StateLicensed

Massage Therapist License Requirements in Texas

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
500 hrs
Upfront cost
$365
Exam
MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination), Texas Jurisprudence Examination, State of Texas Massage Therapy Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Massage Therapy Program

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. Per TDLR's 'Massage Therapy at a Glance' summary: applicants must be at least 18 years old and pass a fingerprint-based criminal history background check. A person is permanently ineligible for licensure if convicted of, pled nolo contendere or guilty to, or received deferred adjudication for sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault. Other felony/misdemeanor convictions require a Criminal History Questionnaire and are reviewed case-by-case; review can take one to six weeks. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 500 hours of training at a state-approved program. Per TDLR's official 'Massage Therapy at a Glance' summary of Occupations Code Chapter 455 and 16 TAC Chapter 117: a 500-hour minimum supervised course of instruction, including at least 200 hours of massage therapy techniques/theory (of which at least 125 hours must be Swedish massage technique), 50 hours anatomy, 25 hours physiology, 50 hours kinesiology, 40 hours pathology, 20 hours hydrotherapy, 45 hours massage therapy laws/rules/business practices/ethics, 20 hours health/hygiene/first aid/CPR, and 50 hours internship. Instruction must come from a licensed massage school, state-approved educational institution, or massage therapy instructor (or a combination); up to 250 hours may be completed via distance education, with at least 250 hours required onsite. [1]

  3. 3

    MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination)

    Pass the MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) (fee: $265). Applicants who take the MBLEx must also separately pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination, since the MBLEx does not cover Texas-specific law and rules. Must be passed within two years of the licensure application. The $265 fee is FSMTB's published current MBLEx fee. [2]

  4. 4

    Texas Jurisprudence Examination

    Pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination. Required only if the applicant takes the MBLEx rather than the State of Texas Massage Therapy Examination, since the state exam already integrates jurisprudence content. TDLR's own exam page does not publish a dollar fee for this exam (it references registering through TDLR's exam process); third-party test-prep sites cite figures around $35, but that is not confirmed on an official TDLR page, so fee is left null rather than guessed. [3]

  5. 5

    State of Texas Massage Therapy Examination

    Pass the State of Texas Massage Therapy Examination. Alternative to the MBLEx; developed by TDLR and administered by PSI. Covers jurisprudence content, so applicants who take this exam do not need to separately pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination. TDLR's own exam page does not publish the PSI exam fee; third-party sites cite roughly $60, but that figure isn't confirmed on an official TDLR page, so fee is left null rather than guessed. [3]

  6. 6

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Massage Therapy Program with the $100 application fee. [1]

  7. 7

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Massage Therapy Program issues your Massage Therapist License for Texas.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] $100
License fee [1] None specified
Renewal fee [1] $75
MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) [2] $265
Texas Jurisprudence Examination [3] None specified
State of Texas Massage Therapy Examination [3] None specified

Per TDLR's official fee table: Massage Therapist license fee is $100 (a single combined application/license fee — TDLR does not itemize a separate 'application' fee beyond this), Massage Therapist renewal is $75 (licenses are valid two years). Applicants also pay a fingerprint-based criminal background check fee directly to the Texas Department of Public Safety's fingerprinting vendor; TDLR's own pages do not publish that vendor's exact fee, so it is not itemized here. National/state exam fees (MBLEx, jurisprudence, or state exam) are paid separately to the exam vendor and tracked in the exams entries.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 12 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Licenses are valid for two years. Renewal requires at least 12 hours of TDLR-approved or recognized continuing education, plus a one-hour HHSC-approved Human Trafficking Prevention Training Course (required by HB 2059) as a condition of renewal. New fingerprinting is also required at each renewal. Late renewal fees are 1.5x the standard $75 renewal fee if expired 90 days or less, or 2x if expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months (up to 3 years with executive director approval).

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Texas does not have a blanket reciprocity agreement with other states. Out-of-state licensed therapists (or applicants who attended massage school outside Texas) apply through an individualized evaluation process: submitting transcripts/course descriptions proving they meet Texas's 500-hour curriculum, a letter of good standing from their original licensing board, and passing both the Texas Jurisprudence Examination and the MBLEx, plus fingerprinting. Per massagecompact.org (checked 2026-07-12), Texas does not currently have Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) legislation introduced, so compacts is empty.

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

Cost calculator

  • $100
  • $265
Total$365

Frequently asked questions

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

500 hours minimum, including specific hour breakdowns for techniques/theory, anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, hydrotherapy, laws/ethics, health/hygiene/CPR, and a 50-hour internship.

Which exam do I need to pass?

Either the MBLEx plus a separate Texas Jurisprudence Examination, or the State of Texas Massage Therapy Examination (administered by PSI), which already includes jurisprudence content and doesn't require a separate jurisprudence exam.

How much does it cost to get licensed in Texas?

The TDLR license fee is $100, plus separate exam fees paid to the exam vendor (MBLEx is $265 through FSMTB) and a fingerprinting fee paid to the state's background-check vendor.

How often do I need to renew, and what's required?

Every two years, with at least 12 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education plus a one-hour Human Trafficking Prevention Training Course, and new fingerprinting at each renewal.

Can I transfer my out-of-state massage therapy license to Texas?

There's no blanket reciprocity. Out-of-state applicants go through an individualized evaluation of their education and licensing history, and must still pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination and the MBLEx.

Sources

  1. [1] tdlr.texas.gov/media/pdf/MAS%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf — accessed 2026-07-12
  2. [2] fsmtb.org/mblex-faqs/ — accessed 2026-07-12
  3. [3] tdlr.texas.gov/mas/masexam.htm — accessed 2026-07-12
  4. [4] tdlr.texas.gov/mas/renew-therapist.htm — accessed 2026-07-12
  5. [5] tdlr.texas.gov/mas/out-of-state/ — accessed 2026-07-12