How to Get a Georgia Massage License

Last updated: October 2, 2026

Georgia’s hour count is ordinary; its definition of “supervised” is not. The Board recognizes a program at 500 total clock hours of classroom and hands-on instruction — but the rule spells out that supervised means the supervisor is physically on site, qualified, and immediately available. That same standard follows you into continuing education, where 12 of your 24 hours must come from a course that is 70% direct hands-on instruction. Distance learning does not satisfy the core of this license.

What Georgia Actually Requires

• 500 total clock hours of supervised classroom and supervised hands-on instruction from a Board-recognized massage therapy education program.
• Georgia’s definition of supervised: the supervisor is physically on-site, qualified and immediately available. It is written into the rule, not left to the school.
• The MBLEx from the FSMTB ($265), or another Board-approved examination.
• An application to the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy, which sits under the Secretary of State. All application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
• A fingerprint criminal background check on every applicant, required by O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8 and § 43-24A-13. You must have an application on file before you register to be printed.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application / licensure fees	See Board fee schedule	Set by the Board and subject to change; non-refundable and non-transferable
MBLEx exam	$265	Paid to FSMTB
Massage school (500 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	Must be a Board-recognized program with genuinely on-site supervision
Continuing education	Varies	24 hours per biennium; 12 must be 70% hands-on, which usually means in-person tuition
Georgia LLC	$100	Articles of organization, filed at eCorp
GAPS fingerprint background check	Fee set at registration	Paid to the GAPS vendor rather than to the Board; required on every application, including endorsement
Local business license	Varies by county or city	The Board issues no establishment license. Your county or city cannot issue a business license without proof of your state license (O.C.G.A. § 36-60-6(c))

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

Does Georgia license massage establishments?

No, and the Board states it flatly: the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy “does not have regulatory authority over massage establishments and therefore does not issue licenses to businesses.” That authority sits with county and municipal authorities, who issue the permits that let a massage business exist and who enforce health-code and illicit-activity laws. Complaints about a massage business go to the county or city where the business is domiciled — not to the Board.

That does not mean your premises are unregulated. It means the rules are local, and finding them is on you:

• Under O.C.G.A. § 36-60-6(c), no county or municipal corporation may issue a business license to a person in a Title 43 profession without evidence of state licensure. Your massage license is a prerequisite for the local business license, so the order matters: state license first, local business license second.
• Under O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-30(a)(8) and (9), a county, municipality or other local jurisdiction may by ordinance or resolution require that a licensed massage therapist be present on the premises at any time massage therapy is being performed for a client, and that there be evidence of the license to practice. If your plan was to own a studio and staff it without being there yourself, read your local ordinance before you sign a lease.

The Board can still inspect you, even though it does not license you. Every massage establishment must ensure that all licensed therapists post their license, with the color photograph attached, at each location where they practice, and must post the human trafficking hotline notice in English and Spanish — plus any other language designated by the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation — in each public restroom and in a conspicuous place in clear view of the public and employees. The Board may initiate on-site inspections of the facility, equipment, policies and practices without prior notice.

Does Georgia require a background check?

Yes — on every applicant, for every application submitted. It is required by O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8 and § 43-24A-13, and it runs through the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS). The GBI awarded the electronic fingerprint submission contract to Idemia. Federal and state criminal history results reach the Board within 48 hours of your prints being taken and received by the GBI’s Georgia Crime Information Center.

The sequencing is the trap. You must submit your licensure application first, then register for prints — and if no application is on file with the Board within 30 days of your print registration, the approval to be printed is declined and you pay the registration fee again. If you need to challenge the accuracy of your results, or correct what was reported to the Board, you get 45 days from the point you notify the Board of your intent.

How long does it take, and can you transfer an out-of-state license?

Up to 25 business days from the date the Board office receives your application — Georgia is one of the few massage boards that publishes a figure at all. Documents you send in afterwards are processed within 15 business days, which stacks on top. Two deadlines can cost you the entire application: an incomplete application may be withdrawn if the noted deficiencies are not satisfied within 60 days, and you would restart the process including fees; and an application must be complete and received at least 15 days before a Board meeting to make that meeting’s agenda, otherwise it waits for the next one.

Endorsement is available. Under the Board’s Chapter 345-5 rules, you may apply for licensure by endorsement if you hold a current license in good standing from another state, U.S. territory or foreign country whose licensure requirements are substantially equal to or exceed Georgia’s. Endorsement applicants must still provide classifiable fingerprints and pay all associated background-check fees. Note the Board’s warning: holding an active license in another state does not let you work in Georgia before the Georgia license is issued.

“Supervised” Is Defined, and It Rules Out the Cheap Path

Plenty of states say “supervised instruction” and leave the interpretation to the school. Georgia writes it down: the supervisor must be physically on site, qualified, and immediately available. That single clause is what determines whether a program counts.

It matters most if you are considering a hybrid or largely online program, or transferring hours in from another state. Hours delivered by video, or supervised by someone reachable rather than present, do not meet the standard however the transcript describes them.

The same philosophy governs renewal. Of the 24 continuing education hours per biennium, 12 must come from a course that is 70% direct, hands-on supervised instruction — the instructor physically with you during the demonstration, placement or movement of the body. Budget for travel and in-person tuition every cycle, not just once.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Choose a Board-recognized program and confirm its 500 hours are genuinely on-site supervised.
2. Pass the MBLEx ($265 through FSMTB) or another Board-approved exam.
3. Apply to the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy — check the current fee schedule first, since fees change at the Board’s discretion and are non-refundable.
4. Note your expiry date: licenses expire October 31 of the next even-numbered year regardless of when yours issues.
5. Opening a studio? Register the entity, check your city and county requirements, and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Georgia licenses expire on October 31 of every even-numbered year, whatever date yours was issued. Renewal requires 24 continuing education hours per biennium from an approved provider, and 12 of those must come from a course that is 70% direct, hands-on supervised instruction — the instructor qualified, physically on site, and immediately available while you work. Plan the in-person hours early; they are the part that cannot be done from home.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours does Georgia require for a massage license?

500 total clock hours of supervised classroom and supervised hands-on instruction from a Board-recognized massage therapy education program. Georgia defines supervised strictly: the supervisor must be physically on site, qualified, and immediately available.

What exam does Georgia require for massage licensure?

The Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, or another Board-approved examination.

When do Georgia massage licenses expire?

Licenses issued by the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy expire on October 31 of every even-numbered year, regardless of when they were issued.

What continuing education does Georgia require?

24 continuing education hours per biennium through an approved provider. Of those 24, at least 12 must come from a course that is seventy percent direct, hands-on supervised instruction — meaning the instructor is qualified, physically on site, and immediately available while you perform hands-on work.

Does Georgia require a background check for a massage license?

Yes. A fingerprint criminal background check is required on every applicant under O.C.G.A. Sections 43-24A-8 and 43-24A-13, processed through the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS). Results reach the Board within 48 hours of the prints being received by the GBI. You must have an application on file before registering for prints, and if none is on file within 30 days of print registration you pay the registration fee again.

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

Not from the state board. The Georgia Board of Massage Therapy does not have regulatory authority over massage establishments and does not issue licenses to businesses. Counties and cities permit massage businesses instead, and under O.C.G.A. Section 36-60-6(c) they cannot issue you a business license without evidence of your state massage license. Local ordinances may also require a licensed therapist to be present on the premises whenever massage is performed.

How long does a Georgia massage license application take?

The Board states that application processing may take up to 25 business days from receipt in the Board office. Additional documents submitted later are processed within 15 business days. An incomplete application may be withdrawn if deficiencies are not satisfied within 60 days, and an application must be complete and received at least 15 days before a Board meeting to be added to that agenda.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Georgia Board of Massage Therapy	The board, forms, and fee schedule
Georgia Board of Massage Therapy — FAQ	Exams accepted, fee policy, application guidance
GA Rules Chapter 345-8 — Board Recognized Education Program	500 clock hours and the definition of supervised instruction
GA Rules Chapter 345-4 — Renewal and Continuing Education	24 CE hours, the 12-hour 70% hands-on requirement, October 31 even-year expiry
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Georgia Board of Massage Therapy — FAQ	No establishment licensing, local permitting authority, posting and unannounced inspection duties, and the 45-day background check challenge window
Georgia Secretary of State — How to Guide: Massage Therapist	GAPS fingerprinting, the 25-business-day processing figure, the 60-day deficiency rule and the endorsement application type
Georgia Rules and Regulations — Chapter 345-5, Licensure by Endorsement	Endorsement eligibility and the substantially-equal-or-greater standard

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