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Kentucky massage licensing record

Kentucky requires a massage therapist license for regulated practice and protected titles, subject to statutory exemptions.

Statewide requirements and local regulation are identified separately. This record is general information, not legal advice.

Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy

State licensing guide

Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-07-29 · next review 2026-10-29

KRS 309.364 preempts local regulation of massage therapists except generally applicable zoning and occupational-license fees.

Regulatory authority

Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy

Visit the official authority

Local business, facility, zoning, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.

Entry requirements

Education, examination, and application

Credential
Licensed Massage Therapist
Minimum education
600 hours
Approved education
Applicants complete 600 supervised curriculum hours from a qualifying program, including instruction required by 201 KAR 42:035 and KRS 309.358.
Examination
Applicants pass MBLEx or another massage licensing examination administered by FSMTB and accepted by the Board.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is the named current examination pathway; it does not replace Kentucky education, application, background screening, or licensure.
Application
File the Board application, fee, photograph, education transcript, examination evidence, and required state and national criminal-background materials; the Board verifies qualifications before issue.
Application fees
201 KAR 42:020 sets a $200 initial license fee and $200 biennial renewal fee, with separate late, reinstatement, inactive-status, endorsement, and program-certificate fees.
Background check or fingerprinting
KRS 309.355 requires state and national fingerprint-supported criminal background investigations for applicants.
Reciprocity or endorsement
Kentucky provides endorsement for an applicant holding an out-of-state credential in good standing who documents qualifying equivalency, including education, experience, CE, or other credentials.
Additional requirements
No statewide practitioner liability-insurance mandate or separate massage-establishment license was identified in KRS chapter 309 or 201 KAR chapter 42.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
Licenses renew every two years on the anniversary of issuance.
Deadline model
The complete renewal and fee are due on or before the issue-date anniversary; the license expires if complete information and payment are not received.
Fees
Biennial renewal is $200; late renewal is $225 through 60 days and $250 from days 61 through 90, with reinstatement fees after 90 days and a $50 inactive-status fee.
Continuing education
Renewal requires 12 CE hours in each two-year period, including three hours of professional ethics.
Required subjects
At least three of the 12 hours are professional ethics; all hours must relate to massage practice, and animal therapeutic-technique coursework is excluded.
Documentation
The renewal lists credited courses and identifies ethics hours; licensees retain and provide completion documentation when requested.
Carryover
The current CE rule does not authorize carryover; repeated completion of the same course within a renewal period does not earn duplicate credit. Self-paced courses require Board review unless otherwise approved.
Late renewal
Renewal within 90 days requires the application, 12 hours of recent CE, and the applicable late fee; after 90 days and before five years the applicant uses reinstatement.
Inactive license
Inactive status is available with a fee and no practice; reactivation before five years requires one CE hour per six months inactive, subject to the renewal-period requirement.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
KRS 309.350 defines regulated massage therapy and the Board's regulations establish professional standards.
Protected titles
A Kentucky license is required to practice massage therapy or represent oneself as a massage therapist, subject to statutory exemptions.
Restrictions
Licensees follow the current code of ethics and standards, including client confidentiality, informed practice, and training documentation for specialized modalities.
Municipal or local requirements
KRS 309.364 preempts local massage-therapist regulation while preserving zoning requirements and occupational-license fees.
Establishments and other regulated activities
No statewide massage-establishment credential was identified; programs of massage instruction instead require a Board certificate of good standing and separate education authorization.
Practitioner notes
Use the Board's verification, forms, and complaint procedures; monitor pending legislation that would alter local-regulation preemption only if enacted.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Change history

Public record revisions

Future verified changes will be listed from this Git-backed record.