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United States Licensing Atlas

Illinois Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

Illinois licenses massage therapists through IDFPR. Current qualifications effective September 2025 identify a 600-hour supervised curriculum, MBLEx, fingerprints, official education and license records, and CORE application.

Statewide requirements and local regulation are identified separately. This record is general information, not legal advice.

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Massage Licensing Board
IL · licensing record1 MI ≈ 1.1 PX
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Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-10-06

Local zoning, occupancy, and general business rules may apply. The reviewed IDFPR materials did not establish a separate statewide massage-establishment license.

Before you act

Details worth confirming

Requirements can change, and some official materials differ on narrow details. Use the current official instructions when applying or renewing.

Training announcement awaits rules

IDFPR announced abnormal-skin-growth training for licenses issued, renewed, or restored on or after January 1, 2026 while stating that implementing rules are forthcoming.

Regulatory authority

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Massage Licensing Board

Local business, facility, zoning, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.

Entry requirements

Education, examination, and application

Credential
Licensed Massage Therapist
Credential requirement
An Illinois massage therapist license is generally required unless a statutory exemption applies; local business controls may also apply.
Minimum education
600 hours
Approved education
The current IDFPR qualification sheet requires a 600-hour supervised massage curriculum documented by official transcript.
Examination
The current qualification sheet identifies MBLEx as the standard examination.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is the national examination identified for initial licensure; endorsement may recognize qualifying legacy NCBTMB examination history.
Application
Apply through IDFPR CORE with official transcript, MBLEx evidence, fingerprints, disclosures, and any license verifications.
Application fees
Part 1284 sets the massage therapist application fee at $175 (Section 1284.50(a)); fees are non-refundable. Fingerprint processing is charged separately by the vendor.
Background check or fingerprinting
Applicants complete fingerprint-based criminal-history processing within the period specified by IDFPR, described as within 60 days on the current sheet.
Reciprocity or endorsement
Endorsement applicants document current licensure in another jurisdiction, at least 600 hours, the MBLEx or the NCBTMB examination, verifications and fingerprints. An application stays open for three years from receipt.
Additional requirements
Applicants submit a current government photo identification, official education and examination records, disclosures and fingerprint results in CORE. Applicants for original licensure on or after January 1, 2026 must also show completion of a Department-approved abnormal-skin-growth course; until rules are adopted, IDFPR approves Impact Melanoma's "Skinny on Skin" online course.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
Illinois massage licenses renew biennially.
Continuing education
25 hrs
Renewal fee
Part 1284 sets renewal at $87.50 per year of the license period — $175 for the two-year renewal (Section 1284.50(b)).
Required topics
IDFPR's June 2026 fact sheet allocates 2 hours of ethics, 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention, 1 hour of domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and 21 professional hours …

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
The Massage Therapy Practice Act and Part 1284 define licensed massage practice; a modality label does not override the statutory definition.
Protected titles
Only licensees may use "massage", "massage therapy", "massage therapist", "licensed massage therapist", "LMT" or "MT" in advertising (Section 30); registered salons may use the terms when they offer massage therapy in compliance with the Act.
Restrictions
Diagnosis and services reserved to another licensed profession remain outside the massage license.
Municipal or local requirements
Licensing massage therapists is an exclusive State function: home rule units may not regulate or license them (Section 55). Local zoning, occupancy and general business rules for premises were not surveyed.
Establishments and other regulated activities
The reviewed IDFPR materials focus on individual professional licensure; local operating controls remain a separate question.
Practitioner notes
The Act is scheduled for repeal on January 1, 2032 unless continued, and was last amended by P.A. 104-796, effective August 7, 2026. For the December 31, 2026 renewal, complete 25 CE hours and the abnormal-skin-growth course, and check CORE for the amount charged.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Change history

Public record revisions

No revision to this record has been published yet. Its current review dates are in the overview above, and its official sources are listed below.