How to Get a Pennsylvania Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Pennsylvania asks for something most states do not: child abuse recognition training before you can be licensed at all. The State Board of Massage Therapy wants 600 hours of in-class postsecondary instruction, the MBLEx, and $100 for initial licensure — but the requirement that catches applicants out is 3 hours of board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting up front, then 2 more hours every renewal. Renewal itself is $175 biennially.

What Pennsylvania Actually Requires

• 600 hours of in-class, postsecondary instruction approved by the board, at a regionally accredited college or university, a Pennsylvania private licensed school, or board-determined equivalent.
• The published breakdown: 175 hours of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and pathology; 250 hours of massage therapy; 25 hours of professional ethics; and 150 hours of related courses.
• A high school diploma or the equivalent.
• The MBLEx — the board has adopted the Massage and Bodywork Licensure Examination as the approved exam for initial licensure ($265, registered through the FSMTB).
• 3 hours of board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting continuing education, required for initial licensure.
• Criminal History Record Information checks — one for every state you have lived in during the past five years, each dated within 6 months of your application date (49 Pa. Code § 20.21(b)(2)).

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Initial licensure	$100	State Board of Massage Therapy, applied through PALS
MBLEx exam	$265	Paid to FSMTB
Child abuse training (initial)	Varies	3 hours, board-approved provider
Massage school (600 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	The dominant cost — must be in-class postsecondary instruction
Biennial renewal	$175	Plus 24 CE hours including 2 in child abuse recognition
Pennsylvania LLC	$125	Certificate of organization, PA Department of State
Criminal History Record Information checks	Set by each state agency	One per state of residence in the past 5 years; each report must be under 6 months old when you apply

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

Does Pennsylvania license massage establishments?

No. The State Board of Massage Therapy licenses massage therapists — people — and polices the unlicensed practice of the profession. There is no state massage establishment, facility or premises license in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania also preempted local licensing, but read the clause carefully, because it is narrower than the equivalent in some other states. Section 16 of the Massage Therapy Law (Act 118 of 2008) reads:

“This act shall preempt and supersede any ordinance relating to the licensure or regulation of massage therapists by a political subdivision in effect on the effective date of this section.”

That is a snapshot. It sweeps away the municipal massage-therapist ordinances that existed when the Act took effect — and Pennsylvania had plenty of them, which is exactly why the clause is there. What it is not phrased as is a standing prohibition on anything a municipality might do afterwards, unlike Washington’s statute, which says outright that additional local massage licenses “are not authorized.”

So the practical position in Pennsylvania is: you should not be asked for an old-style municipal massage practitioner license, and Section 16 is what to cite if you are. But the preemption reaches the licensure and regulation of massage therapists — it says nothing about zoning, building and fire code, or a general business privilege or mercantile tax registration, all of which apply to your premises like any other commercial tenant. Confirm those with the municipality before you sign a lease, and treat “is this a massage-therapist ordinance or a general business rule?” as the question that decides which side of Section 16 it falls on.

Does Pennsylvania require a background check?

Yes, and it is broader than a single state check — this is the requirement most likely to delay a Pennsylvania application. Under 49 Pa. Code § 20.21(b)(2) you must provide:

“An official Criminal History Record Information check from the State Police or other state agency for every state in which the candidate has resided during the past 5 years.”

And the reports must be dated within 6 months of the date of application.

Two consequences follow, and they pull in opposite directions. If you have moved even once in five years, you need multiple checks, from agencies whose turnaround times you do not control — a recent graduate who studied out of state is the classic case. But because each report expires at six months, ordering them early is how people end up paying twice: a report obtained while you were still finishing your 600 hours can go stale before your file is complete. Order the checks once the rest of your application is ready to file, not at the start.

Separately from the record checks, you must disclose any charge or conviction for a misdemeanor or felony — in Pennsylvania, in any other United States jurisdiction, or in a foreign country — as part of the application.

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

Yes, and Pennsylvania runs two routes. Check the second one first, because it is usually faster.

1. Licensure by reciprocity, 49 Pa. Code § 20.25. Alongside the standard application and the criminal history checks above, this route requires:

• Verification from the licensing authority in every jurisdiction where you hold a massage therapy license that you are a licensee in good standing, plus documentation of any disciplinary action.
• Your school to send the Board your official transcript directly, together with confirmation that the school is recognized by that jurisdiction’s licensing authority, accredited by a national accrediting organization, or authorized to operate by that jurisdiction’s Department of Education.
• Evidence that you passed the MBLEx, the NCETM or the NCETMB, or successfully completed the NESL option — or evidence that you obtained your original license through qualifications equivalent to those for existing practitioners.

2. Licensure by Act 41. Act 41 gives every Pennsylvania board and commission authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions whose licensing requirements are substantially equivalent, where the applicant is active, in good standing, and without discipline against the license or a criminal conviction.

And there is a fallback worth knowing about: where the existing endorsement and reciprocity options do not provide a means of licensure, an applicant who holds an active license in another state or country and has practiced for at least 2 of the last 5 years will be given Act 41 consideration on a case-by-case basis. If your training does not map cleanly onto Pennsylvania’s 600 contact hours — an older program, or a jurisdiction that counts hours differently — that clause is the one to raise with the Board rather than assuming you must retrain.

Whichever route you take, the fees are the same as any other applicant: $100 initial licensing fee and $175 biennial renewal, and the child abuse recognition and reporting training covered above applies to you as well.

The Child Abuse Training Requirement Is a Gate, Not a Formality

Pennsylvania treats massage therapists as mandated reporters, and the training requirement reflects it. 3 hours of board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting is required for initial licensure — before the license issues, not after. Then 2 of the 24 continuing education hours at every biennial renewal must be in the same subject.

Two practical notes. The provider has to be board-approved, so a generic online course may not count — check the board’s approved list before paying for one. And because this sits outside your massage school curriculum, it is easy to finish 600 hours, pass the MBLEx, and then discover you are still three hours short of being licensable.

The renewal arithmetic is also worth planning: of the 24 biennial hours, at least 16 must be contact hours and 2 must be the child abuse subject.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Finish 600 hours of in-class postsecondary instruction with the 175/250/25/150 breakdown.
2. Complete 3 hours of board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting training — check the approved provider list first.
3. Pass the MBLEx ($265 through FSMTB).
4. Apply through PALS with the $100 initial licensure fee.
5. Opening a practice? Register the entity, check your municipality — Philadelphia requires a Commercial Activity License, for instance — and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Pennsylvania licenses renew biennially at $175, with 24 hours of continuing education per period. At least 16 must be contact hours, and 2 hours must be board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting. Renewals are filed through PALS at pals.pa.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Pennsylvania massage license cost?

$100 for initial licensure from the State Board of Massage Therapy, then $175 for each biennial renewal. Add $265 for the MBLEx and massage school tuition for the 600-hour program.

How many hours does Pennsylvania require for a massage license?

600 hours of in-class, postsecondary instruction approved by the board, broken down as 175 hours of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and pathology; 250 hours of massage therapy; 25 hours of professional ethics; and 150 hours of related courses. A high school diploma or equivalent is also required.

Does Pennsylvania require child abuse training for massage therapists?

Yes, and it applies twice. Initial applicants must complete 3 hours of board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting. At renewal, 2 of the 24 required continuing education hours must be board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting.

What exam does Pennsylvania require for a massage license?

The MBLEx. The board has adopted the Massage and Bodywork Licensure Examination as the approved examination for initial licensure.

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

No. The State Board of Massage Therapy licenses massage therapists rather than premises, and there is no state massage establishment license. Section 16 of the Massage Therapy Law, Act 118 of 2008, also preempts and supersedes any municipal ordinance relating to the licensure or regulation of massage therapists that was in effect on the effective date of that section. That preemption is a snapshot of ordinances then in force and covers therapist licensing only, so zoning, building and fire code and general business tax registration still apply to your premises.

Does Pennsylvania require a background check for a massage license?

Yes, and possibly more than one. Under 49 Pa. Code Section 20.21(b)(2) you must provide an official Criminal History Record Information check from the State Police or other state agency for every state in which you have resided during the past five years, and each report must be dated within six months of your application date. You must also disclose any misdemeanor or felony charge or conviction in Pennsylvania, any other United States jurisdiction, or a foreign country.

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

Yes, by two routes. Licensure by reciprocity under 49 Pa. Code Section 20.25 requires verification of good standing from every jurisdiction where you are licensed, an official transcript sent directly by your school with confirmation the school is properly recognized, and evidence you passed the MBLEx, NCETM or NCETMB or completed the NESL option. Act 41 separately allows the Board to endorse licensees from jurisdictions with substantially equivalent requirements who are active, in good standing and without discipline or criminal conviction, and gives case-by-case consideration to applicants who have practiced at least two of the last five years where no other route fits.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
PA Department of State — Massage Therapist Licensure Snapshot	600 hours and the 175/250/25/150 breakdown, MBLEx, $100 initial licensure, $175 biennial renewal, 24 CE hours, child abuse training at initial and renewal
PA State Board of Massage Therapy	The board, its rules, announcements and renewal guidance
PALS — Pennsylvania Licensing System	Where initial applications and renewals are filed
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Massage Therapy Law — Act 118 of 2008, Section 16 (Preemption)	The preemption of municipal ordinances relating to the licensure or regulation of massage therapists in effect on the effective date
49 Pa. Code § 20.21 — Application for temporary practice permit, initial licensure and licensure by reciprocity	The Criminal History Record Information requirement for every state of residence in the past 5 years, dated within 6 months
49 Pa. Code § 20.25 — Additional requirements for applicants for licensure by reciprocity	Good-standing verification from every jurisdiction, direct transcript and school recognition, and the accepted examinations
Pennsylvania Department of State — Massage Therapist Licensure Snapshot	The 600-hour requirement, $100 initial and $175 biennial renewal fees, continuing education, and licensure by Act 41