How to Get a Nevada Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Nevada is the most expensive massage license in the country, and it will not let you get fingerprinted anywhere else. The application is $480 non-refundable online, $510 on paper, and renewal runs $295. The program requirement is 625 hours. The detail that catches out-of-state applicants: Live Scan results can only be obtained in Nevada — a background check another state already ran does not transfer, and neither does a current license elsewhere.

What Nevada Actually Requires

• At least 625 hours for a massage therapy program. Nevada separately licenses reflexology (at least 200 hours) and structural integration (at least 730 hours) as distinct practices.
• An accepted examination: the Board recognizes the NCETMB and the MBLEx from the FSMTB ($265).
• Fingerprints from all applicants for a background check. Live Scan results can only be obtained in Nevada, and Nevada must obtain a new set — another jurisdiction’s check will not be accepted.
• A passport-quality photo on a solid white background, and a certified statement or license verification from any previous licensing agency.
• $480.00 non-refundable to apply online by debit or credit card; $510.00 non-refundable on paper, plus a $30 paper processing fee for paper application requests. No wires accepted.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application — online	$480	Non-refundable. Debit or credit card; no wires
Application — paper	$510	Non-refundable, plus a $30 paper processing fee to request the form
Fingerprints (Live Scan)	Varies by vendor	Can only be obtained inside Nevada
MBLEx exam	$265	Paid to FSMTB; NCETMB also recognized
Massage school (625 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	Reflexology 200 hrs and structural integration 730 hrs are separate licenses
Renewal	$295	When submitted through the Board’s website
Nevada LLC	$425	Articles $75 + Initial List $150 + State Business License $200
Certificate to operate an establishment	Board fee under NRS 640C.520	Required to operate any premises, mobile unit, building or part of a building where massage is practiced — separate from your own license
Local establishment license	Varies by county or city	Local governments hold concurrent jurisdiction and may be more stringent than the Board; in Clark County that means the Department of Business License too

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

Does Nevada license massage establishments?

Yes — and Nevada is the toughest premises regime of any state we have looked at, because you can be licensed twice for the same room and the stricter of the two rules wins.

Start with the state layer. Under NRS Chapter 640C a person may not operate a massage establishment unless they hold a valid certificate to operate. And the definition is deliberately wide: a massage establishment means “any premises, mobile unit, building or part of a building where massage therapy… is practiced” by a person licensed under the chapter. “Mobile unit” is in the statute — a van or trailer you treat clients in is an establishment, not a way around one.

NRS 640C.330 requires the Board to adopt regulations covering how an establishment obtains a certificate, the standards it must meet, the fees for issuance and renewal under NRS 640C.520, and the grounds for discipline — which include fines and the suspension or revocation of the certificate.

Then read subsections 2 through 4, because this is the part that changes how you plan. The section expressly does not prohibit a local government from licensing and regulating an establishment, “including… in a manner that is more stringent than the regulations adopted by the Board.” Local governments have concurrent jurisdiction with the Board. And where the two conflict, the local requirement prevails to the extent it is more stringent or more specific.

That is the opposite of the preemption states. In Nevada, satisfying the Board does not mean you have satisfied your county — and it is the county that wins a disagreement. In Clark County that means the Department of Business License runs its own massage and reflexology establishment process alongside the Board’s. Budget for two applications, two sets of standards and two timelines, and start with whichever is stricter.

Two concrete operating rules that come with the certificate:

• Shower facilities. An establishment providing vapor baths, steam baths, saunas, steam rooms, spas or portable saunas must be equipped with adequate shower facilities. If a sauna is in your build-out plan, this is a plumbing decision, not a nice-to-have.
• Advertising carries your certificate number. All advertising by a certificate holder must include the holder’s name and the name of the establishment, and advertising in a telephone directory or newspaper must also include the certificate number. False or misleading statements intended to induce someone to use the establishment are prohibited outright, and violations are a misdemeanor.

The flip side is genuinely protective, and it is worth knowing. While your premises are fair game for the county, you are not: NRS 640C.100(2) preempts a county, city or town from licensing or regulating a massage therapist — expressly including “conducting a criminal background investigation and examination” of a therapist or applicant. A local government cannot run its own background check on you or make you sit its own exam. What it may still require, under subsection 3, is a license or permit to transact business in its jurisdiction if that permit is required of everyone regardless of occupation — a general business license, not a massage-specific one.

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

Yes, there is a route — but it is discretionary, and the fingerprints still do not travel. Under NRS 640C.420, the Board may issue a license to an applicant who holds a current license to practice massage therapy issued by another state, territory or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Note the word: may. This is not an entitlement the way endorsement is in some states.

An applicant under that section submits:

• a completed application on a form prescribed by the Board;
• the fees prescribed under NRS 640C.520; and
• a notarized statement signed by the applicant stating whether disciplinary proceedings relating to their massage therapy license have at any time been instituted against them.

Read “at any time” literally — it is not limited to current or recent matters, and it is a notarized statement, so an omission is a serious problem rather than an oversight.

What this route does not do is spare you the background check, which is covered above and is the single biggest obstacle for out-of-state applicants: Live Scan results can only be obtained in Nevada, Nevada will not accept a check another jurisdiction already ran, and a current license elsewhere does not exempt you. Plan a trip into the state as part of the application, not after it.

The Most Expensive License in the Country — and You Must Be in Nevada to Get It

Start with the number, because it changes the decision: $480 non-refundable to apply online, $510 on paper, and $295 to renew. Set against Pennsylvania at $100 to license and $175 to renew, Nevada costs roughly five times as much to enter. And non-refundable means exactly that — a rejected or abandoned application is money gone.

Then the logistics. All applicants must submit fingerprints, and Live Scan results can only be obtained in Nevada. Holding a current license in another state does not exempt you, and Nevada will not accept a background check your existing jurisdiction already ran — it must obtain a new set of results. If you are relocating, that is a trip to Nevada built into the application, before you can work there.

Budget the calendar too: the Board says the application process takes one to three months, longer if background results, education queries or Board review are involved.

One genuinely friendly rule, and it is rare: Nevada rolls continuing education over. Each renewal needs 24 hours, and the Board will roll over up to 72 CEH across a three-year period — the opposite of states like Arizona, which explicitly forbid carrying excess hours forward.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Complete a 625-hour massage therapy program from the Board’s approved list.
2. Pass the MBLEx or NCETMB.
3. Plan a trip to Nevada for Live Scan fingerprints if you are out of state — there is no alternative, and a vendor list follows once the Board has your application.
4. Apply online for $480 (or $510 on paper, plus $30 to request the form). It is non-refundable, so check everything first.
5. Allow one to three months for processing.
6. Opening a studio? Nevada’s entity costs stack — $75 Articles, $150 Initial List, $200 State Business License — so budget $425 in year one, and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Nevada renewal is $295 through the Board’s website, with 24 continuing education hours per renewal. Hours accepted are those acquired within the 24 months preceding your renewal date — and unusually, the Board will roll over up to 72 CEH across a three-year period, so front-loading education is not wasted here the way it is in states that forbid carryover.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Nevada massage license cost?

$480.00 non-refundable to apply online by debit or credit card, or $510.00 non-refundable on paper — plus a $30 paper processing fee for paper application requests. Renewal is $295 when submitted through the Board’s website. That makes Nevada the most expensive massage license in this comparison by a wide margin.

How many hours does Nevada require for a massage license?

At least 625 hours for a massage therapy program. Nevada also licenses two related practices separately: reflexology requires at least 200 hours and structural integration at least 730 hours.

Can I get my Nevada fingerprints done in another state?

No. All applicants must submit fingerprints for a background check, and Live Scan results can only be obtained in Nevada. A current license in another state does not exempt you, and Nevada will not accept a background check another jurisdiction already ran — it must obtain a new set of fingerprint results.

Does Nevada let you carry over continuing education hours?

Yes, unusually. Each renewal requires 24 continuing education hours, and the Board will roll over up to 72 CEH across a three-year period. Hours accepted are those acquired within the 24 months preceding your renewal date.

Do you need a license to open a massage business in Nevada?

Yes, and possibly two. Under NRS Chapter 640C you may not operate a massage establishment without a certificate to operate from the Board, and the definition covers any premises, mobile unit, building or part of a building where massage is practiced. NRS 640C.330 also gives local governments concurrent jurisdiction to license and regulate establishments, expressly including in a manner more stringent than the Board, and where the two conflict the local requirement prevails. In Clark County that means the Department of Business License as well as the Board.

Can a Nevada city or county run its own background check on a massage therapist?

No. NRS 640C.100(2) preempts a county, city or town from licensing or regulating a massage therapist, expressly including conducting a criminal background investigation and examination of a therapist or applicant. A local government may still require a license or permit to transact business in its jurisdiction, but only if that permit is required of other persons regardless of occupation. The premises are a different matter, and remain locally regulated.

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

There is a route, but it is discretionary. Under NRS 640C.420 the Board may issue a license to an applicant holding a current license from another state, territory or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia, on a completed application, the fees prescribed under NRS 640C.520, and a notarized statement saying whether disciplinary proceedings have at any time been instituted against them. It does not waive the fingerprint requirement, and Nevada Live Scan results can only be obtained in Nevada.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Nevada State Board of Massage Therapy — Applicant FAQs	625 hours (reflexology 200, structural integration 730), $480 online / $510 paper non-refundable fees, $30 paper processing, Live Scan only in Nevada, 1-3 month processing, photo and verification requirements
Nevada State Board of Massage Therapy — Licensee FAQs	24 CE hours per renewal, rollover up to 72 CEH over three years, 24-month acquisition window, $295 online renewal
Nevada State Board of Massage Therapy	The board, forms and NRS 640C references
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 640C — Massage Therapy	NRS 640C.330 on establishment certification and concurrent local jurisdiction, 640C.100 on preemption of local therapist regulation, and 640C.420 on licensure of persons licensed in other jurisdictions
Clark County — Massage and Reflexology Business Licensing	The county establishment licensing process that runs alongside the Board certificate

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