Updated March 2026
Florida Massage Therapy License Requirements
Everything you need to know about getting and maintaining your Florida massage therapy license — education, exams, fees, renewal, and more.
500 education hours
MBLEx required
24 CE hours every 2 years
Florida Massage License at a Glance
The key facts you need before diving into the details
License required?
Yes – state license required to practice
Issued by the Florida Board of Massage Therapy (Dept. of Health)
Credential title
Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)
MA-prefixed license number
Minimum education hours
500 clock hours
From a Florida board-approved or equivalent out-of-state program
Accepted exam(s)
MBLEx
MBLEx is the standard exam; NCBTMB legacy exams also accepted for previously certified therapists
Renewal & continuing education
24 CE hours every 2 years
Biennial renewal by August 31 of every odd-numbered year; 12 hours must be live/interactive
Initial license cost (approx.)
~$420 total
$155 board fees ($50 application + $100 license + $5 unlicensed activity) + $265 MBLEx. Livescan fingerprinting fee varies by provider.
State board website
Florida Board of Massage Therapy
See the board contact section below for the website, phone number, and direct links to application forms.
Best next step
Start with the licensing steps below
Or jump to any section using the quick links to find exactly what you need.
How to Become a Licensed Massage Therapist in Florida
Getting your Florida massage license is a straightforward process, but there are a few Florida-specific steps that catch people off guard — especially the mandatory pre-licensure courses. Here’s how to go from massage school graduate to licensed massage therapist in Florida, step by step.
Complete a board-approved massage program
Graduate from a Florida board-approved school with at least 500 clock hours of education. If you attended school in another state, your program must be approved by that state’s equivalent licensing authority.
Take three mandatory Florida pre-licensure courses
Before you apply, you need to complete a 10-hour Florida Laws and Rules course, a 3-hour HIV/AIDS course, and a 2-hour Prevention of Medical Errors course. All three must come from a board-approved provider, and you can take them online. This step is unique to Florida — don’t skip it, or your application won’t be processed.
Register for and pass the MBLEx
Create an account at FSMTB, pay the $265 exam fee, and have your school verify your education. Once approved, schedule your exam at a Pearson VUE testing center. Make sure you select Florida as your intended licensing state — your scores will be sent to the Florida Board electronically within five business days. For a deeper look at what’s on the exam, check out our About the MBLEx page.
Complete electronic fingerprinting
Submit your fingerprints through an FDLE-approved Livescan service provider. You’ll need to use the correct ORI number for the Florida Board of Massage Therapy to make sure your results are routed properly. Livescan fees vary by provider.
Submit your licensure application
File Form DH-MQA 1115 online through the MQA Services Portal at flhealthsource.gov or by mail. You’ll pay $155 total ($50 application fee + $100 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee). Include your pre-licensure course certificates, and have your school send official transcripts directly to the board.
Receive your license
Once the board approves your application, you’ll be issued an MA-prefixed license valid until the next biennial renewal date (August 31 of the next odd-numbered year).
Florida Massage Therapy Education Requirements
Florida requires a minimum of 500 classroom hours from a board-approved massage therapy program. Your school must be licensed by the Florida Department of Education (or an equivalent state agency if you attended school out of state) and approved by the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. COMTA accreditation is accepted but not required.
One detail worth noting: Florida caps training at 6 classroom hours per day and 30 hours per calendar week, so programs can’t compress the curriculum into an unrealistically short timeframe.
|
Subject Area |
Hours required |
|---|---|
|
Anatomy & Physiology |
150 |
|
Basic Massage Theory & History |
100 |
|
Clinical Practicum |
125 |
|
Allied Modalities |
76 |
|
Business |
15 |
|
Theory & Practice of Hydrotherapy |
15 |
|
Florida Laws & Rules |
10 |
|
Professional Ethics |
4 |
|
HIV/AIDS Education |
3 |
|
Prevention of Medical Errors |
2 |
|
Total |
500 |
Source: Rule 64B7-32.003, F.A.C.
A Note on Out-of-State Graduates
If you completed your massage education outside Florida, your school must have been approved by its home state’s licensing authority. You’ll need to have your official transcripts sent directly to the Florida Board, along with documentation proving your school’s state approval. If your program covered fewer than 500 hours, you won’t qualify for licensure by endorsement — you’d need to apply by examination instead and may need to complete additional coursework.
Florida previously offered an apprenticeship pathway for colonic irrigation, but that program expired in July 2023 and is no longer available.
Florida Massage Therapy Exam Requirements
The MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination) is the standard licensing exam for Florida. The board also accepts legacy NCBTMB exams — the NCETMB, NCETM, and NESL — but those are grandfathered options for therapists who passed them in prior years. If you’re a new graduate, you’ll be taking the MBLEx.
How to Register
Create an account through the FSMTB Exam Service Center, submit your application with the $265 exam fee, and have your massage school verify your education directly with FSMTB. Once your application is approved, you’ll schedule your test at a Pearson VUE testing center.
Be sure to select Florida as your intended licensing state when you apply. FSMTB will electronically transmit your scores to the Florida Board within five business days of your exam. If you later need to send your scores to a different state, you can submit an MBLEx Result Transfer Form through your FSMTB account.
Passing Score and Retakes
The MBLEx is scored as pass or fail — you’ll see your result on screen immediately after completing the exam, and FSMTB will send your official results to the Florida Board within five business days. If you don’t pass on your first attempt, you can retake the MBLEx after a 30-day waiting period. Each retake costs another $265 and requires a new application through FSMTB. To understand the most common reasons candidates fail the MBLEx and how to avoid them, check out our guide before exam day.
No Separate Jurisprudence Exam
Florida does not require a standalone jurisprudence exam from the state board. However, you are required to complete the 10-hour Florida Laws and Rules course as a pre-licensure requirement — so you’ll still need to demonstrate knowledge of Florida-specific regulations before getting licensed.
Getting Ready for the MBLEx?
Gauge your readiness before exam day with free practice questions that match the format and difficulty of the actual MBLEx.
Additional Florida Massage License Requirements
Beyond education and passing the MBLEx, Florida has a few more boxes to check before your application is complete:
- Minimum age: You must be at least 18 years old or hold a high school diploma or GED. You don’t need both — either one qualifies you.
- Background check and fingerprinting: All applicants must submit to a background screening under Florida law (s. 456.0135, F.S.). Fingerprints are submitted electronically through an FDLE-approved Livescan provider using the Board’s designated ORI number. Livescan fees vary by provider.
- Liability insurance: Not required for individual LMTs. However, licensed massage establishments must carry property damage and bodily injury liability insurance.
- Social Security Number: Required on the application.
Criminal history & background checks
If you have a criminal record, whether or not you can get a Florida massage license depends on the nature and severity of your offenses.
Automatic disqualifiers. Florida statute (s. 480.041(6), F.S.) requires the board to deny applications from anyone convicted of — or who entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to — certain serious felonies. These include human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual battery, and prostitution-related offenses, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld.
Drug and fraud felonies. Convictions under drug or fraud statutes are evaluated based on time elapsed since sentencing. The waiting periods are:
- 15 years for first- and second-degree felonies
- 10 years for most third-degree felonies
- 5 years for certain drug possession offenses
Other convictions. For criminal history that doesn’t fall under the automatic bars, the board reviews applications on a case-by-case basis. You’ll need to submit a written self-explanation, court disposition documents, proof of sentence completion, and three professional letters of recommendation.
No formal pre-application review. Florida doesn’t offer a published pre-application determination process for massage therapy. If you have questions about whether your record would affect your eligibility, the board suggests contacting them through their FAQ page.
The key takeaway: a criminal record doesn’t automatically disqualify you in most cases, but certain serious offenses are non-negotiable. If you’re unsure where you stand, reach out to the board before investing time and money in the application process.
Florida Massage License Application Process & Fees
Florida handles massage therapy applications through the MQA Services Portal at flhealthsource.gov. You can also submit a paper application by mail if you prefer. Here’s what the process looks like:
Application steps
Florida massage license cost — fee schedule
Massage Therapist Fees (Rule 64B7-27.100, F.A.C.)
|
Fee Type |
Amount |
|---|---|
|
Application fee (non-refundable) |
$50 |
|
Initial licensure fee |
$100 |
|
Unlicensed activity fee |
$5 |
|
MBLEx exam fee (paid to FSMTB) |
$265 |
|
Biennial renewal fee |
$100 |
|
Delinquent (late renewal) fee |
$100 |
|
Reactivation fee |
$100 |
|
Change of status fee |
$50 |
|
Retired status fee |
$50 |
|
Duplicate license fee |
$25 |
Massage Establishment Fees
|
Fee Type |
Amount |
|---|---|
|
Establishment application fee |
$150 |
|
Establishment initial licensure fee |
$100 |
|
Establishment inspection fee |
$100 |
|
Establishment unlicensed activity fee |
$5 |
|
Establishment renewal fee |
$100 |
|
Change of business application fee |
$25 |
|
Transfer of location application fee |
$125 |
|
Establishment delinquent license fee |
$75 |
Total Florida massage license cost for new applicants comes to roughly $420 when you add the $155 board fees, $265 MBLEx fee, and Livescan fingerprinting (which varies by provider). Establishment owners should budget an additional $355 for the initial establishment license plus inspection.
Florida also charges a $43.25 fingerprint retention fee paid to FDLE to keep your prints on file for ongoing background screening. This is separate from the initial Livescan submission.
Payment & processing
All fees are non-refundable. Paper applications require a cashier’s check or money order payable to “Department of Health.” Online applications accept credit card through the MQA Services Portal. Applications are valid for one year from receipt.
How to Renew Your Florida Massage License
Florida massage licenses are renewed on a biennial cycle, and every LMT in the state shares the same deadline: August 31 of every odd-numbered year (2025, 2027, 2029, etc.). The renewal fee is $100 regardless of whether your license is active or inactive.
You’ll complete your renewal online through the MQA Services Portal. Before you can renew, you need to finish your massage continuing education requirements — the system checks your CE records through CEBroker automatically, and if anything’s missing, it won’t let you complete the renewal until you’re caught up.
Continuing education requirements
Most Florida LMTs need 24 CE hours per biennium. Those hours break down into specific required categories:
|
CE Category |
Hours |
|---|---|
|
Prevention of Medical Errors |
2 |
|
Florida Laws & Rules |
2 |
|
Professional Ethics |
2 |
|
Human Trafficking |
1 |
|
Live/interactive technique-based courses |
12 |
|
General courses (live or online) |
5 |
|
Total |
24 |
The 12 hours of live/interactive technique-based courses must be completed in person or through an approved live-interactive format — you can’t knock those out with self-paced online courses. The remaining hours can be taken online.
First-time renewers get a break: your CE hours are prorated at 1 hour per month you’ve been licensed since the last renewal deadline. All prorated hours can be taken online with no live requirement.
Florida approves CE from several providers automatically, including NCBTMB, FSMTA, AMTA (national and Florida chapter), ABMP, and board-approved massage schools. Other providers must apply for board approval through CEBroker. And one important detail — CE hours do not carry over from one biennium to the next.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
|
Status |
What Happens |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Missed Aug 31 deadline |
Delinquent status — can still renew with late fee |
$200 ($100 renewal + $100 late) |
|
Null and void |
Cannot be reactivated under any circumstances — must reapply as a new applicant |
Full initial fees |
|
Inactive/retired reactivation |
Complete CE for missed biennium(s) + reactivation fee; board review required if inactive >4 years |
$100 |
Don’t let your license reach null and void status. Unlike most states, Florida’s null and void designation is permanent — there’s no reactivation path. You’d need to reapply as a brand-new applicant, which means going through the full application process again and potentially retaking the licensing exam. This is one of the strictest lapse policies in the country.
Practicing massage in Florida on a lapsed license is illegal and can result in disciplinary action and penalties. If your license has lapsed and you’re unsure about your options, contact the board directly.
Want a structured study plan?
Our full MBLEx Prep Course walks you through every content area with lessons, quizzes, and practice exams — so you know exactly what to study and when.
Transferring Your Massage License to Florida — Reciprocity & Endorsement
Florida doesn’t offer true reciprocity, but it does provide licensure by endorsement for out-of-state massage therapists under s. 456.0145, F.S. Endorsement is essentially Florida’s way of evaluating whether your existing credentials are substantially equivalent to its own requirements. If they are, you can get licensed without retaking the MBLEx.
To qualify, you’ll need a current massage therapy license in another state, at least 500 hours of massage education from a state-approved school, and a passing score on one of the board-accepted national exams (MBLEx, NCBTMB, NCETM, or NESL). You’ll also need to complete the 10-hour Florida Laws and Rules course — this is required for endorsement applicants just like it is for new graduates.
Endorsement document checklist
If your education falls short
Florida’s endorsement pathway requires proof that you completed a 500-hour program. If your original state had lower education requirements and your program didn’t reach 500 hours, you won’t qualify for endorsement. In that case, you’d be directed to apply by examination instead, and you may need to complete additional coursework to bridge the gap.
Military spouses and veterans
Florida has some of the strongest military-friendly licensing provisions in the country. Under SB 562 (effective July 1, 2022), qualifying military spouses receive expedited licensure within 7 days through the VALOR Pathways program. Application fees, licensure fees, and the unlicensed activity fee are waived for eligible military spouses. Active duty military personnel and veterans may also qualify for expedited processing under s. 456.024, F.S.
Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact) — Florida
As of March 2026, Florida has not introduced any legislation to join the Interstate Massage Compact.
That’s notable given Florida’s size in the massage therapy profession — the state ranks second nationally in the number of employed massage therapists, with over 30,000 active licensees. If Florida were to adopt the compact, it would significantly expand therapist mobility both into and out of the state.
For now, if you’re licensed in a state that has enacted IMpact and you want to practice in Florida, you’ll still need to go through the full endorsement process outlined above.
For the latest on which states have joined and how the compact works, visit massagecompact.org.
Florida Massage Therapy Rules & Regulations
Florida’s Massage Practice Act (Chapter 480, F.S.) and the associated administrative rules (Chapter 64B7, F.A.C.) lay out the regulatory framework for the profession. Here’s a plain-language summary of the key rules you need to know.
- Scope of practice: Florida defines massage therapy broadly as the manipulation of soft tissues by hand, foot, knee, arm, or elbow — whether aided by hydrotherapy (including colonic irrigation), thermal therapy, electrical or mechanical devices, or chemical and herbal preparations. You cannot practice beyond your licensed scope, and any sexual activity during a massage session is a violation of the Practice Act. You’re also generally required to perform massage inside a licensed establishment, with exceptions for off-site settings like a client’s home, office, sports events, conventions, and trade shows.
- Massage establishment license: Florida requires a separate massage establishment license (MM prefix) for every location where massage therapy is practiced. The total initial cost is $355 ($150 application + $100 license + $100 inspection + $5 unlicensed activity fee), and a Department of Health inspection must be passed before the license is issued. Every establishment must have a Designated Establishment Manager (DEM) — an actively licensed massage therapist who is responsible for day-to-day compliance. If the DEM leaves, the owner has just 10 days to notify the department and name a replacement, or the establishment license can be summarily suspended. Establishments must also carry current property damage and bodily injury liability insurance and cannot operate between midnight and 5:00 a.m. (with narrow exceptions for locations inside health care facilities, hotels, and airports).
- Advertising rules: Every advertisement — in any medium — must include the license number of each LMT and each establishment named in the ad, plus the establishment’s physical address and phone number on file with the Department of Health. Advertising sexual or escort services is prohibited, as is placing ads on websites associated with prostitution.
- Draping requirements: Establishments must maintain a sufficient supply of clean drapes for every client. All drapes, towels, and linens must be laundered before reuse. Removing a drape without the client’s specific written informed consent is classified as sexual activity under Florida rules — a serious violation.
- Record-keeping: Massage establishments must maintain records for each session that include the date, time, and type of service; the full legal name of the therapist who performed the service; and the client’s full legal name, home address, and phone number. Records must be kept for at least one year and must be legible in English or Spanish.
- Recent regulatory changes: Florida has added several regulations aimed at combating human trafficking in massage establishments. As of January 1, 2025, all establishments must have a formal human trafficking reporting procedure and post a notice accessible to employees directing them to the Florida Human Trafficking Hotline. Establishments must also meet window transparency rules (at least 35% light penetration in reception area windows), display a 2″ × 2″ photo of each employee with their name and license information, and confirm client identification before providing services.
For the full text of Florida massage therapy laws and administrative rules, see the board contact and links section at the bottom of this page.
Massage Therapist Salary & Job Outlook in Florida
How much do massage therapists make in Florida? Here’s the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
$49,880
Median annual wage in Florida
30,000+
Active licensees statewide
15%
Projected national job growth (2024–2034)
|
Metro Area |
Average Annual Wage |
|---|---|
|
Naples–Marco Island |
$55,370 |
|
North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota |
$51,080 |
|
Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach |
$50,740 |
|
Jacksonville |
$50,060 |
|
Gainesville |
$49,520 |
|
Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford |
$49,040 |
The Naples–Marco Island market leads the state, likely driven by its affluent resort and retirement demographics. South Florida’s Miami metro area and the Sarasota–Bradenton corridor also pay above the statewide median.
Keep in mind that BLS data captures employed massage therapists and doesn’t fully reflect self-employment income. Many Florida massage therapists run private practices or work as independent contractors, so actual earnings for those practitioners may differ from these numbers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% job growth for massage therapists nationally between 2024 and 2034 — classified as “much faster than average.” Florida’s strong tourism industry, large retiree population, and health-conscious culture make it one of the more active job markets for massage therapists in the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024 data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Florida Board of Massage Therapy — Contact Info & Important Links
Board contact information
Board: Florida Board of Massage Therapy (Division of Medical Quality Assurance, Florida Department of Health)
Mailing address: 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-06, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3256
Phone: (850) 245-4161
Fax: (850) 412-2681
Email: MQA.MassageTherapy@flhealth.gov
Website: floridasmassagetherapy.gov
This page is for informational purposes only and was last verified March 2026. Requirements and fees are subject to change. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Florida Board of Massage Therapy.