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Massage License Requirements in Montana

Verified against Montana Board of Massage Therapy (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division) · 2026-07-24

Compiled and verified against primary state-board sources by GetMassageLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →

Montana requires a state-issued Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) credential to practice, administered by the Montana Board of Massage Therapy under MCA Title 37, Chapter 33. Licensure by examination requires 500 hours of approved massage education and a passing score on one of several accepted national exams (MBLEx, NCETMB, NESL, or NCETM), with licenses renewed every two years alongside 12 hours of continuing education. Montana has also enacted the Interstate Massage Compact, though it is not yet operative pending a seventh member state.

Montana Massage License Requirements

Licensing AuthorityMontana Board of Massage Therapy (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division)
TitleLMT
Training Hours500 hours — Program must meet or exceed curriculum guidelines established by a program or organization accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or its equivalent/successor (MCA 37-33-502(2)(a))
ExamMBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB))
Alternatives accepted: NCETMB; NESL; NCETM; or a state examination the Board deems equivalent (MCA 37-33-502(2)(a), ARM 24.155.604)
Renewal Period2 years

Fee Breakdown

Application Fee$140
Renewal Fee (every 2 years)$90

Related & additional fees

Separate or situational costs — not part of the standard initial application.

Litigation fund fee (added to application/license fee)$5
Late renewal fee$180
Inactive renewal fee$45

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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Continuing Education

12 hours every 2 years.

MCA 37-33-405(3) requires 12 hours of continuing education every 2 years (6 hours if licensed 1–2 years by first reporting date; none if licensed less than 1 year). Per the Board's CE page, ethics is listed as an eligible topic category within the general 12-hour requirement, but no distinct minimum number of ethics hours is mandated in any primary source reviewed.

Licensure by Endorsement

License by credential (MCA 37-33-502(2)(b), ARM 24.155.608) is available to applicants holding an active, good-standing license/certificate/registration from another state with equivalent requirements: proof of at least 500 training hours and a passing score on MBLEx/NCETMB/NESL/NCETM or an equivalent state exam, for the same combined $140 application/license fee. Montana has also enacted the Interstate Massage Compact (MCA 37-33-601, via 2025 SB 233), but per the compact's own text it does not take effect until enacted by a 7th member state — as of this research it is codified but not yet operative, and is not a currently-usable reciprocity pathway.

Sources

Data last verified: 2026-07-24 | Source: Montana Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 33 (Massage Therapy Licensing Act) — Board copy