StateLicensed

Massage Therapist License Requirements in Oregon

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
625 hrs
Upfront cost
$535
Exam
Board-approved national written exam (MBLEx, NCBTMB, or CESI), Oregon Jurisprudence (Law) Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Oregon State Board of Massage Therapists (OBMT)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    625-hour program from an accredited/approved school (see training)., pass a criminal background check. Applicants must submit electronic fingerprinting for a criminal background check and disclose any arrest/conviction history (excluding minor traffic offenses), including certified copies of arrest/judgment records where applicable. No explicit minimum-age requirement was found on OBMT's own licensing or FAQ pages, so minAge is recorded as null rather than assumed. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 625 hours of training at a state-approved program. OBMT's licensing page requires 625 hours (25 quarter credits / 15.74 semester credits) from an accredited or Oregon Department of Education-approved school: at least 200 hours of health sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathology, kinesiology), at least 300 hours of massage theory, clinical practice, business development, sanitation, communication, and ethics, with the remaining 125 hours in any of those subject areas. [1]

  3. 3

    Board-approved national written exam (MBLEx, NCBTMB, or CESI)

    Pass the Board-approved national written exam (MBLEx, NCBTMB, or CESI) (fee: $265). OBMT accepts the MBLEx, an NCBTMB exam (Therapeutic Massage or Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork), or the CESI exam. The $265 figure is FSMTB's current published MBLEx fee (the most commonly used option), paid directly to FSMTB, not OBMT. [1]

  4. 4

    Oregon Jurisprudence (Law) Examination

    Pass the Oregon Jurisprudence (Law) Examination. 25-question, multiple-choice, open-book exam, completed online after a link/login is emailed to the applicant. All applicants must pass the jurisprudence exam in addition to the national exam. No separate fee for the jurisprudence exam is published; it is included as part of the standard licensure application. [1]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Oregon State Board of Massage Therapists (OBMT) with the $135 application fee. [2]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Oregon State Board of Massage Therapists (OBMT) issues your Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) for Oregon.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] $135
License fee [2] $135
Renewal fee [2] $270
Board-approved national written exam (MBLEx, NCBTMB, or CESI) [1] $265
Oregon Jurisprudence (Law) Examination [1] None specified
Fingerprint/criminal background processing fee [2] $47.25
Initial license fee if issued more than 12 months before next renewal date [2] $270
Late renewal fee (per week, capped) [2] $25
Out-of-state credentialing review fee [2] $250

OBMT's official fee schedule: $135 application fee; initial license fee is $135 if issued less than 12 months before the licensee's next renewal date, or $270 if issued more than 12 months before (i.e., prorated to align with the 2-year cycle); $270 active license renewal fee (2-year cycle); $47.25 fingerprint/background-check processing fee; late renewal is $25/week up to a $100 maximum. A separate $250 credentialing review fee applies only to out-of-state applicants using the alternative experience-based pathway (see reciprocity).

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 25 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Renewal cycle is based on birth-year parity (odd-birth-year licensees renew in odd years, even in even years), before the licensee's birth month — an effective 2-year cycle. Active LMTs must submit 25 CE hours per renewal, of which at least 8 hours must be 'supervised' and at least 4 of those 8 must be in professional ethics, boundaries, and/or communication. CE is not required for a licensee's first renewal. Licensees must also maintain current adult Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

A license, certificate, or registration to practice massage issued by another state is not automatically valid in Oregon — an applicant must obtain an Oregon license. OBMT offers a credentialing review pathway (additional $250 fee) for applicants who have been legally practicing for many years but may not meet the traditional 625-hour certified-classroom-instruction requirement: prior continuing education and practical work experience can substitute for a portion of the hours (e.g., up to 40 hours of practical work experience toward the massage/bodywork component, and up to 80/120 CE hours toward the anatomy/physiology and massage-theory components respectively), though minimum certified-classroom hours (120 anatomy/physiology, 140 massage theory) still apply. All out-of-state applicants must still pass the Oregon jurisprudence exam. Oregon is NOT a member of the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) — per massagecompact.org, Oregon has no IMpact legislation introduced as of this research.

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

Cost calculator

  • $135
  • $135
  • $265
Total$535

Frequently asked questions

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

625 hours from an accredited school, including at least 200 hours of health sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathology, kinesiology) and at least 300 hours of massage theory, clinical practice, business, sanitation, communication, and ethics.

What exams does Oregon require?

A national exam (MBLEx, NCBTMB, or CESI) plus Oregon's own 25-question open-book Jurisprudence Examination.

How much does it cost to get licensed in Oregon?

A $135 application fee, plus a $135-$270 initial license fee depending on timing relative to the renewal cycle, plus a $47.25 fingerprint/background-check fee. Renewal is $270 every two years.

How much continuing education does Oregon require to renew?

25 CE hours per 2-year cycle, including at least 8 supervised hours (at least 4 of those in ethics/boundaries/communication). CE is waived for the first renewal.

Can an experienced out-of-state massage therapist skip Oregon's 625-hour requirement?

Partially, through OBMT's credentialing review (an extra $250 fee): prior continuing education and practical work experience can substitute for some hours, though minimum certified-classroom hours in anatomy/physiology and massage theory still apply, and the Oregon jurisprudence exam is still required.

Sources

  1. [1] oregon.gov/obmt/pages/license.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] oregon.gov/obmt/Pages/fees.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] oregon.gov/obmt/pages/faqs.aspx — accessed 2026-07-12