Alaska Massage Therapy Continuing Education & Renewal Requirements
CE hours: 16 hrs. Massage therapist licenses renew biennially. The next regular expiration after the July 2026 review is September 30, 2027.
Statewide requirements and local rules are identified separately. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Overview
CE and renewal at a glance
Licensing information reviewed 2026-07-13
- CE hours
- 16 hrs
- License renewal
- Massage therapist licenses renew biennially. The next regular expiration after the July 2026 review is September 30, 2027.
- CE reporting period
- The 16-credit continuing-education period is the same biennial period used for the September 30 odd-year renewal cycle.
Check the requirement's scope, exceptions and reporting period. An item marked “Not confirmed” never means that no CE is required.
Responsible authority
Alaska Board of Massage Therapists, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
- AuthorityVisit the official authority
- RenewalOfficial renewal information
- StatutesOfficial statutes or rules
The authority’s current rules govern your renewal. Confirm requirements with it before you rely on a course or a date.
CE hours
- CE requirement and exceptionsConfirm details
Renewal requires at least 16 continuing-education credits during each biennial period plus current CPR certification. Coursework may be completed in person or online through an approved massage school, a qualifying higher-education institution, or a local, state, or national professional organization serving massage therapy, including ABMP, AMTA, FSMTB, and NCBTMB. A hands-on qualifying CPR course may count for up to two of the 16 credits. The controlling regulation awards three credits for attending at least 75 percent of a regularly scheduled Board meeting once per biennium; current Board forms and FAQ use inconsistent lower values and attendance thresholds, so the regulation is followed here pending Board cleanup.
The controlling regulation awards three credits for at least 75 percent attendance once per biennium. Board forms and FAQ contain lower, inconsistent values; the regulation is followed here.
Renewal timing and fees
- Renewal cycle
Massage therapist licenses renew biennially. The next regular expiration after the July 2026 review is September 30, 2027.
- Renewal deadline
A massage therapy license must be renewed on or before September 30 of each odd-numbered year. Failure to receive a renewal reminder does not relieve the licensee of the duty to renew on time.
- Renewal fees
The current biennial massage therapist renewal fee is $290. A $75 fingerprint-processing fee applies when the six-year fingerprint cycle requires a new card. The Board states that fingerprints are not required for the 2025-2027 period and will be required for the 2027-2029 renewal period.
Reporting period, first renewal and carryover
- CE reporting period
The 16-credit continuing-education period is the same biennial period used for the September 30 odd-year renewal cycle.
- CarryoverConfirm details
No provision authorizing carryover of continuing-education credits into a later biennium was identified in the reviewed current massage rules or centralized audit rules.
Required topics
- Required categories
At least two of the 16 biennial continuing-education credits must be in ethics. Current CPR certification is a separate renewal condition, although up to two CE credits may be awarded for a qualifying hands-on CPR course.
- State-specific topicsConfirm details
At least two of the 16 credits must address ethics. A qualifying hands-on CPR course may count for up to two CE credits, while current CPR remains a separate renewal condition. 12 AAC 79.210(e) awards three credits for attending at least 75 percent of a regular Board meeting once per biennium. The current reinstatement form and FAQ conflict with that rule on the number of credits and attendance threshold, so the regulation is followed here pending agency correction.
Online and course format
MassageData doesn’t list a separate online or in-person course rule for Alaska. Confirm format limits with the authority before buying a course.
Proof of CE, audits and record keeping
- Renewal documentation
Licensees attest at renewal to current CPR and CE completion, retain adequate and detailed CE records for four years from the date earned, and provide verification if audited. The centralized audit rule requires a selected licensee to respond with the requested documentation within 30 days unless the department extends the deadline.
- Reporting and proof of CE
Licensees attest to CE and CPR compliance at renewal, retain adequate and detailed CE records for four years from the date earned, and submit verification if selected for audit. The centralized audit rule sets a 30-day response deadline unless the department grants an extension. Current renewal materials require instructor-signed CE certificates.
Approved providers and courses
- How CE is approved
Alaska's massage rule defines eligible provider categories rather than publishing one general Board-approved CE provider directory. Renewal requires 16 credits per biennium, including two ethics credits, plus current CPR. Use Alaska's renewal requirements and current rule for exact hour, timing, first-renewal, CPR, meeting-credit, documentation, and audit conditions.
- Provider & course recognition
Qualifying CE may be completed through an approved massage school; a regionally or nationally accredited higher-education institution when the Board approves the program as directly related to massage practice; or a local, state, or national professional organization serving massage therapy. The rule names ABMP, AMTA, FSMTB, and NCBTMB as examples. In-person and online coursework may qualify, but practitioners must match the provider, course, hours, and completion evidence to the current rule.
- Official CE resourceConfirm details
Board applications, renewal, reinstatement, and CE forms
Open official resource →Use the authority's current provider and course acceptance rules.
- Official CE resourceConfirm details
Board meetings and agendas
Open official resource →Use the authority's current provider and course acceptance rules.
- Professional organizations' role in CENot confirmed
The official sources for this item are missing or incomplete, so no answer is shown.
Late renewal, reinstatement and inactive status
- Late renewal / reinstatement
The massage rules do not provide a practice grace period after expiration. A license lapsed for less than three years may be reinstated after satisfying the current renewal, fingerprint, CPR, CE, and fee requirements. A license lapsed for three years or more may not be reinstated and requires a new initial application. Practicing before the renewed or reinstated license is effective is not authorized.
- Inactive status / reactivationConfirm details
No inactive massage therapist license status was identified in the reviewed current massage statute, massage rules, centralized fee rule, or renewal materials.
Who these requirements apply to
- Credential and statewide scopeConfirm details
A valid Alaska massage therapist license is required statewide for compensated massage practice or protected massage representations unless a statutory exemption applies. General local business, zoning, land-use, tax, or facility rules may apply separately, but no separate local professional credential was identified in the reviewed statewide sources.
- Local requirements
Alaska's framework is statewide professional licensure. A nonexempt fixed or mobile massage therapy establishment must also register with the Board under 12 AAC 79.930, maintain a current Alaska business license, complete the required self-inspection material, and renew in odd-numbered years. The reviewed professional-licensing sources do not preempt general municipal business, zoning, land-use, tax, or facility requirements, which must be checked separately.
Changes in the law
No separate item is recorded for Alaska here.
Authoritative sources
Sources for Alaska
Each answer shows the date it was reviewed and numbers the official sources behind it. An access date records when a source was last opened; it does not change a review date.
- Alaska Massage Therapist Statutes AS 08.61 and Regulations 12 AAC 79accessed
- Alaska Board of Massage Therapists — Applications and Formsaccessed
- Alaska Board of Massage Therapists — Frequently Asked Questionsaccessed
- Alaska Massage Therapist Reinstatement Application 08-4846accessed
- Alaska Professional Licensing — License Expiration Datesaccessed
- Alaska Centralized Occupational Licensing Regulations — 12 AAC 02accessed
- Alaska Board of Massage Therapists — Board Meetings and Agendasaccessed