How to Get a Utah Massage License

Last updated: October 2, 2026

Utah is one of the few states where you can become a licensed massage therapist without going to massage school. DOPL accepts either a 600-hour program at an approved school or 1,000 hours as a licensed apprentice. Either way you sit the MBLEx. And renewal is $52 — the cheapest in this comparison by a wide margin.

What Utah Actually Requires

• Either a 600-hour program in an approved massage school, or 1,000 hours as a licensed apprentice.
• The MBLEx from the FSMTB ($265), created and administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.
• Application to DOPL, the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, part of the Department of Commerce. Fees are printed on the application forms.
• Fingerprints for a BCI and FBI criminal history search. If you live within 50 miles of an authorized vendor you must submit electronically; further out, you mail two blue FD-258 cards to DOPL.
• Registration of the premises if you operate a massage establishment — a requirement that only took effect on 1 October 2025. See below.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application fee	See DOPL form	Printed on the massage therapist application
MBLEx exam	$265	Paid to FSMTB
Massage school (600 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	Or 1,000 apprentice hours instead — often far cheaper
Renewal	$52	The cheapest massage renewal in this comparison
Utah LLC	$59	Certificate of organization, Utah Division of Corporations
Massage establishment registration	Renewal $72	Required per physical location under Utah Code 58-47b-302.2; a single sole practitioner’s own space is exempt
Fingerprint / BCI and FBI search	Set by the vendor	Electronic submission required if you are within 50 miles of an approved vendor

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

Does Utah license massage establishments?

Yes — as of 1 October 2025, and this is new enough that almost nothing written about Utah massage before 2026 mentions it. Under Utah Code 58-47b-302.2, massage establishments in Utah must register with the Division of Professional Licensing. DOPL has now opened the massage establishment application.

What counts as an establishment is broader than “a spa.” A massage establishment is a place where massage services are performed by an individual — including any location an owner rents or leases to multiple sole practitioners to perform massage services. And each physical location must be registered separately, so a second room across town is a second registration.

The exemptions are narrow but they cover the classic solo therapist:

• A location owned, rented or leased by a single sole practitioner to perform massage services does not need to register. If it is just you in your own room, you are outside this.
• A sole practitioner who only rents or leases to a sole practitioner, where that practitioner meets the requirements of Utah Code 58-47b-504.
• Athletic training facilities, and institutions of secondary or higher education, where massage is performed in connection with employment related to athletic teams.

Notice where the line falls: renting rooms to multiple sole practitioners puts you inside the registration requirement, even though every therapist in the building holds their own license and none of them is your employee. That is the arrangement most likely to be caught out.

Registration is not a formality. It requires fingerprints and an FBI background check, plus an attestation that you will follow legitimate business practices. DOPL may revoke a business registration for non-compliance — and on revocation it may notify your landlord, your local government and law enforcement. Renewal is $72.

Does Utah require a background check?

Yes — fingerprints searched against both the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) and the FBI. How you submit them depends on where you live:

• Within 50 miles of an authorized vendor: you must submit electronically. Roughly 2 to 3 business days after applying you receive a fingerprint authorization form by email, along with the list of approved vendors.
• More than 50 miles out: you may use another private fingerprinting service or your local police station, then mail the cards in — two blue federal FD-258 cards, not one.

If you have criminal history, do not guess at how it will be treated. DOPL publishes Massage Therapy Criminal History Guidelines and an Application for Criminal History Determination — a route to get the question answered before you commit to a program or a lease. Very few states offer that; use it.

Coming from another state

Utah’s route in is the same application, and the same fingerprint requirement applies. What is worth checking against your own history is the apprenticeship pathway described above — Utah is unusual in offering it, and it changes how out-of-state and non-traditional training can be counted. Confirm with DOPL how your hours will be treated before you pay for anything, and note that if you are opening or renting rooms, the establishment registration is a second application with its own background check on top of your own.

The Apprenticeship Route Is the Reason to Look at Utah

Most states have exactly one path in: pay a massage school for 500 to 1,000 hours, then sit the exam. Utah has two. You can do 600 hours at an approved school, or you can do 1,000 hours as a licensed apprentice.

The trade is time for money. The apprentice route is longer — 1,000 hours against 600 — but it removes tuition as the barrier to entry, and you are working in a practice while you accumulate them. If cost is what has been stopping you, that is the door.

Compare the alternative: Florida explicitly has no apprenticeship path, and New York asks for 1,000 classroom hours with no substitute at all. Utah is genuinely unusual here.

The second Utah number worth noting is renewal: $52. Nevada charges $295 and Pennsylvania $175. Over a working life that difference is real, and it makes Utah one of the cheapest states to hold a massage license in.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Pick your route — 600 school hours, or 1,000 hours as a licensed apprentice.
2. If apprenticing, get licensed as an apprentice first so the hours count.
3. Pass the MBLEx ($265 through FSMTB).
4. Apply to DOPL using the current application form, which carries the fee.
5. Opening a practice? Register the entity, check city requirements, and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Utah massage therapist licenses renew for $52. Confirm the current continuing education requirement with DOPL at renewal — it is not published on the pages checked here, and this page does not guess at a number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you become a massage therapist in Utah without going to massage school?

Yes. Utah accepts either a 600-hour program at an approved massage school or 1,000 hours completed as a licensed apprentice. The apprenticeship route is unusual — Florida, for instance, has no apprenticeship path at all — and it is the reason Utah is worth a second look if tuition is the obstacle.

How many hours does Utah require for a massage license?

600 hours in an approved massage school, or 1,000 hours as a licensed apprentice. Either route then requires passing the MBLEx.

What exam does Utah require for a massage license?

The MBLEx, created and administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.

How much is a Utah massage license renewal?

$52 for a massage therapist renewal — among the cheapest renewals of any state that licenses massage therapy. Confirm the current initial application fee with DOPL, which publishes fees on the application forms.

Do you need to register a massage establishment in Utah?

Yes, since 1 October 2025. Utah Code 58-47b-302.2 requires massage establishments to register with the Division of Professional Licensing, and DOPL has opened the application. An establishment is a place where massage services are performed, including any location an owner rents or leases to multiple sole practitioners, and each physical location registers separately. A location owned, rented or leased by a single sole practitioner is exempt, as are athletic training facilities and schools where massage relates to athletic teams. Registration requires fingerprints, an FBI background check and an attestation to follow legitimate business practices; renewal is $72.

Does Utah require a background check for a massage license?

Yes. Applicants submit fingerprints for a search of Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification and FBI records. If you live within 50 miles of an authorized vendor you must submit electronically, and you receive an authorization form and vendor list by email about two to three business days after applying. Further away, you may mail two blue FD-258 fingerprint cards. DOPL also publishes criminal history guidelines and an application for a criminal history determination if you want the question resolved in advance.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Utah DOPL — Massage Therapy	The licensing division, forms and renewal
Utah DOPL — Apply for a Massage Therapist License	Application route and requirements
Utah DOPL — Renew a Massage Therapy License	$52 renewal fee
OPLR — 2024 Periodic Review, Massage Therapy (Jan 2025)	600-hour school route vs 1,000-hour licensed apprentice route, MBLEx requirement
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Utah Code § 58-47b-302.2 — Massage establishment registration	The registration requirement effective 1 October 2025, what counts as an establishment, and the exemptions
Utah DOPL — Massage Establishment Application	The open application, per-location registration, fingerprint and FBI check, attestation, and the $72 renewal
Utah DOPL — Fingerprints	The BCI and FBI search, the 50-mile electronic submission rule, and the two FD-258 card requirement
Utah DOPL — Massage Therapy Criminal History Guidelines	How prior convictions are assessed, and the application for a criminal history determination in advance

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