State chapter of a national professional association
American Massage Therapy Association — Virginia Chapter
The official AMTA page identifies the Virginia chapter as a professional-association connection for the state's massage community.
Virginia State Guide
Virginia massage therapy guide
Explore Virginia massage licensing requirements, professional organizations, 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.
Virginia licensing
State massage therapist license required
Virginia requires a massage therapist license for regulated practice. The standard path uses at least 500 hours, an FSMTB-approved examination, and fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background review.
Virginia generally requires the state massage therapist license for regulated practice, subject to statutory exemptions.
View the full Virginia licensing record →- Regulator
- Virginia Board of Nursing
- Credential
- Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)
- Education
- 500 hours
- Renewal
- Licenses renew every two years.
Professional support
Professional organizations
The linked AMTA state chapter is a first-party professional-organization starting point, not a regulatory authority.
Practice risk
Insurance considerations
The reviewed Virginia licensing statute and Board rule did not identify a general statewide professional-liability insurance minimum for every massage therapist. This does not resolve employers, establishments, leases, schools, events, contracts, or local requirements.
General information only—not legal, financial, or coverage advice.
Questions for an insurer
- Which modalities, populations, and locations are covered?
- Are defense costs inside or outside policy limits?
- What incident-reporting deadlines and exclusions apply?
License renewal
Continuing education
Virginia uses either current NCBTMB certification or 24 hours per biennium, with at least 1 ethics hour, provider-category limits, first-renewal exemption, four-year record retention, and random audit.
Keep evidence four years and respond within 30 days if selected for audit.
See detailed Virginia renewal and CE requirements →Official CE starting points
Virginia official CE authorityOpen official resource ↗Employment and wages
Virginia workforce outlook
BLS May 2023 OEWS estimated 2,470 wage-and-salary massage therapist jobs in Virginia, with a median hourly wage of $25.01. These are estimates, not license or practitioner counts.
Estimated wage-and-salary jobs
Median hourly wage
OEWS measures wage-and-salary jobs by occupation through an employer survey.
OEWS excludes self-employed workers, which is material in massage therapy; national self-employment context must not be presented as a state-specific percentage.
Workforce sources and regional projections
Virginia agencies and data
Official resources
Start with Virginia Board of Nursing licensing and SCHEV massage-program oversight guidance.
licensingVirginia Board of Nursing — Massage Therapist Licensing
Official Virginia entry point for massage therapist application, endorsement, background-check, fee, and Board-resource information.
educationSCHEV Massage Therapy Program GuidanceOfficial Virginia guidance for postsecondary massage-therapy program oversight. This is an oversight starting point, not a verified directory or an endorsement of any individual program.
Sources and updates
Reviewed July 25, 2026
Information was reviewed against the linked official and first-party sources. Next scheduled review: October 25, 2026.
Official authority and source list
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Apply for License: Massage Therapist
- 18VAC90-50 — Regulations Governing the Licensure of Massage Therapists
- Code of Virginia Title 54.1, Chapter 30, Article 5 — Massage Therapists
- Code of Virginia § 54.1-3000 — Definitions
- Code of Virginia § 54.1-3001 — Exemptions
- Code of Virginia § 54.1-3029.2 — Massage Therapy Licensure Compact
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Fees
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Continued Competency: Massage Therapist
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Criminal Background Checks
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Initial Licensure Instructions
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Endorsement Licensure Instructions
Local business, zoning, facility, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.