Virginia Massage Therapy Continuing Education & Renewal Requirements
CE hours: 24 hrs. Licenses renew every two years.
Statewide requirements and local rules are identified separately. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Overview
CE and renewal at a glance
Licensing information reviewed 2026-07-25
- CE hours
- 24 hrs
- License renewal
- Licenses renew every two years.
- CE reporting period
- The 24-hour alternative is measured over the two-year renewal period, subject to the first-renewal exemption.
Check the requirement's scope, exceptions and reporting period. An item marked “Not confirmed” never means that no CE is required.
Responsible authority
Virginia Board of Nursing
The authority’s current rules govern your renewal. Confirm requirements with it before you rely on a course or a date.
CE hours
- CE requirement and exceptions
Current NCBTMB certification or 24 hours of continuing competency during the biennium satisfies the current rule; the first renewal is exempt.
Renewal timing and fees
- Renewal cycle
Licenses renew every two years.
- Renewal deadline
Expiration is the last day of the birth month in the even- or odd-numbered year matching the licensee's birth-year parity.
- Renewal fees
The current schedule lists $95 biennial renewal and a $30 late fee.
Reporting period, first renewal and carryover
- CE reporting period
The 24-hour alternative is measured over the two-year renewal period, subject to the first-renewal exemption.
- CarryoverConfirm details
No carryover authorization was identified in the reviewed current rule.
Required topics
- Required categories
At least 1 hour addresses professional ethics; at least 12 hours come from listed formal providers, and no more than 12 hours come from listed alternative activities.
- State-specific topics
At least 1 ethics hour; at least 12 hours from listed formal providers and no more than 12 from listed alternative activities.
Online and course format
MassageData doesn’t list a separate online or in-person course rule for Virginia. Confirm format limits with the authority before buying a course.
Proof of CE, audits and record keeping
- Renewal documentation
Keep completion records for four years. The Board may audit randomly, and a selected licensee must respond within 30 days; an extension of up to one year may be granted for good cause.
- Reporting and proof of CE
Keep evidence four years and respond within 30 days if selected for audit.
Approved providers and courses
- How CE is approved
Virginia uses either current NCBTMB certification or 24 hours per biennium, with at least 1 ethics hour, provider-category limits, first-renewal exemption, four-year record retention, and random audit.
- Provider & course recognition
Current rule defines the qualifying formal-provider and alternative-activity categories.
- Official CE resourceConfirm details
Virginia official CE authority
Open official resource →Use the authority's current provider and course acceptance rules.
- Professional organizations' role in CENot confirmed
The official sources for this item are missing or incomplete, so no answer is shown.
Late renewal, reinstatement and inactive status
- Late renewal / reinstatement
Late renewal uses the $30 late fee. Reinstatement within one cycle requires renewal, late fee, and continuing competency; longer lapses require competency for the lapse capped at four years.
- Inactive status / reactivationConfirm details
No general inactive status was identified. The fee schedule lists $150 reinstatement and $200 reinstatement after suspension or revocation.
Who these requirements apply to
- Credential and statewide scope
Virginia generally requires the state massage therapist license for regulated practice, subject to statutory exemptions.
- Local requirements
No statewide massage-establishment license was established in this review; local business and facility requirements were not researched.
Changes in the law
No separate item is recorded for Virginia here.
Authoritative sources
Sources for Virginia
Each answer shows the date it was reviewed and numbers the official sources behind it. An access date records when a source was last opened; it does not change a review date.
- 18VAC90-50 — Regulations Governing the Licensure of Massage Therapistsaccessed
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Continued Competency: Massage Therapistaccessed
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Apply for License: Massage Therapistaccessed
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Feesaccessed
- Code of Virginia Title 54.1, Chapter 30, Article 5 — Massage Therapistsaccessed