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United States Licensing Atlas

Texas Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

Texas generally requires a TDLR massage therapist license to advertise, offer, or administer massage therapy for compensation. The standard path uses a 500-hour program, an accepted examination, fingerprint review, and the state application. MBLEx applicants also complete the separate Texas jurisprudence examination; the Texas massage examination includes law-and-rule content.

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

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Massage Therapy Program

State licensing guide

Overview

State massage therapist license required

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

Municipality-specific operating requirements were not researched in this record. Massage establishments are separately regulated at the state level, with a fact-specific solo-practitioner exemption.

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 TDLR guidance.

Regulatory authority

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Massage Therapy Program

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 state license is generally required to provide or advertise massage therapy for compensation. This record does not determine whether a municipality-specific requirement applies to a particular address.
Minimum education
500 hours
Approved education
Applicants complete a 500-hour course of instruction that meets TDLR requirements and provide an official transcript.
Examination
Texas accepts the MBLEx or the Texas massage examination where applicable. The qualifying examination generally must have been passed within the preceding two years.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is an accepted national examination, but an MBLEx applicant must also satisfy Texas jurisprudence.
Application
Submit the TDLR application, fee, transcript, accepted examination evidence, fingerprints, and disclosures. Applicants using MBLEx must also pass the separate Texas jurisprudence examination.
Application fees
The current therapist application fee published by TDLR is $100 for a two-year license.
Background check or fingerprinting
TDLR requires one-time fingerprint submission for a national criminal-history record check.
Reciprocity or endorsement
Texas uses an out-of-state application review rather than automatic reciprocity. It evaluates education, examination, license verification, experience, jurisprudence, and fingerprints.
Additional requirements
All applicants must satisfy current identity, disclosure, transcript, examination, and fingerprint requirements. The separate Texas jurisprudence examination applies to the MBLEx path; the Texas massage examination includes law-and-rule content.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
The massage therapist license renews every two years.
Deadline model
Renew by the license expiration date through the TDLR process; late bands and restoration rules apply after expiration.
Fees
The current published biennial renewal fee is $75. TDLR lists increasing late-fee multipliers and separate review for longer lapses.
Continuing education
A therapist completes 12 hours of qualifying continuing education during each two-year license period.
Required subjects
The renewal path separately requires an HHSC-approved human-trafficking prevention course; reviewed guidance does not establish whether that training counts within the 12-hour CE total. CPR and first-aid coursework may account for no more than 6 combined hours. Online or correspondence work is accepted only when the subject is not massage technique or manipulation of soft tissue.
Documentation
TDLR uses random CE audits during the license term. Licensees submit certificates, diplomas, or transcripts only when selected and must retain their CE records for 5 years. Approved providers also retain attendance records for 5 years and issue completion certificates with the required course and provider details.
Carryover
No carryover authorization was identified in the reviewed current TDLR guidance.
Late renewal
TDLR publishes 1.5-times and 2-times fee bands for late renewal and an executive-director process for licenses expired from 18 months through three years.
Inactive license
No general inactive-license pathway was established in the reviewed therapist renewal guidance; longer lapses follow the published late-renewal and executive-review process.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
Texas law and rules govern compensated massage and manipulation of soft tissue. A modality label does not avoid licensure when the actual service meets the statutory definition.
Protected titles
A person must not represent that they hold a Texas massage therapist license unless licensed.
Restrictions
Massage therapists must not diagnose disease or represent massage as medical diagnosis or treatment outside lawful scope.
Municipal or local requirements
Municipality-specific requirements were not researched in this record; verify the intended practice address separately.
Establishments and other regulated activities
Massage establishments and massage schools are separately licensed and regulated by TDLR; a solo-practitioner establishment exemption is conditional.
Practitioner notes
Confirm current TDLR guidance and any address-specific local requirements before applying or opening a practice.

Authoritative sources

Official record evidence

Change history

Public record revisions

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