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United States Licensing Atlas

West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensing Requirements

West Virginia requires a massage therapist license for regulated practice and, since July 1, 2025, a separate license for nonexempt massage establishments.

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

West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board
WV · licensing record1 MI ≈ 1.8 PX
Albers equal-area · 80.2°W · SP 37.8/40.1°N · footprint 273 px · MASS-limitedFull West Virginia plate on the state guide →

Overview

State massage therapist license required

Last verified 2026-10-11

State credentials do not replace applicable state, municipal, or local business licenses, zoning, health, or safety rules.

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.

West Virginia's statute and application rule use different exam wording

West Virginia Code and the Board recognize MBLEx, while the active rule's application clause expressly names only a pre-February 2015 legacy exam. Confirm the current score-submission path with the Board before applying.

Confirm West Virginia's assigned renewal deadline

The license rule ties expiration to the issue month, while the fee rule also refers to June 30 of the renewal year. Follow the expiration date shown by the Board and confirm the filing deadline before renewal.

Regulatory authority

West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board

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
West Virginia requires a massage therapist license for regulated practice and, since July 1, 2025, a separate license for nonexempt massage establishments.
Minimum education
625 hours
Approved education
Applicants complete at least 625 hours of supervised academic instruction in a massage program approved by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, Department of Education, Board, or an equivalent public authority in another jurisdiction. An applicant who completed the program two or more years before applying must also show all the continuing education they would have completed if licensed during that time (194 CSR 1-3.9).
Examination
West Virginia Code accepts NCTMB completed before February 1, 2015, MBLEx, or another Board-approved examination. The 2025 general rule's application clause expressly names only pre-2015 NCETMB, creating a bounded statute-rule wording conflict.
MBLEx relationship
MBLEx is a statutory and Board-recognized examination pathway; it does not replace education, application, fees, or the West Virginia license.
Application
Submit the Board application, personal information, official qualifying transcript, examination evidence, and the application and two-year license fees; an applicant who finished the program two or more years earlier also submits proof of the continuing education described in 194 CSR 1-3.9.
Application fees
Active 194 CSR 4 sets a $50 application fee and $300 two-year initial or reciprocal license fee; renewal is $200, late renewal $50, and reapplication after a 60-day lapse $300.
Background check or fingerprinting
No routine fingerprint or criminal-history report requirement for every massage applicant was identified in article 30-37, 194 CSR 1, or the current Board landing page; applicants must provide information sufficient for Board qualification review.
Reciprocity or endorsement
The Board may issue a reciprocal license to an otherwise-qualified out-of-state licensee who supplies current credential, disciplinary, recent CE, and applicable certification evidence.
Additional requirements
No statewide practitioner liability-insurance mandate was identified. Non-sole-practitioner establishments require a separate biennial state license; sole practitioners qualify for the statutory exemption only under its naming and advertising conditions.

Renewal

Renewal and continuing education

Cycle
A practitioner license expires two years from the end of the month in which it was issued.
Continuing education
24 hrs
Renewal fee
Two-year renewal is $200; late renewal is $50 in addition to other fees, and reapplication after a 60-day lapse is $300.
Required topics
The active rule does not set recurring ethics, law, or CPR subminimums; providers may be approved through NCBTMB, FSMTB, AMTA, ABMP, or the Board.

Practice information

Scope, titles, and local requirements

Scope of practice
Article 30-37 defines regulated massage therapy and the active rule establishes professional and sanitation standards.
Protected titles
A current state license is required to practice massage therapy, and the certificate must be displayed at the work site.
Restrictions
Licensees follow state and local rules, sanitation, draping, consent, recordkeeping, and professional-conduct requirements; breast massage requires a medical directive and written consent.
Municipal or local requirements
Practitioners and establishments must also display or maintain applicable state, municipal, and local business licenses and comply with local ordinances.
Establishments and other regulated activities
Beginning July 1, 2025, nonexempt massage establishments require a biennial state license; initial and renewal fees are each $100, and non-therapist establishment owners complete two hours of law and rule CE every two years.
Practitioner notes
Use the Board portal for practitioner renewal and verification and the establishment application for nonexempt businesses.

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.