Massage License Requirements in Colorado
Verified against Office of Massage Therapy Licensure, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) · 2026-07-24
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Colorado requires massage therapists to hold a state license issued by the Office of Massage Therapy Licensure within the Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) — a full practice-act license, not the lighter-touch registration scheme Colorado used before the 2008 law that created this Board. Applicants must complete at least 650 hours of coursework and clinical training at an approved school and pass the MBLEx or an NCBTMB national certification exam. Unusually, Colorado does not require continuing education to renew an active, on-time license — CE is required only when reinstating a license that has lapsed.
Colorado Massage License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | Office of Massage Therapy Licensure, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) (DPO) |
| Title | Massage Therapist |
| Training Hours | 650 hours — Schools certified by Colorado's Division of Private Occupational Schools, Colorado Community College System programs, programs accredited by a U.S. Dept. of Education-recognized accrediting agency, approved out-of-state programs, or foreign programs with credential evaluation. Schools holding a valid NCBTMB school code in good standing are deemed to satisfy the requirement automatically. |
| Exam | MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)) Alternatives accepted: NCBTMB National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM); NCBTMB National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCETMB); Director-approved alternative examinations |
| Renewal Period | 2 years (all licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years) |
Fee Breakdown
| No fee amounts published by the source above. |
Recommended MBLEx exam prep
Formal prep pays for itself against a $265 retake. These are the resources we point candidates to for the MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination).
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Mometrix · SponsoredMBLEx Secrets Study GuideFull-length practice tests and step-by-step review for the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination.See the study guide →
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Mometrix · SponsoredMBLEx Online Prep CourseA guided video course with instructor-led lessons, quizzes, and a study plan for the MBLEx — a subscription option for a more structured review.See the course →Continuing Education
Not required.
Colorado's current rule (3 CCR 722-1) contains no mandatory continuing education requirement to renew an active, on-time license. CE becomes relevant only for reinstatement: 24 hours of CE are required to reinstate a license lapsed 2–5 years, while licenses lapsed more than 5 years require re-examination or another equivalency demonstration.
Licensure by Endorsement
Rule 1.4 allows licensure by endorsement for applicants holding an unrestricted license or registration in good standing in another state or U.S. territory, on a showing of substantially equivalent training — either the current 650-hour education standard, or a documented-practice-hour substitution of 50 hours of credit for each year of 400+ hours of practice.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-24 | Source: 3 CCR 722-1 — Rules Regulating Massage Therapists (Office of Massage Therapy Licensure)