Skip to content
MDMassageData

South Carolina massage licensing record

South Carolina licenses massage/bodywork therapists through a 650-hour standard path with an accepted examination and state/FBI background checks. Establishments are separately licensed.

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

South Carolina Board of Massage/Bodywork Therapy

US-SC · VERIFIED 2026-07-25

Overview

State massage/bodywork therapist license required

Last verified 2026-07-25 · next review 2026-10-25

Local business, zoning, and municipal requirements were not researched and may apply independently.

Regulatory authority

South Carolina Board of Massage/Bodywork 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/Bodywork Therapist
Minimum education
650 hours
Approved education
The standard pathway requires at least 650 hours in a Board-approved massage/bodywork program.
Examination
Applicants pass an FSMTB examination or another examination approved by the Board.
MBLEx relationship
The FSMTB examination relationship is controlled by current Board instructions and statute; direct Board evidence should be used for the individual application.
Application
Submit the application, approved-program evidence, exam results, state and FBI background review, eligibility records, and fee.
Application fees
The current Board fee page lists a $150 initial application fee.
Background check or fingerprinting
State and FBI criminal background checks are required.
Reciprocity or endorsement
Endorsement is available for a qualifying license from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards, subject to current evidence and application conditions.
Additional requirements
Applicants meet age, secondary-education, program, examination, background, disclosure, and Board documentation conditions.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
Licenses renew every two years.
Deadline model
June 30 of even-numbered years.
Fees
The current fee schedule lists $75 renewal and $210 reinstatement.
Continuing education
Complete 12 hours in each biennial cycle; the first renewal is exempt.
Required subjects
No universal ethics-subject minimum was identified in the reviewed Board guidance.
Documentation
Maintain qualifying documentation and report through the Board's CE Broker workflow.
Carryover
Hours cannot be reused for a later cycle; no carryover authorization was identified.
Late renewal
A license lapsed more than one year is canceled under the statute; the Board fee page lists $210 reinstatement.
Inactive license
The statute provides inactive status; current Board requirements control return to active practice.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
South Carolina defines massage/bodywork therapy through systems of structured touch and manipulation of soft tissue using specified methods for therapeutic purposes.
Protected titles
A Board license is required to practice or hold out as a massage/bodywork therapist, subject to statutory exemptions.
Restrictions
The credential does not authorize diagnosis, prescription, spinal manipulation, or acts reserved to another licensed profession.
Municipal or local requirements
South Carolina separately licenses massage/bodywork establishments and sole-practitioner establishments; local requirements were not researched.
Practitioner notes
Use current Board application, renewal, fee, and CE Broker instructions before acting.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Change history

Public record revisions

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