How to Get a Texas Massage License

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Texas licenses massage therapists through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and the number that catches people out is not the school hours — it is the establishment license. The therapist side is comparatively light: 500 hours of coursework, a $100 application, an exam, and fingerprints. But the moment you have a place of business that advertises or offers massage, Texas wants a separate $200 massage establishment license — and it will not let you open until that application is approved.

What Texas Actually Requires

• 500 hours of massage therapy coursework. TDLR does not require a Texas school — the hours can come from a college program or an out-of-state school, which matters if you are relocating.
• An exam, by one of two routes: the Texas state examination through PSI, which folds massage content and Texas jurisprudence into one sitting, or the MBLEx ($265, 100 questions in 110 minutes, registered through the FSMTB) plus the separate Texas Massage Therapist Jurisprudence Examination.
• A 30-day clock on the jurisprudence exam: once you register for it, the registration expires if you do not complete it within 30 days.
• Fingerprints for a national criminal history record review, submitted after the application. No license issues until this clears.
• Human trafficking prevention training from a course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Therapist application	$100	Non-refundable, paid to TDLR
MBLEx exam	$265	If you take the MBLEx route; paid to FSMTB
Fingerprints	Varies	National criminal history record review, billed by the vendor
Massage school (500 hrs)	Tuition varies widely	The dominant cost — compare programs
Massage establishment license	$200	Required for any place of business offering massage; two-year term
Therapist renewal (2 yrs)	$75	$112.50 if expired 90 days or less; $150 if 90 days to 18 months
Texas LLC	$300	Certificate of formation, Texas Secretary of State

The Establishment License Is the Business Decision

Texas defines a massage establishment as any place of business that advertises or offers massage therapy or other massage services — and no establishment may commence operation until its application has been approved. That is a sequencing problem, not just a fee: the lease is signed, the room is built out, and the doors stay shut until TDLR says yes.

Two details worth planning around. First, the establishment may employ only licensed massage therapists to perform massage. Second, the fingerprint requirement reaches past you: background checks extend to anyone with a controlling interest, an ownership stake above 10 percent, a board position, or a management role in the entity. If you are bringing in an investor or a silent partner, they are in the background check too — worth knowing before you structure the company. Licensed establishments are inspected once every two years.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Finish 500 hours of massage therapy coursework at a program that satisfies TDLR.
2. Pick your exam route — the PSI Texas state exam in one sitting, or the MBLEx plus the Texas jurisprudence exam. If you take the jurisprudence exam, sit it within 30 days of registering.
3. Apply to TDLR with the $100 non-refundable application fee.
4. Get fingerprinted for the national criminal history review — the license will not issue until it clears.
5. Complete human trafficking prevention training from an HHSC-approved provider.
6. Opening your own place? Form the entity, then file the $200 establishment application and wait for approval before opening. Bind liability insurance before the first client.

Staying Licensed

Texas massage therapist licenses run two years and renew for $75, with 12 hours of TDLR-approved or recognized continuing education per renewal period, plus human trafficking prevention training. Acceptable CE covers massage practice and soft tissue manipulation, massage laws and rules, business practice and ethics, anatomy and physiology, pathology, kinesiology, hydrotherapy, and health and hygiene. First aid and CPR cannot exceed 6 hours of the total, and online courses are only acceptable for non-technique subjects. Late renewal costs $112.50 within 90 days of expiry and $150 from 90 days to 18 months. The establishment license renews on its own two-year cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Texas massage license cost?

$100 for the massage therapist license application, paid to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, plus fingerprinting for the national criminal history check and $265 for the MBLEx if you take that route. The license runs two years and renews for $75. If you are opening your own place, add the $200 massage establishment license.

How many hours of school does Texas require for massage therapy?

At least 500 hours of massage therapy coursework. TDLR does not require those hours to be earned at a Texas-licensed school — a college program or an out-of-state school can qualify you to sit for the exam.

What exam does Texas require for a massage license?

Two routes. You can take the Texas state examination administered by PSI, which covers massage content plus Texas jurisprudence in one sitting. Or you can pass the MBLEx and then separately pass the Texas Massage Therapist Jurisprudence Examination on state rules and laws. Jurisprudence exam registration expires if you do not complete it within 30 days.

Do I need a massage establishment license in Texas?

Yes, if you have a place of business that advertises or offers massage. A massage establishment license costs $200, runs two years, and no establishment may open before the application is approved. Licensed establishments are inspected once every two years, and fingerprint background checks extend to anyone with a controlling interest, an ownership stake over 10 percent, a board seat, or a management role.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
TDLR — Apply for a New Massage Therapist License	500 hours, $100 application fee, two-year term, fingerprint requirement
TDLR — Massage Therapy Examination Requirements	PSI state exam vs MBLEx + jurisprudence exam, 30-day registration window
TDLR — Apply for a New Massage Establishment License	$200 establishment fee, definition, approval-before-opening, inspections, ownership background checks
TDLR — Renew a Massage Therapist License	$75 renewal, late fees, human trafficking training
TDLR — Massage Therapy Continuing Education	12 CE hours, acceptable subjects, CPR cap, online limits
FSMTB — MBLEx	MBLEx registration and $265 exam fee

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