How to Get a Colorado Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Colorado moved the goalposts recently, and a lot of advice online has not caught up. Until July 2024 the state licensed massage therapists on 500 hours. Senate Bill 24-201 raised the minimum to 650 total hours of coursework and clinical work, effective July 1, 2024. Licensing runs through DORA, licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years, and Colorado is unusually forgiving about late renewal — there is a grace period through March 31 with no late fee.

What Colorado Actually Requires

• 650 total hours of coursework and clinical work from an approved massage school — raised from 500 by SB24-201, effective July 1, 2024.
• A degree, diploma, or successful completion of the approved program.
• Application to the Office of Massage Therapy Licensure in DORA’s Division of Professions and Occupations. Fees and mailing instructions are printed on the application forms themselves.
• The MBLEx from the FSMTB ($265) is the standard national examination; confirm current examination requirements on the application form before you register.
• A fingerprint-based criminal history record check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, required under C.R.S. 12-35.5-107. DORA cannot issue the license until both results are back.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application fee	See application form	DORA prints current fees and mailing instructions on each form
MBLEx exam	$265	Paid to FSMTB
Massage school (650 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	Up from 500 hours since July 2024 — expect longer, costlier programs than older guidance suggests
Renewal	See DORA	Expires December 31 of even years; grace period to March 31 with no late fee
Colorado LLC	$50	Articles of organization, Colorado Secretary of State
Fingerprint background check	$39.50	Colorado and nationwide criminal history search, paid to IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting — not to DORA
Local massage facility license	Varies by city or county	No statewide establishment license; the $150 cap on local administrative fees was removed effective August 12, 2026

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

Does Colorado license massage establishments?

Not the state — your city or county does, and in Colorado that is not optional for them. DORA licenses the therapist. There is no statewide massage establishment or facility license. But HB24-1371, effective August 7, 2024, requires every county, city and county, and municipality in Colorado to adopt a process requiring periodic criminal background checks for massage facility operators, owners and employees — including independent contractors involved in routine operations. Prospective owners must submit at least 30 days before receiving licensure or an ownership interest.

Local governments must prevent ownership or employment by anyone who has not submitted to the check, who has a conviction or nolo contendere plea for solicitation of prostitution, human trafficking or money laundering, or who is a registered sex offender. Licensed massage therapists are exempt from the facility background check — you already cleared one to get your license.

One thing changed very recently. HB26-1257, signed May 4, 2026 and effective August 12, 2026, removed the $150 cap on the administrative fee a local government may charge to issue or renew a massage facility license. The fee must now be “reasonably related to the costs of the local government in administering the resolution or ordinance and the licensing of massage facilities” — meaning it can exceed $150 and it varies by jurisdiction. The same act removed the exemption that had covered businesses licensed before August 10, 2022. Call the clerk in the city where you plan to rent before you sign a lease, because this number is no longer bounded by statute.

Does Colorado require a background check?

Yes. Every massage therapist applicant submits fingerprints for a state and national criminal history record check run by the CBI and the FBI. Prints go through one of two approved CABS vendors — IdentoGO (massage therapist service code 25YKYN) or Colorado Fingerprinting / American Bioidentity. The fee is $39.50 for the Colorado and nationwide search, paid to the vendor rather than to the Division.

Two practical points the Division puts in writing: do not submit fingerprints until you are ready to submit your application, and DPO must have both background check results before it can issue a license. A past conviction is not automatically disqualifying — under HB24-1004, signed June 4, 2024, a regulator may consider a conviction only for a three-year period beginning at conviction or release, provided there has been no other conviction in that window.

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

Yes. Colorado licenses by endorsement. Under C.R.S. 12-235-108, an applicant who holds an unrestricted license or registration in good standing in another state, territory or foreign country may apply by endorsement, and the director issues by endorsement to an applicant who satisfies Colorado’s occupational credential portability program. DORA runs it as a single application — Initial license by Examination or Endorsement Method — with a separate Endorsement Practice Verification form completed by your previous board or employers.

Endorsement does not skip the fingerprints, and you must disclose disciplinary action taken against you in any other jurisdiction; the director reviews it under 12-235-108(4)(d). DORA does not publish a processing time for either route, so treat the fingerprint results as the long pole and start them the day you are ready to file.

The Hour Requirement Changed in 2024 — Check Any Advice You Read

Colorado licensed massage therapists on 500 total hours for years. SB24-201 increased that to 650 total hours of coursework and clinical work, effective July 1, 2024.

That matters more than a number usually would, because the internet is full of Colorado massage guidance written against the old figure. School marketing, forum answers and third-party summaries still quote 500. If you are choosing a program now, 650 is the number that counts — and a program built for the old standard may leave you short.

If you trained under the previous rule or are mid-program, do not assume either way: ask DORA directly how your hours are treated. This is exactly the kind of transition where a phone call is cheaper than a rejected application.

The other Colorado-specific item is friendlier. Licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years, but an unrenewed active license stays active through a grace period ending March 31, and no late fee is charged for renewals filed in that window. Miss March 31 and the license expires.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Confirm the program meets the 650-hour standard — not the pre-2024 500-hour one.
2. Complete the coursework and clinical work at an approved massage school.
3. Pass the required examination — check the current application form, since the MBLEx is the standard national route.
4. Download the application form from DORA, which carries the current fee and mailing instructions, and submit it.
5. Note your expiry: December 31 of the next even-numbered year, with a no-late-fee grace period to March 31.
6. Opening a studio? Register the entity, check city and county requirements, and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Colorado massage therapist licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years. An active license not renewed by that date remains active during an extended grace period ending March 31 of the following year, and no late fee is charged for renewals submitted between January 1 and March 31. A license not renewed by March 31 becomes expired. Confirm current continuing education expectations with DORA at renewal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours does Colorado require for a massage license?

650 total hours of coursework and clinical work from an approved massage school. The minimum was 500 hours until SB24-201 raised it to 650 effective July 1, 2024 — so guidance written before that date is out of date.

When do Colorado massage licenses expire?

All massage therapist licenses expire on December 31 of even-numbered years. Licenses not renewed by that date stay active during a grace period running through March 31 of the following year, and no late fee is charged for renewals filed during that window. A license not renewed by March 31 becomes expired.

Who regulates massage therapy in Colorado?

The Office of Massage Therapy Licensure, within the Division of Professions and Occupations at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).

Did Colorado change its massage education requirement?

Yes. Senate Bill 24-201 increased the coursework and clinical work minimum from 500 total hours to 650 total hours, effective July 1, 2024. If you enrolled or trained under the old standard, confirm with DORA how your hours are treated.

Does Colorado require a background check for a massage license?

Yes. Every applicant submits fingerprints for a state and national criminal history record check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, required under C.R.S. 12-35.5-107. Prints are taken by IdentoGO (massage therapist code 25YKYN) or Colorado Fingerprinting, and the fee is $39.50. DPO must receive both results before it can issue the license.

Do you need a separate license to open a massage business in Colorado?

Not from the state. Colorado has no statewide massage establishment or facility license. Local governments license massage facilities, and HB24-1371 requires every county, city and county, and municipality to run periodic criminal background checks on facility owners, operators and employees. HB26-1257 removed the $150 cap on local administrative fees effective August 12, 2026, so check with your city or county clerk before signing a lease.

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

Yes. Under C.R.S. 12-235-108 an applicant holding an unrestricted license in good standing in another state, territory or foreign country may apply for a Colorado license by endorsement. DORA handles it through the initial license application, with a separate Endorsement Practice Verification form. Endorsement applicants still submit fingerprints and must disclose discipline from any other jurisdiction.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Colorado DORA — Office of Massage Therapy Licensure	The licensing office, renewal dates and grace period
Colorado DORA — Massage Therapy Applications and Forms	Application forms carrying current fees and mailing instructions
SB24-201 — Increase Massage Therapy Education Program Hours	The bill raising the minimum from 500 to 650 total hours effective July 1, 2024
Colorado DORA — Massage Therapy Laws, Rules and Policies	Practice act and rules
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
HB24-1371 — More Uniform Local Massage Facilities Regulation	The mandatory local background check process for massage facility owners, operators and employees
HB26-1257 — Local Regulation of Massage Facilities	Removal of the $150 cap on local massage facility administrative fees, effective August 12, 2026
Colorado Bureau of Investigation — Employment and Background Checks	The $39.50 massage therapist fingerprint fee, approved CABS vendors and statutory authority
Colorado DPO — Fingerprinting and Background Check	Vendor enrollment, the massage therapist service code and the both-results-before-issuance rule

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