How to Get a Maryland Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Maryland makes you choose a credential before you choose a school, and the wrong choice locks you out of clinical work. The Board of Massage Therapy Examiners issues two: Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) at 750 contact hours, who can practice anywhere, and Registered Massage Practitioner (RMP) at 600 contact hours, who is registered to practice only in settings that are not health care settings. And unusually, you must pass the exam before you apply.

What Maryland Actually Requires

• LMT: a minimum of 750 contact hours in an accredited massage therapy education program — practice in any setting.
• RMP: 600 contact hours — registered to practice only in a setting that is not a health care setting.
• An examination passed BEFORE you apply: the FSMTB MBLEx (FSMTB, $265), the NCBTMB examination, or the NCCAOM examination.
• Application to the Maryland State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners, within the Maryland Department of Health.
• A Criminal History Records Check — fingerprints searched against both State and FBI databases, a condition of licensure since October 1, 2016. The Board may not issue a license until it has the result (Health Occupations Article § 6-303(b)).
• The Maryland Jurisprudence Examination, taken online after the Board has your national score report and transcripts — a second exam, separate from the MBLEx.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application and renewal fees	Set in COMAR 10.65.07	The Board publishes the current schedule on its fees page
MBLEx exam	$265	Or NCBTMB / NCCAOM — passed before you apply
Massage school — LMT	Tuition varies widely	750 contact hours
Massage school — RMP	Tuition varies widely	600 contact hours, non-health-care settings only
Continuing education	Varies	24 hours per 24 months incl. 3 ethics; 1 hr implicit bias at first renewal
Maryland LLC	$100	Articles of organization, Maryland Business Express
Criminal History Records Check	$55.00	$31.25 background check paid to CJIS plus $23.75 fingerprinting, paid to the provider
County registration	Varies by county	No statewide establishment license, but counties add their own layer — Montgomery County requires annual in-person registration of every practicing therapist

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

Does Maryland license massage establishments?

The state does not — your county may, and in at least one county the requirement lands on you personally even if you never open a business. The Board of Massage Therapy Examiners issues two credentials, the LMT and the RMP, and both are credentials for a person. Maryland has no statewide massage establishment or facility license.

What fills that space is county regulation, and it is easy to miss because nothing in the state application mentions it. Montgomery County is the clearest example: any person practicing massage therapy in Montgomery County must register with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure and Regulatory Services — every year. First-time registrants and renewals must both:

• Come in person to the offices of Licensure and Regulatory Services.
• Present a Maryland State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners license — expired licenses are not accepted.
• Present a letter from their employer.
• Present a government-issued photo ID.

Note what that means in practice: a Maryland LMT who moves to Montgomery County and starts work is not finished when the state license arrives, and the annual renewal is a physical trip, not an online form. The employer letter also implies you need the job before you can register.

Montgomery County is the example, not the rule — other Maryland counties set their own requirements, and some regulate the establishment rather than the practitioner. Before you sign a lease or accept a position, call the county health department for the jurisdiction you will actually work in and ask whether it registers therapists, licenses establishments, or both.

Does Maryland require a background check?

Yes, and the Board is barred from licensing you without it. A Criminal History Records Check has been a condition of licensure since October 1, 2016. Fingerprints are searched against both a State and an FBI database, and under Health Occupations Article § 6-303(b) the Board may not issue a license or registration until the criminal history record information has been received. This is not a step that can be chased later.

Cost: $55.00 all in — $31.25 for the background check, paid to CJIS, and $23.75 for the fingerprinting service, paid directly to the provider. Electronic fingerprinting is available at CJIS-approved private providers and most Maryland MVA locations, and taking your prints electronically in Maryland is the smoother route. If you are out of state, you must contact the Board on 410-764-4738 to request a fingerprint card before you can be printed.

The CHRC receipt goes in with your application, alongside your transcripts, national score report and CPR certification. And a Maryland-specific trap that has nothing to do with the check itself: payment must be a certified check or money order made payable to MD Massage Therapy Examiners. Cash, personal checks and business checks are all returned to you, which simply restarts the clock.

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

There is no automatic endorsement — out-of-state applicants are reviewed case by case — but Maryland publishes real alternative routes, and they are unusually generous to experienced therapists.

The standard path for an LMT is a massage therapy program of at least 750 contact hours whose curriculum is approved by the Board, endorsed by COMTA or an equivalent entity, and accredited by an institutional agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If your program does not clear that bar, you are not automatically out. Maryland lists four alternative qualifications for applicants with fewer than 750 contact hours:

• Active licensure: continuous licensure or registration in good standing for at least 10 years before applying.
• Experience: evidence of at least 1,000 hours of hands-on experience within the past 2 years.
• Education and continuing education: program hours plus continuing education courses totaling a minimum of 750 hours.
• Education and licensed work experience: a combination of contact program hours, continuing education hours and licensed hands-on work experience totaling 750 hours.

The Board states plainly that all applications, including out-of-state applications, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and asks you to contact it to discuss acceptable documentation. That is worth doing before you pay for anything — a long-licensed therapist from a 600-hour state may well qualify on the ten-year route without topping up a single hour, and a newer therapist may find continuing education already taken counts toward the 750.

Whichever route you take, two things do not move: the national examination (MBLEx, NCBTMB or NCCAOM) must be passed before you submit the application, and the Jurisprudence Examination is scheduled only once the Board holds your official score report and sealed transcripts.

LMT or RMP Decides Where You Are Allowed to Work

This is the decision to get right before you pay a school anything. Maryland issues two credentials and the gap between them is 150 contact hours — 750 for the LMT, 600 for the RMP.

What those 150 hours buy is setting. An RMP is registered to practice massage therapy in a setting that is not a health care setting. An LMT is licensed to practice massage therapy without that restriction. So chiropractic offices, physical therapy practices, hospital and clinical environments — the referral-driven work — sit behind the LMT.

If your plan is a spa, a studio or your own room, RMP may be all you need and it is 150 hours cheaper. If there is any chance you will want clinical work, take the LMT route first: it is far easier than converting later. The Board does run an RMP to LMT conversion, with regulations effective 18 August 2025 — check the current terms before relying on it.

One more Maryland-specific sequencing point: the exam comes first. You must have passed the MBLEx, NCBTMB or NCCAOM examination before submitting your application, not while it is pending.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Decide LMT or RMP first — 750 hours and any setting, or 600 hours and no health care settings.
2. Complete the contact hours in an accredited massage therapy education program.
3. Pass the MBLEx, NCBTMB or NCCAOM exam — before you apply.
4. Apply to the Board of Massage Therapy Examiners.
5. Diary October 31 — CE is measured to that date each renewal year.
6. Opening a practice? Register the entity, check county and city requirements, and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

By October 31 of each renewal year, licensees and registrants complete a minimum of 24 continuing education hours within the previous 24 months, including 3 hours in professional ethics or jurisprudence. A one-hour Implicit Bias training course is mandatory for first-time renewals. Fees sit in COMAR 10.65.07.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an LMT and an RMP in Maryland?

Scope of setting. A Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) requires a minimum of 750 contact hours and may practice anywhere. A Registered Massage Practitioner (RMP) requires 600 contact hours and is registered to practice only in a setting that is not a health care setting. The 150-hour difference decides where you can legally work.

How many hours does Maryland require for a massage license?

750 contact hours in an accredited massage therapy education program for the LMT, or 600 contact hours for the RMP.

What exam does Maryland require?

You must pass the FSMTB MBLEx, the NCBTMB examination, or the NCCAOM examination before submitting your application — the exam comes first in Maryland, not after.

What continuing education does Maryland require?

By October 31 of each renewal year, 24 continuing education hours completed within the previous 24 months, including 3 hours in professional ethics or jurisprudence. A one-hour Implicit Bias training course is mandatory for first-time renewals.

Does Maryland require a background check for a massage license?

Yes. A Criminal History Records Check has been a condition of licensure since October 1, 2016, searching both State and FBI databases. Under Health Occupations Article Section 6-303(b) the Board may not issue a license until the criminal history record information has been received. The cost is $55.00 total: $31.25 for the check, paid to CJIS, plus $23.75 for fingerprinting. Out-of-state applicants must call the Board on 410-764-4738 to request a fingerprint card.

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

Not from the state. The Board of Massage Therapy Examiners licenses individuals as LMTs or RMPs and Maryland has no statewide massage establishment license. Counties add their own layer: in Montgomery County any person practicing massage therapy must register annually and in person with Licensure and Regulatory Services, presenting a current state license, an employer letter and photo ID. Check the county health department where you will actually work.

Can you get a Maryland massage license with fewer than 750 hours?

Possibly. Maryland reviews applications case by case and publishes four alternative qualifications for applicants below 750 contact hours: continuous licensure in good standing for at least 10 years; at least 1,000 hours of hands-on experience within the past two years; program hours plus continuing education totaling 750 hours; or a combination of program hours, continuing education and licensed hands-on work experience totaling 750 hours. Contact the Board about acceptable documentation before paying for additional training.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Maryland Board of Massage Therapy Examiners — Licensure Requirements	LMT 750 vs RMP 600 contact hours, exam before application
Maryland — Continuing Education Requirements for LMTs and RMPs	24 CE hours per 24 months by October 31, 3 hours ethics, implicit bias at first renewal
COMAR 10.65 — Board of Massage Therapy Examiners	The full rule set including fees at 10.65.07
Maryland — RMP to LMT Conversion Regulations, effective 08-18-2025	The conversion path from RMP to LMT
Maryland Board — Fees	Current fee schedule
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Maryland Board of Massage Therapy Examiners — Apply for a Massage License	The 750-hour LMT standard and the four alternative qualifications for applicants below it, all reviewed case by case
Maryland Board of Massage Therapy Examiners — Licensure Requirements	The Criminal History Records Check receipt requirement, the Jurisprudence Examination sequence, and the certified-check-or-money-order rule
Montgomery County DHHS — Massage Therapy Registration	The annual in-person county registration required of every therapist practicing in Montgomery County