Arkansas State Guide
Explore Arkansas massage licensing requirements, insurance considerations, continuing education, workforce data, and official resources, with dated official sources and scheduled review.
Statewide requirements and local rules are identified separately. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Before you act
Requirements can change, and some official materials differ on narrow details. Use the current official instructions when applying or renewing in Arkansas.
A current lapsed-license form itemizes application, license, law-exam, and background charges, while an older training-certificate form shows only the license and law-exam amount. Confirm the current first-time total with the Arkansas Department of Health before applying.
Arkansas licensing
Arkansas requires a current massage therapist license for compensated practice and separately regulates schools and massage establishments.
State licensure and establishment registration do not displace generally applicable local zoning, business, health, or safety requirements.
Arkansas requires a current massage therapist license for compensated practice and separately regulates schools and massage establishments.
View the full Arkansas licensing record →Practice risk
No statewide practitioner professional-liability mandate was identified. The rule requires liability insurance for students before clinical massage.
General information only—not legal, financial, or coverage advice.
License renewal
Renewal requires 18 approved CE hours earned in the current renewal period; no carryover is allowed.
The licensee submits CE documentation with renewal and retains records for three years; the Department audits a sample of active renewals.
See detailed Arkansas renewal and CE requirements →Employment and wages
BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates 430 wage-and-salary massage therapist jobs in Arkansas; this is not a license count or practitioner census.
Estimated wage-and-salary jobs
Median hourly wage
Projected percentage change
OEWS measures wage-and-salary jobs. Projections Central distributes state long-term occupational projections; its base and projected employment universe is not assumed to match OEWS.
BLS OEWS excludes self-employed workers, which is material in massage therapy.
Arkansas agencies and data
The official education resource is a verified starting point, not a comprehensive directory.
Sources and updates
Information was reviewed against the linked official and first-party sources. Next scheduled review: August 29, 2026.
Local business, zoning, facility, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.