Massage License Requirements in Tennessee
Verified against Tennessee Massage Licensure Board · 2026-07-24
Compiled and verified against primary state-board sources by GetMassageLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Tennessee requires a state license from the Tennessee Massage Licensure Board (Department of Health, Division of Health Related Boards) before anyone may practice or advertise massage therapy. Applicants must complete 650 hours of approved training — including 20 hours of ethics instruction — and pass either the MBLEx or the NCBTMB certification exam. Licenses renew every 2 years and require 24 hours of continuing education.
Tennessee Massage License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | Tennessee Massage Licensure Board |
| Titles | MT, LMT |
| Training Hours | 650 hours — Post-secondary institution approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (or an equivalent out-of-state agency), or approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Massage Licensure Board |
| Exam | MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)) Alternatives accepted: NCBTMB (National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork) exam — explicitly named by the Board as an accepted alternative to the MBLEx |
| Renewal Period | 2 years |
Fee Breakdown
| Application Fee | $85 |
| Initial License Fee | $185 |
| Renewal Fee (every 2 years) | $185 |
Related & additional fees
Separate or situational costs — not part of the standard initial application.
| State regulatory fee (individual application) | $10 |
| Late renewal fee | $100 |
| Replacement 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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24 hours every 2 years.
Rule 0870-01-.12(1) requires 24 CE hours every 2 years: 2 hours must specifically cover Tennessee statutes/rules, and a separate 2-hour block must cover 'the management of practicing massage therapy, professional ethics, or substance abuse' — ethics is one of three interchangeable options for that block, not a standalone mandatory ethics requirement, so a licensee could satisfy the full 24 hours without any ethics-specific content. ethicsHours is recorded as 0 to reflect that there is no guaranteed/mandatory ethics-only carve-out, though ethics content is an available option.
Licensure by Endorsement
Rule 0870-01-.05(1)(m) provides two reciprocity paths: (i) submit transcripts meeting Tennessee's curriculum content plus proof of passing an approved exam (MBLEx or other Board-approved exam); or (ii) under T.C.A. §63-18-116, bypass the education-content requirement entirely by submitting proof of NCBTMB certification held continuously for the preceding 5 years plus documented practice in another state during that period. All reciprocity applicants, regardless of path, must additionally complete 5 classroom hours on Tennessee statutes/regulations and at least 10 classroom hours of ethics instruction (must not be self-directed), plus submit verification of licensure from each state where licensed.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-24 | Source: Rules of the Tennessee Massage Licensure Board, Ch. 0870-01 (rev. July 20, 2025)