Massage License Requirements in Pennsylvania
Verified against Pennsylvania State Board of Massage Therapy · 2026-07-24
Compiled and verified against primary state-board sources by GetMassageLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Pennsylvania requires a state-issued massage therapist license from the State Board of Massage Therapy, part of the Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, before anyone may practice or use a protected massage-therapist title. Applicants complete 600 hours of Board-approved postsecondary education — including 25 hours of professional ethics — and pass the MBLEx. Licenses renew every two years and require 24 hours of continuing education, including a dedicated child-abuse recognition and reporting component.
Pennsylvania Massage License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Massage Therapy |
| Title | Massage Therapist |
| Training Hours | 600 hours — Regionally accredited college/university, or a Pennsylvania private licensed school approved by the Board |
| Exam | MBLEx (Massage and Bodywork Licensure Examination) (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)) |
| Renewal Period | 2 years |
Fee Breakdown
| Initial License Fee | $100 |
| Renewal Fee (every 2 years) | $175 |
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 →
Mometrix · SponsoredMBLEx FlashcardsPortable flashcards covering the MBLEx's high-frequency topics — a cheaper add-on for drilling terms and definitions on the go.See the flashcards →
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
24 hours every 2 years.
24 hours of continuing education are required per biennial renewal, of which a minimum of 16 must be contact hours; 2 of the 24 hours must specifically cover child abuse recognition and reporting. Separately, first-time (initial) licensure requires 3 hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting before the license is issued. No ethics-specific CE-hour carve-out (distinct from the child-abuse-recognition requirement) was found for renewal; the 600-hour initial education curriculum does include a dedicated 25-hour professional-ethics component, but that is an initial-education requirement, not a continuing-education one.
Licensure by Endorsement
Under Act 41, the Board may endorse licensees from other states, territories, or jurisdictions with substantially equivalent licensing requirements who are active, in good standing, and free of discipline — allowing licensure without repeating all Pennsylvania-specific requirements.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-24 | Source: PA Department of State — Massage Therapist Licensure Snapshot