Massage Therapist License Requirements in Minnesota
- 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
- Minnesota has no state massage therapy licensing board. The state does not license massage therapy; many cities and counties instead impose their own local business-licensing requirements. Massage therapists may also register voluntarily as an unlicensed Complementary and Alternative Health Care (CAP) practitioner under Minn. Stat. Chapter 146A, which requires a client bill of rights but is not a professional license.
How to get licensed
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Meet the prerequisites
Meet the eligibility requirements set by the issuing board. No statewide prerequisites exist, since there is no state license. Practitioners who register as an unlicensed CAP practitioner under Minn. Stat. Ch. 146A must provide clients a bill of rights and comply with statutory prohibited-acts provisions, but that registration does not impose an age or background-check requirement. Local city/county business licenses may impose their own requirements, which are not covered here. [1]
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Complete approved training
Complete the required training. No statewide training-hour requirement exists because Minnesota does not license massage therapy at the state level. Any training requirements are set by individual city/county business-licensing ordinances (which vary and are not covered here) or, for practitioners who choose to register as an unlicensed CAP practitioner under Minn. Stat. Ch. 146A, that registration does not itself impose a training-hour minimum. [1]
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Submit your application
Submit your application to Minnesota has no state massage therapy licensing board. The state does not license massage therapy; many cities and counties instead impose their own local business-licensing requirements. Massage therapists may also register voluntarily as an unlicensed Complementary and Alternative Health Care (CAP) practitioner under Minn. Stat. Chapter 146A, which requires a client bill of rights but is not a professional license.. [1]
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Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Minnesota has no state massage therapy licensing board. The state does not license massage therapy; many cities and counties instead impose their own local business-licensing requirements. Massage therapists may also register voluntarily as an unlicensed Complementary and Alternative Health Care (CAP) practitioner under Minn. Stat. Chapter 146A, which requires a client bill of rights but is not a professional license. issues your No statewide license — regulated at the city/county level for Minnesota.
Fees
Renewal & continuing education
Renewal cycle not specified.
No state renewal cycle or continuing-education requirement exists because there is no state license to renew.
Reciprocity
No reciprocity or endorsement route was found.
Not applicable — Minnesota has no state license to endorse into or out of. Per massagecompact.org, Minnesota is currently ineligible to join the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) because the compact requires member states to first have statewide licensure in place; massagecompact.org's advocacy page for Minnesota explicitly frames establishing statewide licensure as a prerequisite step toward future IMpact participation. As of this research the compact's enacted states are Nevada, Ohio, Arkansas, Virginia, and Montana. Statewide licensure legislation (HF362/SF1131) was pending in the 2026 Minnesota legislative session but had not been enacted as of this research.
7 state-approved training providers in Minnesota — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota require a state license to practice as a massage therapist?
No. Minnesota is one of the few states with no statewide massage therapy license. Regulation happens locally — many cities and counties require their own business license for massage establishments or practitioners.
How do I find out what my city or county requires to practice massage therapy in Minnesota?
You'll need to contact your local city or county licensing office directly, since requirements (training, fees, background checks) vary by jurisdiction and are not set at the state level.
Is there any state-level registration for massage therapists in Minnesota?
Massage therapists may voluntarily register as an unlicensed Complementary and Alternative Health Care practitioner under Minn. Stat. Chapter 146A, which requires giving clients a bill of rights, but this is not a professional license and doesn't set training or exam standards.
Is Minnesota part of the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact)?
No. Minnesota is currently ineligible to join IMpact because the compact requires member states to have statewide licensure first, which Minnesota does not have. Statewide licensure legislation has been introduced but not yet enacted.
Sources
- [1] mn.gov/elicense/a-z/ — accessed 2026-07-12
- [2] massagecompact.org/states/minnesota — accessed 2026-07-12