Arkansas Massage Therapy Continuing Education & Renewal Requirements
CE hours: 18 hrs. Active and inactive licenses renew every two years and expire on the licensee's birthday.
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 2026-07-29
- CE hours
- 18 hrs
- License renewal
- Active and inactive licenses renew every two years and expire on the licensee's birthday.
- CE reporting period
- Eighteen hours are earned within the two-year renewal period.
Check the requirement's scope, exceptions and reporting period. An item marked “Not confirmed” never means that no CE is required.
Responsible authority
Arkansas Department of Health, Massage Therapy Section
- 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 exceptions
Renewal requires 18 approved CE hours earned in the current renewal period; no carryover is allowed.
Renewal timing and fees
- Renewal cycle
Active and inactive licenses renew every two years and expire on the licensee's birthday.
- Renewal deadline
The renewal must be postmarked by the first day of the month before the licensee's birthday in the biennial renewal year; a postmark after the birthday is expired, not merely late.
- Renewal fees
The current renewal form lists an $80 renewal fee and a $25 late fee between the ordinary deadline and the birthday.
Reporting period, first renewal and carryover
- CE reporting period
Eighteen hours are earned within the two-year renewal period.
- Carryover
The renewal instructions expressly state that no CE hours carry over. Home-study or online courses are limited to six of the 18 hours and may not cover hands-on content.
Required topics
- Required categoriesConfirm details
CE must fall within massage scope and be approved by the Department or a named recognized provider; no recurring ethics or law-hour minimum was identified in the current rule.
- State-specific topics
Eighteen hours are earned within the two-year renewal period. The renewal instructions expressly state that no CE hours carry over. Home-study or online courses are limited to six of the 18 hours and may not cover hands-on content.
Online and course format
MassageData doesn’t list a separate online or in-person course rule for Arkansas. Confirm format limits with the authority before buying a course.
Proof of CE, audits and record keeping
- Renewal documentation
The licensee submits CE documentation with renewal and retains records for three years; the Department audits a sample of active renewals.
- Reporting and proof of CE
The licensee submits CE documentation with renewal and retains records for three years; the Department audits a sample of active renewals.
Approved providers and courses
- How CE is approved
Renewal requires 18 approved CE hours earned in the current renewal period; no carryover is allowed.
- Provider & course recognitionConfirm details
CE must fall within massage scope and be approved by the Department or a named recognized provider; no recurring ethics or law-hour minimum was identified in the current rule.
- 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
A postmark after the ordinary deadline but by the birthday incurs the late fee; after the birthday the license is expired and the applicant must meet current application and examination requirements.
- Inactive status / reactivation
Inactive status must be renewed every two years; practice is prohibited, reactivation requires renewal evidence and fees, and more than four years inactive requires current licensure requirements and reexamination.
Who these requirements apply to
- Credential and statewide scope
Arkansas requires a current massage therapist license for compensated practice and separately regulates schools and massage establishments.
- Local requirements
Massage establishments must satisfy state registration and inspection rules while remaining subject to applicable local business, zoning, health, and safety law.
Changes in the law
- Rulemaking / implementation: 2026 massage-rule amendments and Interstate Massage CompactConfirm details
The Department presented amendments implementing 2025 acts concerning the compact, establishment registration, and consumer notices; recheck the final codified text before relying on new requirements.
Use the stated effective date and confirm implementation with the authority.
Authoritative sources
Sources for Arkansas
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.
- 17 CAR part 52 — Rules for Massage Therapy in Arkansasaccessed
- Arkansas Massage Therapist License Renewal Instructions and Applicationaccessed
- Arkansas Department of Health — Massage Therapyaccessed
- Arkansas Massage Therapy Laws — Arkansas Code title 17, chapter 86, 2025 compilationaccessed
- Arkansas Act 629 of 2025 — Massage Therapy Establishment Registrationaccessed
- Arkansas Legislature — 2026 Massage Therapy Rulemaking Exhibitaccessed