Skip to content
MDMassageData
United States Licensing Atlas

Pennsylvania Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

Pennsylvania licenses massage therapists under the Massage Therapy Law and 49 Pa. Code Chapter 20. The current standard path uses 600 in-class education hours, MBLEx, child-abuse training, the state application, and legal disclosures.

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

Pennsylvania Department of State, State Board of Massage Therapy

State licensing guide

Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-08-02 · next review 2026-09-02

State licensure does not resolve local zoning, building, occupancy, or general business rules. Current salon and facility provisions must be applied to the actual setting.

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.

CE carryover not established

No carryover authorization was identified in the reviewed current Board materials.

Disclosure documentation is case-specific

The application requires criminal and disciplinary disclosures. Reviewed materials did not establish a blanket fingerprint requirement for every massage applicant.

Business rules depend on setting

Massage-business, salon, inspection, and operational provisions require setting-specific classification and must not be read as one universal practitioner rule.

Regulatory authority

Pennsylvania Department of State, State Board of Massage Therapy

Visit the official authority

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 Pennsylvania massage therapist license is generally required unless a statutory exemption applies; local business controls may also apply.
Minimum education
600 hours
Approved education
The standard curriculum is 600 in-class hours: 175 sciences, 250 massage theory and practice including hygiene, 25 ethics, and 150 related instruction.
Examination
The current Board snapshot identifies MBLEx as the qualifying examination.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is the national examination identified by the Board for the standard path.
Application
Apply through the Pennsylvania Licensing System with official education, MBLEx, required child-abuse training, fees, and legal and disciplinary disclosures.
Application fees
The current Board snapshot lists a $100 initial application fee.
Background check or fingerprinting
The professional application requires criminal and disciplinary disclosures. A blanket massage-therapist fingerprint requirement was not identified in the reviewed current Board materials.
Reciprocity or endorsement
Pennsylvania evaluates qualifying out-of-state licensees under Act 41 and Board-specific requirements.
Additional requirements
Applicants document a high school diploma or equivalent and complete three hours of approved child-abuse-recognition and reporting training.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
Licenses renew biennially.
Deadline model
Massage therapist licenses expire January 31 of odd-numbered years.
Fees
The current published renewal fee is $175.
Continuing education
Licensees complete 24 hours during each biennial period. A license first issued during the biennium is exempt from the ordinary 24-hour total for that first renewal, but still must complete the separately applicable 2-hour Act 31 child-abuse training requirement.
Required subjects
The current framework includes at least 16 contact hours, 4 professional-ethics hours, and 2 hours of Act 31 child-abuse recognition and reporting training. Current CPR certification is separately required for renewal; CPR-renewal courses must use contact hours and may not count toward the 24 CE hours.
Documentation
Licensees retain CE certificates for at least 5 years and may be audited after renewal. Certificates must identify the licensee, provider, course title, course date, and hours; providers retain participant documentation for at least 5 years. The renewal process separately requires current CPR proof and CE verification.
Carryover
No carryover authorization was identified in the reviewed current Board materials.
Late renewal
Late renewal and reactivation follow Board requirements; extended lapse may require competency evidence.
Inactive license
Reactivation may require current CPR and, after longer nonpractice, practice evidence or retesting under current Board guidance.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
The Massage Therapy Law and Chapter 20 define massage therapy, standards of practice, and prohibited conduct.
Protected titles
Pennsylvania protects licensed massage therapist and massage therapist title use under the Massage Therapy Law.
Restrictions
Diagnosis and services reserved to another profession remain outside the massage-therapy license.
Municipal or local requirements
Local zoning, occupancy, fire, building, and general business requirements may apply.
Establishments and other regulated activities
Current Chapter 20 includes massage business, salon, inspection, and operational provisions that require setting-specific classification.
Practitioner notes
Confirm current salon classification, child-abuse training, renewal, and reactivation rules before acting.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Change history

Public record revisions

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