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Tennessee massage licensing record

Tennessee requires a state massage therapist license. The current standard path uses at least 650 hours, an accepted national examination, and TBI/FBI criminal background review; massage establishments are separately licensed.

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

Tennessee Massage Licensure Board

US-TN · VERIFIED 2026-07-25

Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-07-25 · next review 2026-08-25

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

Regulatory authority

Tennessee Massage Licensure Board

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 (LMT)
Minimum education
650 hours
Approved education
The standard path requires at least 650 hours at a Board-approved institution for massage, bodywork, or somatic therapy.
Examination
The current state licensing summary identifies the NCBTMB national examination or MBLEx as accepted examination paths.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is an accepted route for the current national examination requirement; it is not the only historical examination named by the Board.
Application
Submit the Board application, qualifying education and exam evidence, references and disclosures, criminal background-check material, and fees.
Application fees
The current application form lists $85 application, $185 initial license, and $10 regulatory fee, total $280; fingerprint-vendor cost is separate.
Background check or fingerprinting
Initial applicants complete TBI and FBI fingerprint-based background checks; the Department lists profession code 2680.
Reciprocity or endorsement
Applicants licensed in another state or country are evaluated under current Board rule and policy; the process is not represented as automatic reciprocity.
Additional requirements
Applicants satisfy current identity, disclosure, reference, education, examination, and Board documentation conditions.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
Licenses renew every two years.
Deadline model
Use the Department renewal notice and online licensure system for the individual expiration date.
Fees
Current rule lists $185 biennial renewal, a $10 state regulatory fee, and a $100 late-renewal fee.
Continuing education
Complete 24 hours during each two-calendar-year cycle, subject to proration for specified initial-license timing.
Required subjects
The cycle includes 2 hours in Tennessee massage law and rules and 2 hours in management, ethics, or substance-abuse topics; current rule limits multimedia formats to 8 hours.
Documentation
Retain CE documentation for four years and provide it on Board request; course and provider conditions in current rule and policy apply.
Carryover
No carryover authorization was identified in the reviewed current rule.
Late renewal
Current rule lists a $100 late-renewal fee and contains separate lapsed-license provisions.
Inactive license
Current rules contain retirement, reinstatement, inactivation, and reactivation paths; requirements depend on status and lapse.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
Current rule defines massage, bodywork, or somatic practice as manipulation of the body's soft tissues with the intention of positively affecting client health and well-being.
Protected titles
A current Board credential is required to practice or hold out as a licensed massage therapist, subject to statutory exemptions.
Restrictions
Current rules prohibit sexual conduct and specify excluded treatments; the license does not authorize diagnosis, prescription, or acts reserved to another healing-art profession.
Municipal or local requirements
Tennessee separately licenses massage establishments, subject to current exemptions. Local business, zoning, and tax requirements were not researched.
Practitioner notes
Use the current rule and Board policies before acting, especially for establishment, lapsed-license, CE-delivery, and out-of-state paths.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Change history

Public record revisions

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