Massage Therapist License Requirements in Kansas
- Training hours
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- Upfront cost
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- Exam
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- Renewal cycle
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- Issuing board
- No state licensing authority for massage therapists. The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) licenses 17 healthcare professions, none of which is massage therapy; per the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD), Kansas law does not prescribe a massage therapy licensure requirement, so individuals may practice massage therapy in Kansas without state fees, standards, or oversight. Some Kansas cities (e.g. Mission) independently regulate massage establishments and massage therapists by local ordinance.
How to get licensed
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Meet the prerequisites
Meet the eligibility requirements set by the issuing board. No statewide age, education, or background-check prerequisite is published because Kansas does not license massage therapists at the state level. Kansas statutes (K.S.A. 65-2872 and 65-2913) affirmatively exclude relaxation/muscle-conditioning massage from the definition of the 'healing arts' or physical therapy practice, so long as the practitioner does not use drugs or hold themself out as a physician or healer. Prerequisites for a local permit, where one exists, are set independently by that city or county. [1]
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Complete approved training
Complete the required training. Kansas has no statewide massage therapy training requirement — there is no state license to train toward. Where a city regulates massage therapists (e.g. Mission, per Chapter 620 of its municipal code), that city sets its own hour requirement independently; Mission requires at least 500 hours from an NCBTMB-approved school or a passed NCBTMB exam. Repeated legislative attempts to create a statewide Massage Therapist Licensure Act (most recently SB 111 and SB 305 in 2023) have proposed a 625-hour requirement, but none has passed. [1]
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Submit your application
Submit your application to No state licensing authority for massage therapists. The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) licenses 17 healthcare professions, none of which is massage therapy; per the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD), Kansas law does not prescribe a massage therapy licensure requirement, so individuals may practice massage therapy in Kansas without state fees, standards, or oversight. Some Kansas cities (e.g. Mission) independently regulate massage establishments and massage therapists by local ordinance.. [1]
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Receive your license
Once your application is approved, No state licensing authority for massage therapists. The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) licenses 17 healthcare professions, none of which is massage therapy; per the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD), Kansas law does not prescribe a massage therapy licensure requirement, so individuals may practice massage therapy in Kansas without state fees, standards, or oversight. Some Kansas cities (e.g. Mission) independently regulate massage establishments and massage therapists by local ordinance. issues your No statewide license — regulated at the city/county level for Kansas.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [1] | None specified |
| License fee [1] | None specified |
| Renewal fee [1] | None specified |
No statewide application, license, or renewal fee applies because Kansas does not license massage therapists at the state level. The most recent proposed statute (SB 305, 2023) would have set fees at $80 application / $75 renewal / $80 reinstatement, but it was never enacted (it did not receive a hearing and remains in Senate committee). Local jurisdictions that regulate massage therapists by ordinance set their own fees independently.
Renewal & continuing education
Renewal cycle not specified.
No statewide renewal cycle or continuing-education requirement applies because Kansas does not license massage therapists at the state level. Local ordinances that require a permit (e.g. Mission's) set their own renewal cycle and CE requirements independently — Mission's permit runs annually (July 1-June 30) and requires proof of current CPR/first-aid and NCBTMB or AMTA continuing education at each renewal.
Reciprocity
No reciprocity or endorsement route was found.
No statewide reciprocity/endorsement process exists because there is no state-issued massage therapist license to endorse into. Any reciprocity between local permits, where offered, would be negotiated between individual Kansas jurisdictions rather than administered by a state board. Kansas has not enacted the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact); as of this research the compact's enacted states are Nevada, Ohio, Arkansas, Virginia, and Montana, per massagecompact.org.
2 state-approved training providers in Kansas — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas require a state license to practice massage therapy?
No. Kansas is among the small number of states with no statewide massage therapy licensure. K.S.A. 65-2872 and 65-2913 specifically exclude relaxation/muscle-conditioning massage from the state's 'healing arts' and physical therapy practice definitions.
Are there any local licensing requirements for massage therapists in Kansas?
Some cities regulate massage therapists by ordinance. Mission, Kansas, for example, requires a city-issued massage therapist permit, proof of at least 500 hours of NCBTMB-approved training (or a passed NCBTMB exam), current CPR/first-aid certification, and compliance with NCBTMB/AMTA continuing education standards.
Has Kansas tried to create a statewide massage therapy license?
Yes, repeatedly. Bills to enact a Massage Therapist Licensure Act under the Board of Healing Arts have been introduced in nearly every legislative session since 2008 (most recently SB 111 and SB 305 in 2023), but none has passed a hearing or become law.
What exam do Kansas massage therapy training programs typically prepare students for?
Most of the roughly seven massage therapy programs offered in Kansas prepare students for the MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination), even though passing it is not a state-mandated requirement absent a local ordinance requiring it.
If Kansas has no state license, can I still be held accountable for practicing massage therapy poorly?
Yes, but only through general consumer-protection or criminal channels — without state licensure, the public's recourse against a problematic practitioner is limited to filing a criminal or civil complaint, since there is no licensing board to file a professional complaint with.
Sources
- [1] klrd.gov/2023/11/16/massage-therapy/ — accessed 2026-07-12