StateLicensed

Massage Therapist License Requirements in New York

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
1000 hrs
Upfront cost
$115
Exam
New York State Massage Therapy Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 3 years
Issuing board
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Massage Therapy

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, Graduation from an NYSED-registered school of massage therapy with at least 1,000 classroom hours (see training); high school diploma or equivalent also required.. General licensure requires the applicant be a U.S. citizen or alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, at least 18 years old, of 'good moral character,' and current in CPR (completed within 3 years prior to licensure). No fingerprint-based criminal history background check specific to massage therapy licensure was found on the Office of the Professions' own massage therapy pages (unlike some other NYSED-regulated occupations) — 'good moral character' is assessed through the application/character-reference process rather than a formal fingerprint check, so backgroundCheck is recorded as false rather than true. Endorsement (out-of-state license) applicants must be 21 or older. [4]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 1000 hours of training (including 150 clinical hours) at a state-approved program. New York requires graduation from a New York State Education Department-registered (or equivalent) school/institute of massage therapy comprising at least 1,000 classroom hours, including anatomy, physiology, neurology, myology/kinesiology, pathology, hygiene, first aid, CPR, infection control, product chemistry, and both Eastern and Western massage theory/practice, with at least 150 hours of hands-on practice on a person. Applicants for licensure by endorsement from another jurisdiction may instead qualify via at least 800 clock-hours of education combined with professional experience — see reciprocity. [1]

  3. 3

    New York State Massage Therapy Examination

    Pass the New York State Massage Therapy Examination. 140-item written exam covering assessment & evaluation, development of a treatment plan, application of treatment skills, treatment of clients with specific conditions, and professional responsibilities/business practice/ethics (20 of the 140 items require knowledge of Eastern methods); offered twice annually; blueprint effective March 2025. New York uses its own state exam, NOT the FSMTB MBLEx used by most other states — verified directly on op.nysed.gov. Education Law Article 155 Section 7804 sets a combined $115 fee to the Department for 'admission to a department conducted examination and for an initial license.' Meazure Learning separately charges applicants a scheduling/administration fee to sit for the exam; third-party test-prep sites cite this Meazure fee as $260, but that figure could not be confirmed on an official op.nysed.gov or meazurelearning.com page as of this research, so it is recorded as null rather than carried over from a non-official source. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Massage Therapy. [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Massage Therapy issues your Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) for New York.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] None specified
License fee [3] $115
Renewal fee [3] $50
New York State Massage Therapy Examination [2] None specified
Mandatory continuing education fee (per triennial registration period, in addition to renewal fee) [3] $45
Limited permit [3] $35
Reexamination [3] $45
Initial license without exam (endorsement pathway) [3] $50

Education Law Article 155 Section 7804 (statute) sets the fee for 'admission to a department-conducted examination and for an initial license' at $115 — this is a single combined fee, so 'application' is null (there is no separate stand-alone application fee). The board's own consumer-facing page states this combined fee as '$108 for licensure and first registration,' which conflicts with the statutory $115 figure; per source-priority rules this record uses the statutory amount and flags the discrepancy. Triennial registration renewal is $50 under Section 7804, plus a separate $45 mandatory continuing education fee under Section 7807 paid at the same time. Limited permit is $35 (Section 7806); reexamination is $45; initial license without examination (endorsement) is $50.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 3 years. 36 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Registration is triennial (every 3 years). Mandatory continuing education is 36 hours per triennial registration period (up to 12 hours may be self-instructional); massage therapists are exempt from the CE requirement for the triennial period during which they are first licensed.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

New York offers licensure by endorsement to applicants licensed in another state/country/territory who have practiced massage therapy there for at least 2 years (1 year = an average of at least 12 hours/week for 52 weeks). Two pathways: (A) at least 2 years of acceptable post-licensure professional experience, or (B) at least 5 years of experience within the preceding 10 years; combined with at least 800 clock-hours of qualifying education. Endorsement applicants must be at least 21 years old. New York is NOT a member of the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) — per massagecompact.org, IMpact legislation has been introduced in New York in 2024, 2025, and 2026 sessions but did not advance into law as of this research.

8 state-approved training providers in New York — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $115
Total$115

Frequently asked questions

Does New York use the MBLEx exam?

No. New York requires its own New York State Massage Therapy Examination, administered by Meazure Learning — not the FSMTB MBLEx used by most other states.

How many training hours does New York require?

At least 1,000 classroom hours from an NYSED-registered massage therapy school, including at least 150 hours of hands-on practice on a person.

How much does it cost to get licensed in New York?

Education Law sets a combined $115 fee to the Department for exam admission and initial licensure. Meazure Learning charges a separate scheduling fee to sit for the exam, which this record could not confirm from an official source.

How often do I need to renew, and how much continuing education is required?

Registration is triennial (every 3 years), requiring 36 hours of continuing education (up to 12 of which may be self-instructional); the first registration period is exempt from the CE requirement.

Can I transfer an out-of-state massage license to New York?

Yes, by endorsement, if you're at least 21 and have at least 2 years of post-licensure experience (or 5 years within the past 10), combined with at least 800 clock-hours of qualifying education.

Sources

  1. [1] op.nysed.gov/professions/massage-therapy/license-requirements — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] op.nysed.gov/professions/massage-therapy/license-requirements/examination-blueprint — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] op.nysed.gov/professions/massage-therapy/laws-rules-regulations/article-155 — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] op.nysed.gov/professions/massage-therapy/license-requirements/general-requirements — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] op.nysed.gov/applicants-licensed-another-jurisdiction-0 — accessed 2026-07-12