New York Massage Therapy Continuing Education & Renewal Requirements
CE hours: 36 hrs. The professional license is valid for life, while authority to practice requires triennial registration.
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 2026-08-02
- CE hours
- 36 hrs
- License renewal
- The professional license is valid for life, while authority to practice requires triennial registration.
- CE reporting period
- The 36-hour requirement aligns with the three-year registration period.
Check the requirement's scope, exceptions and reporting period. An item marked “Not confirmed” never means that no CE is required.
Before you rely on these answers
- Not confirmed: Practical / hands-on
Each item explains the issue and links its official sources. Everything else on this page is sourced as stated.
Responsible authority
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board 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
Licensed massage therapists complete 36 hours of acceptable continuing education during each triennial registration period. The registration period in which the therapist is first licensed is exempt; a later shortened registration period uses 1 hour for each month.
- Hour total
36
Renewal timing and fees
- Renewal cycle
The professional license is valid for life, while authority to practice requires triennial registration.
- Renewal deadline
Registration is renewed through NYSED's online registration process before the current registration expires.
- Renewal fees
The current fee chart lists $103 for triennial re-registration: $45 continuing-education fee plus $58 registration.
Reporting period, first renewal and carryover
- CE reporting period
The 36-hour requirement aligns with the three-year registration period.
- Carryover
NYSED states that continuing-education hours do not carry over to a subsequent registration period.
- First renewal / proration
Use New York's renewal requirements for the controlling triennial, first-period, CPR and First Aid, and self-instruction rules. The 12-hour limit is not a blanket limit on approved live interactive online education.
Required topics
- Required categoriesConfirm details
Coursework must fit NYSED's approved massage-therapy subjects and sponsor framework. No universal ethics allocation was identified. CPR and First Aid certificate renewal may each earn no more than 3 hours per registration period. No more than 12 hours may be self-instructional, but approved live interactive online instruction is not automatically self-instruction.
- State-specific topics
Use New York's renewal requirements for the controlling triennial, first-period, CPR and First Aid, and self-instruction rules. The 12-hour limit is not a blanket limit on approved live interactive online education.
- CPR / first aid
Use New York's renewal requirements for the controlling triennial, first-period, CPR and First Aid, and self-instruction rules. The 12-hour limit is not a blanket limit on approved live interactive online education.
Online and course format
- Online and course format
Use New York's renewal requirements for the controlling triennial, first-period, CPR and First Aid, and self-instruction rules. The 12-hour limit is not a blanket limit on approved live interactive online education.
- Practical / hands-onNot confirmed
This has not yet been checked against the official sources, so no answer is shown.
Proof of CE, audits and record keeping
- Renewal documentation
Licensees attest to CE completion when renewing registration and retain completion records for 6 years. Certificates should identify the licensee, course and subject, hours, provider, attendance, date, and location. NYSED audits a random sample annually and requires completion evidence rather than self-report forms when selected.
- Reporting and proof of CE
Use New York's renewal documentation requirement for the controlling certificate, six-year retention, attestation, and annual audit detail.
- Certificate requirements
Use New York's renewal documentation requirement for the controlling certificate, six-year retention, attestation, and annual audit detail.
- Record retention
Use New York's renewal documentation requirement for the controlling certificate, six-year retention, attestation, and annual audit detail.
- Audits
Use New York's renewal documentation requirement for the controlling certificate, six-year retention, attestation, and annual audit detail.
- Renewal attestation
Use New York's renewal documentation requirement for the controlling certificate, six-year retention, attestation, and annual audit detail.
Approved providers and courses
- How CE is approved
NYSED approves continuing-education sponsors and defines acceptable formal continuing education; the renewal requirements cover the detailed triennial requirement.
- Provider & course recognitionConfirm details
Use NYSED-approved sponsors and confirm the course fits the massage-therapy subject and practical-instruction rules.
- Official CE resourceConfirm details
NYSED approved massage continuing-education providers
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
Delayed registration and return-to-practice requirements apply when registration lapses; use NYSED's current renewal process.
- Inactive status / reactivation
A licensee not practicing or using the title may remain inactive without current registration, but must complete the applicable return requirements before resuming practice.
Who these requirements apply to
- Credential and statewide scope
A New York license and current professional registration are generally required to practice massage therapy or use protected massage titles unless an Article 155 exemption applies.
- Local requirements
This information does not resolve entity, site, assumed-name, zoning, or municipality-specific business requirements.
Changes in the law
No separate item is recorded for New York here.
Authoritative sources
Sources for New York
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.
- NYSED Massage Therapy Continuing Educationaccessed
- NYSED Continuing Education Questions and Answers for Massage Therapistsaccessed
- NYSED Massage Therapy License Requirementsaccessed
- New York Education Law Article 155accessed
- NYSED Massage Therapy License Application Formsaccessed
- NYSED Office of the Professions Feesaccessed
- NYSED Massage Therapy Continuing Education Providersaccessed