Missouri Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

Missouri generally requires a Board of Therapeutic Massage license to practice massage therapy. The current operational rule requires 625 hours of supervised instruction or a Board-approved apprenticeship, an approved examination, fingerprint-based background review, and the state application. Section 324.265 still states 500 hours, so applicants should confirm which current Board pathway applies.

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

Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage

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Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-07-29

Missouri statute broadly preempts local licensing and regulation of massage therapists and massage businesses while preserving zoning, local health, occupational-tax, and generally applicable local 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.

Missouri's statute and current rule state different education totals

Section 324.265 says 500 hours, while the current Board rule requires 625 supervised hours or a Board-approved apprenticeship. Follow the Board's current application instructions and confirm the pathway that applies before enrolling or applying.

Regulatory authority

Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage

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 Missouri license is generally required to practice massage therapy, subject to statutory exemptions; local licensing authority is limited by state preemption.
Minimum education: 625 hours
Approved education: The current Board rule requires at least 625 supervised clock hours through an approved massage therapy program or a Board-approved apprenticeship. The rule retains subject minimums of 300 hours in massage theory and practice, 100 in anatomy and physiology, 50 in business, ethics, hygiene, and Missouri law, and 50 in ancillary therapies, with remaining hours allocated among approved subjects. Section 324.265 still states 500 hours; follow the Board's current application instructions and confirm which pathway applies.
Examination: The current rule recognizes MBLEx and specified legacy national examinations, plus another examination the board determines equivalent.
MBLEx relationship: MBLEx is accepted but is not the only examination named in the current rule.
Application: Submit the board application, fee, education and examination evidence, disclosures, and fingerprint-based state and federal criminal-history records.
Application fees: The board rule and current application list a $125 application fee. Fingerprint-vendor charges are separate and vendor-set.
Background check or fingerprinting: Applicants submit fingerprints for Missouri and FBI criminal-history review; the fingerprint-vendor fee is separate.
Reciprocity or endorsement: An applicant licensed in another jurisdiction may qualify when that jurisdiction's requirements are substantially the same; otherwise the applicant must satisfy Missouri's current requirements.
Additional requirements: Current application instructions require professional liability insurance. Distance, correspondence, or electronic education counts only when board approved.

EducationHow to evaluate a massage school

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle: Missouri massage therapist licenses operate on a two-year renewal period.
Continuing education: 12 hrs
Renewal fee: The current rule lists a $100 renewal fee, $50 fee for renewal 1–30 days late, $100 reinstatement fee for 31 days through two years, and a separate $50 late-CE fee.
Required topics: No universal topic-specific CE allocation was identified in the reviewed current rule; course and provider eligibility remain subject to board standards.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice: Missouri statutes and board rules define and regulate massage therapy practice.
Protected titles: The regulated credential is Licensed Massage Therapist, and unlicensed practice is prohibited except where a statutory exemption applies.
Restrictions: Licensees must follow professional conduct, sanitation, recordkeeping, and insurance standards in the board rules.
Municipal or local requirements: State law preempts local licensing and regulation of massage therapists and massage businesses but preserves zoning, local health, occupational-license taxes, and generally applicable regulation.
Establishments and other regulated activities: Massage businesses are separately licensed and subject to general-liability, inspection, and operating requirements.
Practitioner notes: Confirm the current board rule, fee schedule, insurance evidence, and the unresolved 500-versus-625-hour conflict before applying.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage · accessed 2026-10-11
Missouri Revised Statutes Section 324.265 · accessed 2026-10-11
Missouri Revised Statutes Section 324.272 · accessed 2026-10-11
20 CSR 2197-1 Organization and Fees · accessed 2026-07-27
20 CSR 2197-2 Licensure Requirements · accessed 2026-07-27
20 CSR 2197-3 Standards of Practice · accessed 2026-07-27
20 CSR 2197-5 Massage Therapy Businesses · accessed 2026-07-27
Missouri Massage Therapist Application for Licensure · accessed 2026-10-11
Missouri Permanent Application Instructions · accessed 2026-10-11

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.