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United States Licensing Atlas

New York Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

New York licenses massage therapists through NYSED and protects massage therapist, masseuse, and masseur titles. The current operational requirements page identifies a 1,000-hour program, the New York State examination, character and age qualifications, current CPR, and the state application.

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

New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board for Massage Therapy
NY · licensing record1 MI ≈ 1.2 PX
Albers equal-area · 75.8°W · SP 41.3/44.3°N · footprint 273 px · MASS-limitedFull New York plate on the state guide →

Overview

State massage therapy license and current registration required

Last verified 2026-10-11

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

Regulatory authority

New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board for 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 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 completed within three years before licensure. Education Law § 7804 still lists United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence, but NYSED does not apply it as a bar: following Dandamudi v. Tisch (2d Cir. 2012) it considers massage therapy applicants who would otherwise be excluded, and 8 NYCRR § 59.4 (effective June 1, 2016) prohibits denying an otherwise qualified applicant because of citizenship or immigration status unless federal law, such as 8 U.S.C. § 1621, makes the applicant ineligible. Applicants who are not unlawfully present, including DACA recipients, may be licensed.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
The professional license is valid for life, while authority to practice requires triennial registration.
Continuing education
36 hrs
Renewal fee
The current fee chart lists $103 for triennial re-registration: $45 continuing-education fee plus $58 registration.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

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.

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.