Massage Therapy Continuing Education Requirements

CE Requirements, State by State

Only jurisdictions that currently require CE to renew are listed below. States with no CE requirement (including voluntary-certification jurisdictions with no CE mandate) are omitted from this table but still covered on their own state page.

What Counts as CE

States that require CE generally accept coursework from board-approved providers or board-approved course topics — the specifics (which providers, which topics, whether hands-on vs. self-study hours are capped) are set independently by each state’s licensing board and detailed on that state’s page. A course being accepted by a national credentialing body, or by another state, doesn’t guarantee your own state’s board will count it — confirm with your state’s licensing authority before you register for a course you’re relying on for renewal.

Well-known CE providers in the massage therapy space include Elite Learning and ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals), among others — we mention them here for context only; this page carries no sponsored or affiliate placement for CE providers.

Ethics-Hour Requirements

A number of states carve out a specific ethics-hour requirement inside their total CE hours — meaning a set number of your required hours must come from coursework covering professional ethics specifically, not just any general CE topic. Not every CE-requiring state mandates a dedicated ethics component; see the “Ethics hours” column above for which jurisdictions currently do.

How CE Differs From Initial Licensure Requirements

Initial licensure hours (the training-hour minimum covered on the how-to-become-a-massage-therapist pillar) are a one-time requirement completed before you sit for your exam and apply for a license. CE hours are an ongoing requirement you complete after you’re already licensed, on a recurring renewal cycle, to keep that license active. The two hour totals are set independently by each state’s board and aren’t interchangeable — finishing extra hours during initial training doesn’t bank toward a later CE cycle unless your state’s board specifically says so.