Entry requirements
Education, examination, and application
- Credential
- Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist
- Minimum education
- 600 hours
- Approved education
- The standard Wisconsin application instructions require completion of the qualifying massage therapy or bodywork therapy education documented through Form 2962. The reviewed instructions describe at least 600 classroom hours. Current DSPS reciprocity guidance describes 500 classroom hours for one out-of-state pathway; that narrower statement is not treated as replacing the standard applicant requirement.
- Examination
- Applicants provide proof of an approved national examination and pass the Wisconsin jurisprudence examination with a score of at least 85 percent.
- MBLEx relationship
- MBLEx is an accepted national examination option, not the sole national examination named by DSPS.
- Application
- Apply through DSPS with identity and education evidence, national-examination results, Wisconsin jurisprudence completion, CPR/AED evidence, liability-insurance evidence, and required disclosures.
- Application fees
- The DSPS initial-fee schedule lists a $60 initial credential fee for this profession. Applicants should confirm the amount in the current portal before payment.
- Background check or fingerprinting
- The reviewed application materials require criminal-history disclosure and supporting records when applicable. No universal fingerprint requirement was identified in the reviewed current profession materials.
- Reciprocity or endorsement
- Current DSPS guidance provides an out-of-state path using NCBTMB certification or an approved national examination plus at least 500 classroom hours. A 2022 application-information PDF states 600 hours, creating a documented current-page versus form discrepancy.
- Additional requirements
- Applicants and renewing licensees maintain current CPR/AED certification and professional liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate under the reviewed instructions.
Renewal
Renewal and continuing education
- Cycle
- The credential renews biennially and expires February 28 of odd-numbered years.
- Deadline model
- Renew by February 28 of the applicable odd-numbered year through the DSPS renewal process.
- Fees
- The DSPS renewal-fee schedule lists $75 for timely renewal and $100 after the renewal deadline.
- Continuing education
- Licensees complete 24 hours of qualifying continuing education during each biennium, except that the first-issued biennium and first renewal are exempt.
- Required subjects
- At least two of the 24 hours must address professional ethics.
- Documentation
- Renewal includes CE attestation and licensees must retain evidence for DSPS review.
- Carryover
- No carryover authorization was identified in the reviewed current CE guidance.
- Late renewal
- DSPS publishes a higher renewal fee after the deadline; additional requirements may apply to longer lapses.
- Inactive license
- No general inactive-license pathway was established in the reviewed current profession and CE pages.
Practice information
Scope, titles, and local requirements
- Scope of practice
- Wisconsin Statutes chapter 460 and administrative rules MTBT 1–7 govern massage therapy and bodywork therapy practice.
- Protected titles
- The state credential protects practice and representation as a massage therapist or bodywork therapist, subject to chapter 460.
- Restrictions
- Licensees must maintain current CPR/AED and liability insurance and comply with board conduct and practice rules.
- Municipal or local requirements
- Section 460.17 limits local regulation of practice by state licensees while preserving specified local enforcement authority for unlicensed practice and employment.
- Establishments and other regulated activities
- This record does not establish a separate statewide massage-establishment credential; address-specific business, zoning, and generally applicable requirements still require separate review.
- Practitioner notes
- Confirm the current portal fee and resolve the 500-versus-600-hour out-of-state guidance discrepancy before relying on a reciprocity pathway.
Change history
Public record revisions
Future verified changes will be listed from this Git-backed record.