Rhode Island Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

Rhode Island requires a Department of Health massage therapist license for regulated practice and the licensed title.

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

Rhode Island Department of Health

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Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-10-11

Cities and towns may regulate the location and operation of massage businesses but may not impose additional background-based practitioner qualifications beyond chapter 5-95.

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.

Rhode Island's older rule and application lag the current statute

Current law and the Department use an 800-hour entry standard, a two-year license cycle, and 24 CE hours. The active 2024 rule and September 2025 application still contain older 650-hour, annual-renewal, and six-hour language; confirm the current cycle in the Department portal.

Regulatory authority

Rhode Island Department of Health

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: Rhode Island requires a Department of Health massage therapist license for regulated practice and the licensed title.
Minimum education: 800 hours
Approved education: Section 5-95-9 requires at least 800 hours of supervised in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work for a first license, under a clause headed "Effective January 1, 2025" that also refers to 650 hours completed before December 31, 2024. The Department applies the 800-hour requirement to applications filed on or after January 1, 2026.
Examination: Applicants pass MBLEx or another national examination approved by the Department.
MBLEx relationship: MBLEx is the current named national examination and does not replace 800 hours, CPR and first aid, background screening, application, or the Rhode Island license.
Application: Submit the Department application, $65 fee, official 800-hour education evidence, examination score, current CPR and first-aid evidence, and the national criminal background check supported by fingerprints.
Application fees: The current application and Department fee rule list $65 for application; the fee rule also lists $65 for renewal.
Background check or fingerprinting: Initial applicants submit to a national criminal background check supported by fingerprints.
Reciprocity or endorsement: Chapter 5-95 permits licensure by endorsement for an out-of-state applicant whose education and practice evidence satisfy the statutory equivalency calculation and whose credentials are verified.
Additional requirements: Applicants maintain current CPR and first-aid certification. No statewide practitioner professional-liability insurance mandate was identified in chapter 5-95, the current Department page, or the active rule.

EducationSchool records and official lists in Rhode Island

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle: Current chapter 5-95 establishes a two-year licensing cycle. The Department page identifies the July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 renewal period.
Continuing education: 24 hrs
Renewal fee: The current Department fee rule lists a $65 renewal fee.
Required topics: The statute permits Department-approved sponsors and online education; no recurring ethics, law, or hands-on subminimum is stated in the current chapter.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice: Chapter 5-95 defines massage therapy and establishes the licensed scope, exclusions, and exemptions.
Protected titles: A current Department license is required to practice massage therapy and use the licensed title.
Restrictions: Licensees follow chapter 5-95, current Department requirements, and professional-conduct, sanitation, consent, and records obligations.
Municipal or local requirements: Cities and towns may regulate the location and operation of massage businesses but may not add background-based qualifications beyond the state chapter.
Establishments and other regulated activities: No separate statewide massage-establishment license was identified in chapter 5-95; municipal business-location regulation remains expressly available.
Practitioner notes: Use the Department's license verification and complaint resources and treat the 2026 statute and current DPH page as stronger than the unreconciled 2024 rule.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Rhode Island Department of Health — Massage Therapy, updated February 20, 2026 · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island Massage Therapist Application, revised September 30, 2025 · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 5-95 — Massage Therapists · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island General Laws §5-95-9 — Qualifications and Licensure · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island General Laws §5-95-10 — Renewal and Continuing Education · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island General Laws §5-95-5 — Special Practice Provisions · accessed 2026-10-11
216-RICR-40-05-10 — Massage Therapists, effective March 20, 2024 · accessed 2026-10-11
216-RICR-10-05-2 — Department of Health Fee Structure · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner — Career Schools · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island OPC — Regulations Governing Proprietary Schools · accessed 2026-10-11
Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education — April 1, 2026 Agenda · 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.