Massage License Requirements in Missouri
Verified against Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage (Division of Professional Registration, Department of Commerce and Insurance) · 2026-07-24
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Missouri requires state licensure to practice massage therapy, administered by the Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage under the Division of Professional Registration. Applicants must complete 625 clock hours of board-recognized training (apprenticeship or approved school) and pass one of several accepted national exams, including the MBLEx or NCBTMB's NCETMB/NCETM. Licenses (LMT) renew every two years with 12 hours of continuing education, and while the state preempts local licensing of individual therapists, cities retain authority over zoning, health-department rules, and occupational license taxes for massage businesses.
Missouri Massage License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | Missouri Board of Therapeutic Massage (Division of Professional Registration, Department of Commerce and Insurance) |
| Title | LMT |
| Training Hours | 625 hours — Apprenticeship with a board-certified mentor, OR a program from a Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education (CBHE)-certified school, a Missouri DESE-approved vocational program/school, or a U.S. school accredited by a regional accrediting commission recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education (or an equivalent out-of-state approving body) |
| Exam | MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)) Alternatives accepted: NCETBM (NCBTMB); NCETM (NCBTMB); ABT — Asian Bodywork Therapy Examination (NCCAOM); AMMA NBCE (American Medical Massage Association National Board Certification Exam); any other examination deemed appropriate by the Board |
| Renewal Period | 2 years |
Fee Breakdown
| Application Fee | $125 |
| Renewal Fee (every 2 years) | $100 |
Related & additional fees
Separate or situational costs — not part of the standard initial application.
| Late renewal fee (1–30 days) | $50 |
| License reinstatement fee (31 days–2 years) | $100 |
| Provisional license application fee | $75 |
| Provisional license renewal fee | $50 |
| Student license fee | $25 |
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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12 hours every 2 years.
20 CSR 2197-2.050(1) requires 12 clock hours of continuing education 'relevant to the practice of massage therapy' each 2-year license period. This recurring CE rule does not carve out a separate ethics-hour minimum — the 50-hour ethics/business/law requirement in Board rules applies only to the initial 625-hour training program (20 CSR 2197-2.010(1)(C)), not to biennial renewal CE.
Licensure by Endorsement
Missouri's dedicated reciprocity rule (20 CSR 2197-2.020) was rescinded effective Feb. 29, 2020. Endorsement now runs through 20 CSR 2197-2.010(2)-(3): an applicant licensed in another state/territory/DC submits a notarized application and fee, fingerprints for an MSHP/FBI background check, and direct verification of licensure (issue/expiration date, complaints, investigations, discipline) from the other jurisdiction. If the Board determines that jurisdiction's requirements are not substantially the same as Missouri's, the applicant must instead qualify under the standard 625-hour/exam pathway.
Local & City Requirements
RSMo §324.272 preempts local political subdivisions from licensing or regulating individual massage therapists or massage businesses, but explicitly does NOT preempt local zoning requirements, local health department regulations, or occupational license taxes applicable to massage therapists/businesses.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-24 | Source: 20 CSR 2197-2 — Massage Therapist Licensure Requirements