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United States Licensing Atlas

Louisiana Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

Louisiana generally requires a massage therapist license: at least 500 in-class hours of supervised education, an approved national examination, fingerprint-based background review and the state application. A 625-hour structure in Section 37:3556 takes effect only if a federal rule that is currently enjoined takes effect.

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

Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy
LA · licensing record1 MI ≈ 1.3 PX
Albers equal-area · 91.4°W · SP 29.6/32.3°N · footprint 273 px · MASS-limitedFull Louisiana plate on the state guide →

Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-10-05

State law supersedes local licensing and regulation of massage therapists and establishments while preserving zoning, local health, occupational-tax, and generally applicable authority.

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.

Louisiana's Board and statute describe the education transition differently

The Board currently presents 625 hours operationally, while section 37:3556 retains a federal-triggered transition between 500- and 625-hour structures. Follow the Board's current applicant instructions and confirm which statutory path applies to your application.

Louisiana's graduate provisional license is in effect

Since August 1, 2026, a graduate of a state-approved Louisiana school can apply for a three-month, nonrenewable provisional license to work at a massage business registered with the Board that employs a licensed massage therapist. The Board's application adds a 45-day registration window and supervision by a licensed massage therapist; confirm the current conditions with the Board.

Regulatory authority

Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy

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
A Louisiana license is generally required to practice massage therapy, subject to statutory exemptions and the state-law limits on local licensing.
Minimum education
500 hours
Approved education
Applicants complete at least 500 in-class hours of supervised massage education, the requirement in the Board's July 2026 application and in its rule § 1101(B). Section 37:3556 would replace it with a 625-hour structure (with in-person, synchronous, technique, clinical, anatomy, physiology and Louisiana-law components) only when a proposed amendment to 34 CFR 668.14(b)(26) takes effect; a federal court injunction has kept that amendment from taking effect.
Examination
The rules accept MBLEx or another board-approved national examination accredited through the recognized national accreditation framework; the examination generally must have been passed within two years.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is an accepted national examination, but the rule permits another qualifying board-approved national examination.
Application
Submit the board application, statutory fees, education and examination evidence, fingerprint-based criminal-history review, license verifications where applicable, and required disclosures.
Application fees
Section 37:3562 lists a $75 application fee and a separate $125 original massage therapist license fee. Fingerprint-vendor charges are separate.
Background check or fingerprinting
The board requires fingerprint-based criminal-history review for initial licensure and reinstatement through the current IdentoGO process.
Reciprocity or endorsement
A currently licensed out-of-state applicant may receive credit when the originating jurisdiction substantially conforms to Louisiana requirements. The Welcome Home Act supplies an additional residency-based route for qualifying applicants.
Additional requirements
Applicants must satisfy current education, examination, background, identity, and disclosure requirements. The provisional license has its own registration, establishment, supervision and client-disclosure conditions.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
Louisiana massage therapist licenses renew annually.
Continuing education
12 hrs
Renewal fee
Section 37:3562 lists a $125 annual therapist renewal fee and a $100 late-renewal fee.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 37, Chapter 57 and the board rules define and regulate massage therapy practice.
Protected titles
A person generally must hold the state credential to practice or represent themselves as a licensed massage therapist, subject to statutory exemptions.
Restrictions
Licensees must comply with scope, conduct, sanitation, identification, establishment, and renewal rules.
Municipal or local requirements
Chapter 57 supersedes local therapist and establishment licensing and regulation while preserving zoning, local health, occupational taxes, and generally applicable rules.
Establishments and other regulated activities
Massage establishments must register or obtain the separate state credential and comply with LMT identification and operating requirements.
Practitioner notes
Apply on the 500-hour requirement in the Board's current application; watch for the federal trigger that would bring in the 625-hour structure. The provisional license carries its own conditions.

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.