How to Get a Tennessee Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Tennessee raised its bar in 2024 and a lot of schools and guidance have not caught up. The Board of Massage Licensure now requires a program of 650 classroom hours; previously approved 500-hour programs stopped being accepted for new enrollment on July 1, 2024. Applying costs $280 — on the higher end — and the exam paperwork goes to the FSMTB, not to Nashville.

What Tennessee Actually Requires

• A massage therapy program of at least 650 classroom hours. Previously approved 500-hour programs are no longer accepted for new enrollment as of July 1, 2024.
• The MBLEx from the FSMTB ($265), or a successor examination approved by the Board. Exam application, documents and fees go to the FSMTB, not to the state board.
• A $280.00 application to the Tennessee Board of Massage Licensure, part of the Department of Health.
• A criminal background check by the TBI and the FBI, completed through IdentoGO. You cannot reuse a check done for another purpose, and results expire after six months.
• A separate establishment license if you will operate the premises — Tennessee licenses massage establishments as well as therapists.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Application fee	$280	Tennessee Board of Massage Licensure
MBLEx exam	$265	Application and fees go to FSMTB
Massage school (650 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	Up from 500 for new enrollment since July 2024
Continuing education	Varies	Includes a Tennessee-law component with a board-set curriculum
Tennessee LLC	$300	Articles of organization, Tennessee Secretary of State
TBI and FBI background check	Paid to IdentoGO	Cannot reuse earlier results, and they expire after six months — time it to your application
Massage establishment license	See the Board’s current schedule	Application PH-3495, with an establishment inspection form (PH-3643); required to operate the premises

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

Does Tennessee license massage establishments?

Yes. Massage establishments are required to be licensed by the Board — the premises, separately from you. This is a second application, with its own forms, its own renewal cycle and its own inspection.

The paperwork the Board publishes tells you how real this is: a Massage Establishment Licensure Application (PH-3495), a Massage Establishment Inspection Form (PH-3643), an Ownership or Proceeds Disclosure, a Massage Establishment Name/Change Form (PH-4440), plus separate forms to inactivate (PH-3959) and reactivate (PH-3960) an establishment license. Every establishment also has a designated responsible person, and the Board maintains a policy on the timeframe for a new application when that person changes — so the individual accountable for the premises is a matter of record, not an internal arrangement.

Here is the part that matters even if you never own anything. The Board publishes standing policies specifically titled “Policy for Therapist working at an Establishment with an Expired/Lapsed License” and “Policy for Therapist Working at an Establishment that has Never Held a Valid License.” Tennessee has written down what happens to the therapist when the employer’s license is not in order. Your own license is exposed by someone else’s lapse.

The practical instruction follows directly: before you accept a job or sign a lease, verify the establishment’s license yourself through the Department of Health’s facility license search. Do not take the front desk’s word for it, and check again after an ownership or name change — those are exactly the moments a license lapses.

One more sign of how seriously the state treats the premises: of your continuing education, two hours must cover federal and Tennessee statutes and rules concerning massage therapists and establishments. The rules governing the building are examinable material, and new licensees are no longer exempt from CE during their first year — hours are pro-rated instead.

Does Tennessee require a background check?

Yes — TBI and FBI, and the timing rules are strict enough to cost you the application if you get them wrong. All applicants for initial licensure must obtain a criminal background check conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, completed through IdentoGO following the instructions the Board publishes.

Three rules to plan around:

• You cannot reuse previous results. A check run for a different employer, license or purpose does not count.
• Results expire after six months. If your application stalls — a missing transcript, a slow school — the check can go stale before the file is complete, and you pay again.
• Out-of-state applicants should scan electronically. The Board notes results are typically received sooner when fingerprints are electronically scanned rather than submitted on cards.

The obligation does not end at licensure. Under Rule 0870-01-.18 licensees must report criminal convictions within 30 days. That is a short window, and it applies to you, not to your employer.

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

Honest answer: Tennessee does not publish a distinct endorsement pathway in the licensure material we could verify. Out-of-state applicants go through the same application and the same standards — completion of a course of study of not less than 650 hours from a school approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents, and passage of the MBLEx or the NCBTMB examination. Since July 1, 2003, every applicant must satisfy both the education and the examination requirement.

The one clearly separate route the Board does publish is for military families: a Portability Act application for a servicemember or military spouse with transfer orders to Tennessee, submitted with a copy of the orders. There are also expedited-licensure declarations for military members and military spouses.

If you are licensed elsewhere, call the Board before you spend anything — 615-253-2111 or 800-778-4123 — and ask specifically how your hours and your examination will be treated. A transcript from a school approved by another state’s regulator is not automatically a school approved by THEC or the Board of Regents, and that is the question worth settling before you pay an application fee or move.

650 Hours Since July 2024 — and Tennessee Law Is Its Own CE Subject

Tennessee moved from 500 to 650 classroom hours, and the cutoff is specific: previously approved 500-hour programs are no longer accepted for new enrollment as of July 1, 2024. If you are choosing a school now, confirm the program is built to the current standard rather than trusting older marketing.

The second Tennessee-specific item is continuing education. The Board publishes a required curriculum for Tennessee massage law CE courses — state law is treated as its own examinable subject rather than folded into general ethics. A worked example of how granular this gets: a licensee who obtains a license in September through December of the second year of a cycle owes four hours — two on federal and Tennessee statutes and rules, two on practice management, professional ethics or substance abuse.

And keep your certificates. Tennessee requires licensees to retain independent documentation of every CE course for four years after the end of the cycle in which it was earned.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Choose a program built to 650 classroom hours, not a legacy 500-hour one.
2. Apply for the MBLEx through the FSMTB — application, documents and fees go to them.
3. Pass the exam.
4. Submit the $280 application to the Tennessee Board of Massage Licensure.
5. Plan the Tennessee-law CE and keep documentation for four years past the end of each cycle.
6. Opening a studio? Register the entity, check city and county requirements, and bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Tennessee massage therapists renew biennially with board-approved continuing education, including a Tennessee-law component for which the Board publishes a required curriculum. Licensees obtaining a license in September–December of the second year of a cycle owe four hours: two on federal and Tennessee statutes and rules, two on practice management, professional ethics or substance abuse. Retain independent documentation of all continuing education for four years from the end of the cycle in which it was earned. Confirm the full-cycle hour total with the Board.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours does Tennessee require for a massage license?

A massage therapy program of at least 650 classroom hours. Previously approved 500-hour programs stopped being accepted for new enrollment as of July 1, 2024, so a program that was fine two years ago may no longer qualify.

How much does a Tennessee massage license cost?

$280.00 for the massage therapist licensure application to the Tennessee Board of Massage Licensure, plus $265 for the MBLEx and massage school tuition.

What exam does Tennessee require for a massage license?

The MBLEx, or a successor examination approved by the Board. The exam application, required documents and fees go to the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards rather than to the state.

What continuing education does Tennessee require?

Tennessee licenses renew biennially with board-approved continuing education, and the Board maintains a required curriculum specifically for Tennessee massage law CE courses. Licensees who obtain a license in September through December of the second year of a cycle owe four hours: two on federal and Tennessee statutes and rules, and two on practice management, professional ethics or substance abuse. Documentation must be retained for four years after the end of the cycle.

Do you need an establishment license to open a massage business in Tennessee?

Yes. Massage establishments must be licensed by the Tennessee Massage Licensure Board, separately from your therapist license. The Board publishes a Massage Establishment Licensure Application (PH-3495), an establishment inspection form (PH-3643), an ownership or proceeds disclosure, a name change form (PH-4440), and inactivation and reactivation forms. Each establishment has a designated responsible person, and changing that person triggers a new application.

Does Tennessee require a background check for a massage license?

Yes. All applicants for initial licensure must complete a criminal background check by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI through IdentoGO. You cannot reuse results from a previous check, and results expire after six months, so time the check to when your application file will be complete. Out-of-state applicants generally get faster results with electronic fingerprint scanning. After licensure, Rule 0870-01-.18 requires criminal convictions to be reported within 30 days.

What happens if you work at an unlicensed massage establishment in Tennessee?

It is your problem as well as the owner’s. The Board publishes standing policies covering a therapist working at an establishment with an expired or lapsed license and a therapist working at an establishment that has never held a valid license. Verify the establishment’s license through the Department of Health facility license search before accepting a job, and check again after any ownership or name change.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Massage Licensure	The board, applications and renewal
TN Board of Massage Licensure — Applications	Application forms and the $280 fee
TN Board Policy — Required Curriculum for Tennessee Massage Law CE Courses and School Instruction	The Tennessee-law CE curriculum the Board requires
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee
Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Massage Licensure	Establishment licensure, inspection, name change, inactivation and reactivation forms, the responsible person policy, and the policies on therapists working at unlicensed establishments
Rules of the Tennessee Massage Licensure Board — Chapter 0870	The 650-hour education standard, examination requirement, and Rule 0870-01-.18 on reporting convictions within 30 days

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