Minnesota Massage Therapy Regulation & Local Requirements
Minnesota has no mandatory statewide massage license; Chapter 146A and local requirements apply. Enacted law creates optional state registration for massage therapists and Asian bodywork therapists, with protected titles from January 1, 2028. MDH implementation and rulemaking are pending.
Statewide requirements and local regulation are identified separately. This record is general information, not legal advice.
Overview
No mandatory statewide massage license; local requirements may apply
Last verified 2026-10-06
Local practitioner requirements may apply until July 1, 2028; municipalities may continue licensing massage establishments afterward.
Regulatory authority
Minnesota Department of Health for future statewide registration; municipalities for current local licensing
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
- No mandatory statewide license; future optional Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) or Registered Asian Bodywork Therapist (RABT) registration
- Credential requirement
- No mandatory statewide massage license applies. Enacted state registration is optional; local practitioner credentials may currently be required.
- Minimum education
- No statewide requirement identified
- Approved education
- No current statewide education threshold applies. Chapter 115 stages transitional paths and, beginning July 1, 2031, generally uses an accredited program or at least 625 hours including 500 instructional and 125 supervised clinical hours.
- Examination
- No statewide licensing examination was operational on the access date.
- MBLEx relationship
- No current statewide MBLEx requirement applies. Future registration details must follow enacted law and Department implementation rather than assumptions.
- Application
- Check current local application requirements. The optional state registry starts January 1, 2028; MDH is in rulemaking (Request for Comments published August 17, 2026), and state application forms and procedures are not yet available.
- Application fees
- No current statewide practitioner fee applies. Future initial and renewal fees may not exceed $640.50; this is a statutory ceiling, not a charged amount.
- Background check or fingerprinting
- No current statewide massage-license background process applies. Future registration requires a criminal background check.
- Reciprocity or endorsement
- No current statewide reciprocity path applies. Future law includes out-of-state credential and transitional experience pathways.
- Additional requirements
- Current practitioners remain subject to Chapter 146A and applicable local requirements; future registrants must meet enacted insurance and registration conditions.
Renewal
Renewal and continuing education
- Cycle
- No current statewide renewal cycle. Enacted optional registrations expire two years after issuance.
- Continuing education
- No current statewide CE requirement
- Renewal fee
- No current statewide renewal fee. Future initial and renewal fees may not exceed $640.50; Chapter 115 also sets $50 late, annual inactive, reactivation, and temporary-registration amounts.
- Required topics
- No statewide required CE subjects were established; local requirements may apply.
No statewide requirement. No current statewide CE requirement is reported here. Local credentials and voluntary credentials can carry separate obligations, and any future registration rules are listed with the state's full requirements.
Practice information
Scope, titles, and local requirements
- Scope of practice
- Current massage practice is governed through Chapter 146A and local regulation rather than an operational statewide massage license; Chapter 115 creates future registration boundaries.
- Protected titles
- From January 1, 2028, only registrants may use registered massage therapist, RMT, registered Asian bodywork therapist, or RABT. Practice without those titles remains permitted subject to applicable law.
- Restrictions
- Future registered practice excludes diagnosis, high-velocity manipulation, needles, prescriptive exercise, specified traction, injection, laser, diathermy, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, iontophoresis, and phonophoresis.
- Municipal or local requirements
- Current local practitioner licensing may apply. From July 1, 2028, state law preempts municipal licensing of individual massage and Asian bodywork therapists; municipalities may continue licensing establishments.
- Establishments and other regulated activities
- Municipalities may continue requiring massage and Asian bodywork establishments to obtain business licenses or permits after July 1, 2028. Check current local requirements separately.
- Practitioner notes
- Future registrants must carry at least $2,000,000 per occurrence and $6,000,000 annual aggregate liability coverage; no current statewide massage credential was operational on the access date.
Authoritative sources
Official record evidence
- Minnesota Laws 2026, Chapter 115 · accessed 2026-10-06
- Minnesota House — New Registration Law Summary · accessed 2026-10-06
- Minnesota Statutes Chapter 146A · accessed 2026-10-06
- Minnesota Statutes § 471.709 — Local Regulation of Massage Therapy · accessed 2026-10-06
- Minnesota Department of Health — Massage Therapy Rulemaking · accessed 2026-10-06
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.