Kentucky Massage Therapy Continuing Education & Renewal Requirements
CE hours: 12 hrs. Licenses renew every two years on the anniversary of issuance.
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
- 12 hrs
- License renewal
- Licenses renew every two years on the anniversary of issuance.
- CE reporting period
- Twelve hours accrue during the two-year licensure period beginning on the issue date.
Check the requirement's scope, exceptions and reporting period. An item marked “Not confirmed” never means that no CE is required.
Responsible authority
Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy
- 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 12 CE hours in each two-year period, including three hours of professional ethics.
Renewal timing and fees
- Renewal cycle
Licenses renew every two years on the anniversary of issuance.
- Renewal deadline
The complete renewal and fee are due on or before the issue-date anniversary; the license expires if complete information and payment are not received.
- Renewal fees
Biennial renewal is $200; late renewal is $225 through 60 days and $250 from days 61 through 90, with reinstatement fees after 90 days and a $50 inactive-status fee.
Reporting period, first renewal and carryover
- CE reporting period
Twelve hours accrue during the two-year licensure period beginning on the issue date.
- Carryover
The current CE rule does not authorize carryover; repeated completion of the same course within a renewal period does not earn duplicate credit. Self-paced courses require Board review unless otherwise approved.
Required topics
- Required categories
At least three of the 12 hours are professional ethics; all hours must relate to massage practice, and animal therapeutic-technique coursework is excluded.
- State-specific topics
Twelve hours accrue during the two-year licensure period beginning on the issue date. The current CE rule does not authorize carryover; repeated completion of the same course within a renewal period does not earn duplicate credit. Self-paced courses require Board review unless otherwise approved.
Online and course format
MassageData doesn’t list a separate online or in-person course rule for Kentucky. Confirm format limits with the authority before buying a course.
Proof of CE, audits and record keeping
- Renewal documentation
The renewal lists credited courses and identifies ethics hours; licensees retain and provide completion documentation when requested.
- Reporting and proof of CE
The renewal lists credited courses and identifies ethics hours; licensees retain and provide completion documentation when requested.
Approved providers and courses
- How CE is approved
Renewal requires 12 CE hours in each two-year period, including three hours of professional ethics.
- Provider & course recognition
At least three of the 12 hours are professional ethics; all hours must relate to massage practice, and animal therapeutic-technique coursework is excluded.
- Official CE resourceConfirm details
Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy
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
Renewal within 90 days requires the application, 12 hours of recent CE, and the applicable late fee; after 90 days and before five years the applicant uses reinstatement.
- Inactive status / reactivation
Inactive status is available with a fee and no practice; reactivation before five years requires one CE hour per six months inactive, subject to the renewal-period requirement.
Who these requirements apply to
- Credential and statewide scope
Kentucky requires a massage therapist license for regulated practice and protected titles, subject to statutory exemptions.
- Local requirements
KRS 309.364 preempts local massage-therapist regulation while preserving zoning requirements and occupational-license fees.
Changes in the law
- Rulemaking / implementation: Proposed local-regulation amendmentConfirm details
SB 132 would modify local-regulation preemption if enacted; the current controlling text remains KRS 309.364.
Proposed provisions are not current requirements.
Authoritative sources
Sources for Kentucky
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.
- 201 KAR 42:110 — Continuing Education Requirementsaccessed
- Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 309 — Massage Therapyaccessed
- Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapyaccessed
- 201 KAR Chapter 42 — Board of Licensure for Massage Therapyaccessed
- 201 KAR 42:040 — Renewal and Reinstatementaccessed
- 201 KAR 42:020 — Feesaccessed
- Kentucky 2026 SB 132 — Proposed Local-Regulation Amendmentaccessed