clinical internship or externship experience.

What exam does Massachusetts accept for massage licensure?

The MBLEx administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, or the NCETMB administered by the NCBTMB, taken on or after 2010, provided you have also completed a 650-hour board-approved course of study.

What else does Massachusetts check at renewal?

Beyond continuing education and liability coverage, renewing therapists must confirm they have not been convicted in any jurisdiction of a sexually-related crime or a crime involving moral turpitude since their original application for licensure.

Do you need an establishment license to open a massage business in Massachusetts?

Yes. The Board of Registration of Massage Therapy licenses massage facilities separately from therapists, issuing a solo establishment license or a multiple establishment license under the facility licensure rules at 269 CMR 6.00. Opening therefore takes two applications: your massage therapy license and then a facility license for the premises. Local boards of health are preempted from licensing massage therapists, though they may regulate services that fall outside the state definition of massage therapy.

Does Massachusetts require a background check for a massage license?

Yes, through CORI rather than fingerprints. You submit a CORI Acknowledgement Form with your application through eLIPSE. An applicant is disqualified if convicted in any jurisdiction of a sexually-related crime or a crime involving moral turpitude in the 10 years immediately before the application date, and a felony conviction within the past ten years may also disqualify. The Board evaluates records under the Division policy bulletin on handling and evaluating CORI records.

Can you transfer an out-of-state massage license to Massachusetts?

Not currently. M.G.L. c.112 Section 230 allows the board to grant reciprocal licenses where another jurisdiction’s standards are reasonably equivalent, but Massachusetts does not have a reciprocity process in place, so an out-of-state licensee must submit a new Massachusetts application and meet the full requirements. You must also send the Board a certificate of standing, or verification of licensure, for every jurisdiction where you have held a license.

Forming the company, taxes, insurance, and hiring are covered in our full guide to starting a business in Massachusetts.

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Mass.gov — How can I become a massage therapist?	650 hours and the 100/45/45/300/60 breakdown, the 100-hour unpaid clinical internship, MBLEx and NCETMB acceptance from 2010
Mass. General Laws c.112 §229	Renewal conditions: no disqualifying conviction, professional liability coverage, continuing education; renewal fee not less than $100
Massachusetts Board of Registration of Massage Therapy	The board, applications and renewals
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Massachusetts Board of Registration of Massage Therapy — Apply for a solo or multiple establishment license	The two facility license types and the current application and fee details
269 CMR 6.00 — Facility Licensure	The regulation governing massage facility licensure in Massachusetts
M.G.L. c.112 § 230 — Reciprocal licenses for massage therapists from other jurisdictions	The statutory reciprocity permission and the reasonably-equivalent standard
Massachusetts — Statutes and regulations (massage therapy)	Board guidance including the preemption of local boards of health from licensing and regulating massage therapists

Comparing states? See our massage license guides for every state we cover.