Missouri State Guide
Explore Missouri 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 Missouri.
Section 324.265 says 500 hours, while the current Board rule requires 625 supervised hours or a Board-approved apprenticeship. Follow the Board's current application instructions and confirm the pathway that applies before enrolling or applying.
Missouri licensing
Missouri generally requires a Board of Therapeutic Massage license to practice massage therapy. The current operational rule requires 625 hours of supervised instruction or a Board-approved apprenticeship, an approved examination, fingerprint-based background review, and the state application. Section 324.265 still states 500 hours, so applicants should confirm which current Board pathway applies.
Missouri statute broadly preempts local licensing and regulation of massage therapists and massage businesses while preserving zoning, local health, occupational-tax, and generally applicable local authority.
A Missouri license is generally required to practice massage therapy, subject to statutory exemptions; local licensing authority is limited by state preemption.
View the full Missouri licensing record →Practice risk
Missouri application instructions and practice rules require professional liability insurance for an individual licensee. Massage businesses have separate general-liability requirements.
General information only—not legal, financial, or coverage advice.
License renewal
The Missouri board rule defines acceptable continuing education and licensee compliance; the licensing record owns the detailed legal requirement.
Licensees retain completion documentation for four years and provide it when requested.
See detailed Missouri renewal and CE requirements →Employment and wages
May 2025 BLS OEWS data presented by the U.S. Department of Labor estimate 1,500 wage-and-salary massage therapist jobs in Missouri. This is not a license count or practitioner census.
Estimated wage-and-salary jobs
OEWS measures wage-and-salary jobs by occupation.
OEWS excludes self-employed workers, which is material in massage therapy.
Missouri agencies and data
This is a verified starting set beginning with the official board.
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.