StateLicensed

Massage Therapist License Requirements in Nebraska

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
1000 hrs
Upfront cost
$375
Exam
Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), Nebraska Jurisprudence Massage Therapy Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Nebraska Board of Massage Therapy (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 19 years old, 1,000 hours (700 core-subject hours + 300 clinical-practice hours) from an approved massage therapy program spanning at least 9 months., pass a criminal background check. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-1710 and 172 NAC 81-003.01 require applicants to be at least 19 years old (older than the more common 18-year minimum used by most states) and of good character, plus be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or employment-authorized nonimmigrant. Good character is evaluated via application disclosure; applicants with a criminal conviction may optionally request a $100 Preliminary Application Conviction Review before applying. Verified via archive snapshot 2025-07-12 (dhhs.ne.gov is unreachable to automated clients). [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 1000 hours of training (including 300 clinical hours) at a state-approved program. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-1703 and 172 NAC 81-002(12) require a course of study and training of not less than 1,000 hours distributed over a term of not less than 9 months, all gained in a class setting. Must include at least 100 hours each in anatomy, health service management, hydrotherapy, hygiene and practical demonstration, massage, pathology, and physiology (700 hours total), plus 300 hours in subject areas related to the clinical practice of massage therapy. Verified via archive snapshot 2025-07-12 (dhhs.ne.gov and other Nebraska state hosts are unreachable to automated clients). [1]

  3. 3

    Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx)

    Pass the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) (fee: $265). 172 NAC 81-003.01(4) also accepts an NCBTMB exam (e.g. NCETMB/NCETM) approved by the Board. You must register directly with FSMTB to sit the MBLEx. [2]

  4. 4

    Nebraska Jurisprudence Massage Therapy Examination

    Pass the Nebraska Jurisprudence Massage Therapy Examination (fee: $0). Free open-book take-home exam, 50 multiple-choice questions 172 NAC 81-003.01(4) requires applicants licensed in another jurisdiction (reciprocity applicants) to pass this exam with a score of at least 75%. It is not listed as a mandatory step for applicants completing Nebraska's full 1,000-hour in-state program, though the DHHS website presents it under general exam information and it can also be used for 3 continuing-competency renewal credits with a 75%+ score. Verified via archive snapshot 2026-05-18 (dhhs.ne.gov is unreachable to automated clients). [3]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Nebraska Board of Massage Therapy (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) with the $110 application fee. [1]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Nebraska Board of Massage Therapy (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) issues your Massage Therapist for Nebraska.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] $110
License fee [1] None specified
Renewal fee [1] $110
Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) [2] $265
Nebraska Jurisprudence Massage Therapy Examination [3] $0
Temporary license fee (initial only, not renewable) [1] $25

Per the 172 NAC 2 fee schedule: $110 for an initial Massage Therapy credential (no separate license-issuance fee) and $110 to renew. A $25 fee applies only to the temporary license (valid up to 60 days pending exam passage). Applicants with a criminal conviction may also optionally request a $100 Preliminary Application Conviction Review to determine eligibility before applying. Verified via archive snapshot 2025-07-12 (dhhs.ne.gov is unreachable to automated clients).

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 16 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Licences expire November 1 of each odd-numbered year, so the cycle is 2 years. 172 NAC 81-008, in the version effective 2021-06-07, requires 16 hours of continuing education during the 24 months before renewal, up to 50% of which may be gained online or through electronic media, including at least 8 hands-on workshop hours and at least 3 ethics hours; up to 8 non-hands-on hours may come from a licensure or jurisprudence exam, publication, teaching, or school/college coursework. The 24-hour figure flagged at close-out comes from the superseded 2010 edition of Chapter 81, which is still what DHHS's own Title-172-Complete.pdf compilation contains — that compilation is stale on this chapter, and the Secretary of State's rules service carries the current text. 16 is correct.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-1712 allows the department to issue a license based on licensure in another jurisdiction meeting substantially equivalent requirements. Per 172 NAC 81-003.01(3)(b), a reciprocity applicant licensed elsewhere who hasn't completed the full 1,000 training hours may make up the difference through a massage program, college/university coursework, work experience (100 hours credited per year of full-time practice), and/or up to 100 hours of NCBTMB/FSMTB-approved continuing education, without needing to match Nebraska's specific subject-area hour minimums. Reciprocity applicants must still pass a national exam (MBLEx or NCBTMB) and Nebraska's own jurisprudence exam (75%+). Nebraska has not enacted the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact); per a direct check of massagecompact.org's Nebraska page, Nebraska's status is 'No IMpact Legislation' (note: an older informational page on the Missouri massage board's website references Nebraska among states where IMpact 'has already been introduced,' but the compact commission's own current per-state page does not reflect this, so it is treated as outdated). As of this research the compact's enacted states are Nevada, Ohio, Arkansas, Virginia, and Montana.

2 state-approved training providers in Nebraska — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $110
  • $265
  • $0
Total$375

Frequently asked questions

How many training hours does Nebraska require for a massage therapist license?

1,000 hours over at least 9 months: 100 hours each in anatomy, health service management, hydrotherapy, hygiene/practical demonstration, massage, pathology, and physiology (700 hours total), plus 300 hours of clinical-practice-related coursework.

What exam does Nebraska require for massage therapist licensure?

The MBLEx (or an NCBTMB exam) is required for the national credential. Applicants seeking licensure by reciprocity from another state must additionally pass Nebraska's free, open-book Jurisprudence Examination with a 75%+ score.

How much does a Nebraska massage therapist license cost?

$110 for the initial credential and $110 to renew. A $25 fee applies only to a temporary license.

How old do I need to be to get a massage therapist license in Nebraska?

19 — Nebraska's minimum age is a year higher than the 18-year minimum most other states use.

Can I get a Nebraska massage therapist license by reciprocity from another state?

Yes. If you're short of Nebraska's 1,000 training hours, you can make up the difference through work experience, college coursework, or continuing education, but you'll still need to pass a national exam and Nebraska's own jurisprudence exam.

Sources

  1. [1] dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/Title-172-Complete.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] fsmtb.org/mblex-faqs/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Massage-Therapy.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Massage-Therapy.aspx — accessed 2026-07-27