Arkansas Massage License: Cost & Requirements (2026)

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Arkansas is the first state in this guide to have actually adopted the Interstate Massage Compact — and one of the few where you need a permit before you may even enroll in school. A massage therapy school here cannot legally enroll you without a learning permit issued by the Department of Health, and no hours count before you hold one. Licensure itself runs on 500 in-classroom hours, a national exam plus an Arkansas law exam, and $180 at application.

Start Here: The Learning Permit

Before the school, before the hours, before anything. Arkansas Code § 17-86-301(a)(6) makes it unlawful for a massage therapy school or postsecondary massage therapy school to enroll any person who does not hold a massage therapy learning permit issued by the department. The Department of Health is equally direct about the consequence: students cannot receive hours prior to receiving a student learning permit.

If a school offers to enroll you without one, that is a problem with the school, not a shortcut for you — and the hours you sit through may not count.

What Arkansas Actually Requires

• A massage therapy learning permit before enrolling.
• 500 in-classroom hours of massage therapy training.
• Pass the MBLEx or one of the NCBTMB examinations — and Arkansas requires this before you apply for licensure, not after.
• Pass the Arkansas massage therapy law examination.
• A state and federal criminal background check including fingerprints, arranged in a specific order described below. You pay the associated fees and sign a release; results go directly to the department. If you have lived outside Arkansas, you must also provide a background check from each state where you resided.

A national certification is not a license, and Arkansas says so plainly. The Department’s own guidance points out that NCBTMB certification is a voluntary credential, not a license, and that an Arkansas license is required to advertise or practice massage therapy in the state. Advertising is on the same footing as practicing.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application for licensure	$180	Per the Department’s published FAQ
Late renewal fee	$25	If the renewal is postmarked after the first day of the month preceding your birthday month
Renewal fee	See ADH	Check the current figure with the Massage Therapy Section before renewing
Establishment registration	See ADH	Valid two years and not transferable
Criminal background check	Your cost	Payable by check or money order to the Department of Health, which forwards it to Arkansas State Police
Massage school (500 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	The dominant cost
Continuing education	Varies	18 hours per two-year period, maximum 6 online
Arkansas LLC	$50	Certificate of organization, form LL-01
Arkansas LLC franchise tax	$150	Due by close of business May 1

Two figures we have deliberately left open. The therapist renewal fee and the establishment registration fee are set by the Department rather than published in the rules we could read, and the dollar amounts that do appear in the rules — $850, $425 and $100 — are school registration fees, not establishment fees. Rather than repeat a number from a secondary site, confirm both with the Massage Therapy Section before you file.

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

Does Arkansas license massage establishments?

Yes — registration with the Department of Health is required before you establish, maintain or operate one. The application asks for more than a form and a fee:

• Every principal of the establishment by legal name and massage therapy license number, if licensed — plus documentation supporting that principal’s interest in the business if the department asks;
• Every licensed massage therapist performing or expected to perform services there, by name and license number;
• If the applicant is an entity, a certificate of good standing from the Secretary of State; and
• If the local political subdivision requires one, a copy of that local business license.

Three operating rules follow. The registration is valid for two years, it is not transferable, and — the one that will affect you most often — if any of that information changes, you must update the department within 10 business days. That includes your roster of therapists. Every hire and every departure starts a ten-day clock.

Premises rules that decide your floor plan

• In-home massage establishments must be located in a separate room or rooms used only for massage therapy services during business operations. A converted spare bedroom that reverts to a bedroom in the evening does not satisfy this.
• There must be no bed in a room used for massage therapy services.
• Mobile establishments are not considered temporary — you cannot treat a mobile operation as falling outside the establishment rules.
• A school or establishment must be equipped with a massage table or tables, a massage chair or chairs, and the standard equipment the practice requires.
• Anyone with an infectious, contagious or communicable disease that could spread by airborne, droplet, contact or indirect means must not practice until the risk is cleared, and an employee in that position must be immediately relieved from duty.

Does Arkansas require a background check?

Yes — and the order of operations is the part people get wrong. You cannot walk into a police station and get fingerprinted first. The Department is explicit:

1. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Health first and submit all required documentation.
2. Once the paperwork is verified, ADH mails you a packet containing the state and federal background check forms.
3. Then you take that packet to a local police station to have fingerprints professionally produced.
4. You include a check or money order payable to the Department of Health — which forwards it to the Arkansas State Police — and mail everything back in the envelope provided.

If forms come back with errors or missing sections, the whole packet is returned to you for correction, so read the instructions carefully rather than quickly.

If you have a record, you can ask before you spend. Under Acts 2019, No. 990, you may petition for a prelicensure determination of whether your criminal record will disqualify you and whether a waiver may be obtained. You get the petition form from the Department, and it responds in writing with its reasons. That is a far cheaper way to find out than completing 500 hours first.

Renewals do not require a new check. Background checks are required when applying for a license or upgrading to another level of licensure — not at renewal.

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

Yes, Arkansas has reciprocity, and it applies equally to active duty service members and military spouses who are not yet licensed here. You still need the MBLEx or an NCBTMB examination, and the background check — including, if you have lived outside Arkansas, a check from every state you have resided in.

The Interstate Massage Compact: adopted, but not yet running

Arkansas adopted the Interstate Massage Compact under Acts 2025, No. 267, and the Department has already written the implementing rule. This makes Arkansas one of the earliest movers — but read the first line of that rule carefully: it does not go into effect until the compact itself does, and the compact requires a minimum number of member states before its commission can begin issuing multistate licenses. That threshold has not been reached.

What the Arkansas rule will require when it switches on, for a resident applying for a multistate license:

• At least 625 hours of massage therapy education at a licensed massage therapy school or apprenticeship program — note that this is higher than the 500 hours Arkansas requires for its own in-state license;
• Passing results on a national licensing examination;
• A background check showing no felony within the previous five years, no massage-related misdemeanor within the previous two years, and no felony or misdemeanor relating to kidnapping, human trafficking, human smuggling, or sexual battery or assault;
• A signed statement that you have never had a massage license revoked, or surrendered one in lieu of discipline, in any state or territory; and
• A signed statement of no adverse action on any occupational or professional license within the previous two years.

Two practical points for later. A multistate license expires on the same date as your home state license, and practicing under one subjects you to the jurisdiction of the licensing authority of whichever state you are working in — the license travels, but so does accountability. Until the compact starts, any Arkansas resident who has not been issued a multistate license is deemed to hold a single-state license.

Moving Up: Master Therapist and Instructor

Arkansas licenses in tiers, and the upper ones are earned with time and continuing education rather than another exam:

Level	Time licensed	Practical experience	Continuing education
Master Massage Therapist	Active and practicing not less than 2 years	250 hours	125 hours
Massage Therapy Instructor	Active and practicing not less than 3 years	250 hours	250 hours

Repeated classes are not allowed toward either total, so a therapist who takes the same favorite workshop every cycle will not accumulate credit toward an upgrade. You can upgrade at the time of renewal — but as the Department puts it, there are no shortcuts.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Get the learning permit from the Department of Health before you enroll anywhere.
2. Complete the 500 in-classroom hours.
3. Pass the MBLEx or an NCBTMB examination — before applying, not after.
4. Apply to ADH with the $180 fee and all supporting documentation.
5. Wait for the background check packet, then get fingerprinted at a local police station and mail it back.
6. Pass the Arkansas massage therapy law examination.
7. Form the entity and get it into good standing — the establishment registration needs a Secretary of State certificate.
8. Register the establishment, with every principal and every therapist named, and diary the 10-business-day update rule.

Staying Licensed

Arkansas ties renewal to your birthday, but not on it. Licensed massage therapists renew on the first day of the month preceding the month their birthday falls in, every two years. Miss that and you can still renew up to the expiration date printed on your license, with a $25 late fee. Miss the printed expiration date and you must reapply for a new license — there is no grace beyond it.

Continuing education is 18 hours per period, and only 6 may be online or home study. The other twelve must be in-person classes. Out-of-state courses count if they are NCBTMB-approved or approved by another state’s massage office or board; anything outside those categories can be submitted to the Massage Therapy Section for review before you enroll.

And one rule that has changed: carryover hours are no longer accepted. Hours must be taken between the issue date and the expiration date of your current license. Banking extra hours for the next cycle no longer works, so plan each period on its own.

Inactive status runs to four years. You elect it during renewal, keep filing renewal forms and paying the fees, and receive an “Inactive Slip” instead of a license. You may stay inactive for two licensing periods in a row — four years — without re-examination. Coming back within that window means following the renewal procedure and presenting continuing education for the inactive period. Stay out longer and you must meet current licensure requirements and pass an examination again.

Two Practice Questions Arkansas Answers Directly

Animal massage. The Department’s position is that massaging animals falls under the Arkansas Veterinary Medicine Practice Act and that it does not regulate animal massage in any way. There is no requirement for a person performing animal massage to hold a massage therapist license, and nothing in ADH’s law prevents a licensed therapist from doing it. Questions about whether a veterinary license is needed go to the Veterinary Board. That is worth contrasting with Kentucky, where coursework on techniques performed on animals is expressly barred from counting as continuing education.

CBD oil. ADH says it cannot endorse the use of CBD oil but will not take action against therapists who choose to use it, because federal case law conflicts on whether hemp products with trace THC fall under the controlled substances act. Its advice is to use it at your own risk, recognizing such products could potentially be illegal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Arkansas joined the Interstate Massage Compact?

Yes. Arkansas adopted the Interstate Massage Compact under Acts 2025, No. 267, and the Department of Health has written the implementing rule. But the rule says expressly that it does not go into effect until the compact itself does, and the compact needs enough member states before it can begin issuing multistate licenses — which has not happened yet. Worth noting for when it does: a multistate license will require 625 hours of massage therapy education, which is more than the 500 hours Arkansas requires for its own in-state license.

Do you need a permit before starting massage school in Arkansas?

Yes, and this catches people out. Arkansas law makes it unlawful for a massage therapy school to enroll anyone who does not already hold a massage therapy learning permit issued by the Department of Health — and students cannot earn hours before the permit is issued. Apply for the learning permit before you enroll, not after.

Does Arkansas require a background check for a massage license?

Yes, a state and federal fingerprint check — but you cannot start it yourself. You must first apply to the Arkansas Department of Health and submit all required documentation. Once that is verified, ADH mails you a packet containing the state and federal background check forms. Only then do you go to a local police station for fingerprints and mail everything back. Going to the police station first will not work. Background checks are required at application and when upgrading to another level of licensure, but not at renewal.

When does an Arkansas massage license renew?

Every two years, on the first day of the month preceding the month your birthday falls in. A renewal postmarked after that date carries a $25 late fee, and you can still renew up to the expiration date printed on your license — but if you miss that printed expiration date you must reapply for a new license altogether. Renewal needs 18 hours of continuing education, of which no more than 6 may be online or home study.

Can Arkansas massage therapists perform animal massage?

The Department of Health’s position is that it does not regulate animal massage at all — it considers that to fall under the Arkansas Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, and says questions about whether a veterinary license is needed must go to the Veterinary Board. ADH states there is no requirement for a person performing animal massage to hold a massage therapist license, and nothing in its law prevents a licensed therapist from massaging animals. That is the opposite of Kentucky, where coursework on animal techniques is expressly excluded from continuing education credit.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Arkansas Department of Health — Massage Therapy	The regulating authority for therapists, establishments, instructors and schools, the approved continuing education list, and the license look-up
17 CAR Part 52 — Rules for Massage Therapy in Arkansas	Establishment registration and the 10-business-day update rule at §52-117, the in-home and no-bed premises rules, the $25 late renewal fee, the prelicensure background check petition, and the Interstate Massage Compact rule at §52-121
ADH — Massage Therapy Frequently Asked Questions	The $180 application fee, the learning permit requirement before enrollment, the background check sequence, the renewal timing and reapplication consequence, the end of carryover continuing education hours, inactive status, the Master Therapist and Instructor tiers, and the animal massage and CBD positions
Arkansas Massage Therapy Law (2025)	Arkansas Code Chapter 86, including the prohibition on enrolling a student without a learning permit at § 17-86-301(a)(6)
Arkansas Secretary of State — Certificate of Organization (LL-01)	The $50 filing fee for a domestic LLC
Arkansas Secretary of State — Franchise Tax	The $150 LLC franchise tax and the May 1 deadline