New York Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

This record does not resolve corporate-practice, professional-entity, assumed-name, site, land-use, or municipality-specific business requirements.

• Official application
• Official renewal information
• Official statutes or rules

Local business, facility, zoning, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.

Credential

Licensed Massage Therapist

Credential requirement

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.

Minimum education

1000 hours

Approved education

Article 155 establishes a statutory floor of at least 500 hours, while Commissioner's Regulations Part 52.15 requires a registered massage-therapy program of at least 1,000 hours. The current standard licensure path therefore uses a registered program or substantial equivalent totaling at least 1,000 hours.

Examination

Applicants pass the New York State Massage Therapy Examination administered under NYSED requirements, generally offered twice annually.

MBLEx relationship

The reviewed current NYSED standard pathway identifies the New York State examination rather than MBLEx as the qualifying examination.

Application

Submit Form 1, the education and examination forms, CPR evidence, English-proficiency evidence when applicable, fees, and all additional materials required for the selected pathway.

Application fees

NYSED's current fee chart lists $108 for initial licensure and first registration and $35 for a limited permit.

Background check or fingerprinting

Applicants must be of good moral character. No blanket massage-therapist fingerprint requirement was identified on the reviewed current NYSED pages.

Reciprocity or endorsement

NYSED offers an experience-based endorsement path for qualifying licensees from other jurisdictions, with age, experience, license, education, and examination equivalency review.

Additional requirements

Applicants must be at least 18, have a high school education or equivalent, demonstrate good moral character, and hold CPR certification meeting NYSED's current recency rule.

Cycle

The professional license is valid for life, while authority to practice requires triennial registration.

Deadline model

Registration is renewed through NYSED's online registration process before the current registration expires.

Fees

The current fee chart lists $103 for triennial re-registration: $45 continuing-education fee plus $58 registration.

Continuing education

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.

Required subjects

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.

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.

Carryover

NYSED states that continuing-education hours do not carry over to a subsequent registration period.

Late renewal

Delayed registration and return-to-practice requirements apply when registration lapses; use NYSED's current renewal process.

Inactive license

A licensee not practicing or using the title may remain inactive without current registration, but must complete the applicable return requirements before resuming practice.

Scope of practice

Article 155 defines massage therapy as applying a scientific system of activity to the human body's muscular structure through stroking, kneading, tapping, and vibrating to improve muscle tone and circulation. NYSED guidance applies that statutory definition across named modalities.

Protected titles

Massage therapist, masseuse, and masseur are protected titles under Article 155.

Restrictions

NYSED guidance excludes electrical stimulation and ultrasound from massage-therapy scope; practitioners must remain within Article 155's defined scope.

Municipal or local requirements

This record does not resolve entity, site, assumed-name, zoning, or municipality-specific business requirements.

Establishments and other regulated activities

NYSED separately regulates education programs, continuing-education sponsors, professional registration, and limited permits.

Practitioner notes

Use the current NYSED operational requirements together with Article 155 and Part 52.15; entity, site, assumed-name, and municipality-specific requirements remain separate research questions.

• NYSED Massage Therapy License Requirements · accessed 2026-07-25
• NYSED Massage Therapy Continuing Education · accessed 2026-08-02
• NYSED Continuing Education Questions and Answers for Massage Therapists · accessed 2026-08-02
• New York Education Law Article 155 · accessed 2026-07-25
• Commissioner's Regulations Part 52.15 — Massage Therapy · accessed 2026-07-25
• Commissioner's Regulations Part 78 · accessed 2026-07-25
• NYSED Massage Therapy Questions and Answers · accessed 2026-07-25
• NYSED Massage Therapy License Application Forms · accessed 2026-07-25
• NYSED Office of the Professions Fees · accessed 2026-07-25

Future verified changes will be listed from this Git-backed record.