How to get a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) license in Maryland

Maryland massage therapist licenses

Maryland issues 2 massage therapist credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for every Maryland massage therapist license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

Fees

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

Apply online

mdbnc.health.maryland.gov⁹

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years⁶

When it expires

Biennial; current cycle ended October 31, 2026 (late renewal through November 30, 2026; reinstatement rules from December 1, 2026).⁹

Renewal fee

$250⁵

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period⁶

Approved courses

Courses from pre-approved providers (AMTA, ABMP, FSMTB, NCBTMB, AOBTA, accredited schools, etc.) need no Board review if they pertain to human anatomy; live, home-study or online formats allowed; keep certificates 4 years for audit.¹⁰

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $200⁵ (within 30 days after expiration, plus renewal fee)
Reinstatement fee: $475⁵ (more than 31 days after expiration (all-inclusive))
Reinstatement fee: $350⁵ (return from inactive status (all-inclusive))
Inactive renewal fee: $50⁵ (biennial inactive status)

Renew online

mdbnc.health.maryland.gov⁹

Who needs a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) license

Professional use, for compensation, of manual techniques on soft tissues (stroking, kneading, tapping, stretching, compression, vibration, friction), with hot packs/heating pads, cold water or nonlegend topicals, to improve circulation, relax muscles, relieve muscular pain, reduce stress or promote well-being; excludes diagnosis and joint/spinal manipulation.⁸

Work that does not need this license:

• Exempt: students in approved programs; out-of-state practitioners in Maryland with a visiting organization up to 7 consecutive days (30 days/year, with a request 10 days before); family members; athletic trainers; federal employees; licensed cosmetologists/estheticians in permitted salons limited to skin products.¹¹
• Practising or offering massage without a Board license or registration, or aiding unlicensed practice, is prohibited; protected titles include "massage therapist", "LMT", "massage practitioner" and "RMP".¹²

Other rules on who may do this work:

• The Board does not approve apprenticeship programs; apprenticeships would likely not lead to licensure.⁹

Requirements for a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) license

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Minimum age

18 years old¹

Education or training

At least 750 clock hours²
Graduate from a Maryland Higher Education Commission-approved postsecondary institution with at least 750 contact hours (50-minute hours) in a Board-approved, COMTA-endorsed (or equivalent), accredited massage curriculum; transcripts sent directly by the school.⁴
Who may teach it: CPR is required but does not count. Accreditation may be by a USDE-recognized agency or (since 7/1/2026) another entity that accredits massage programs.²
Alternative: Out-of-state graduates (since 7/1/2026): program approved by that state's higher-education regulator, COMTA-endorsed or equivalent, accredited, 750 hours; a shortfall may be made up hour-for-hour with Board-approved program or CE hours, or with at least 1,000 licensed out-of-state hands-on hours in the preceding 2 years.¹
Alternative: Board page "Option 2" for applicants with under 750 contact hours: 10 years of continuous licensure, 1,000 hands-on hours in the past 2 years, or education + CE (and licensed work experience) totalling 750 hours; reviewed case by case.¹³
Alternative: Foreign education: substantial equivalence shown through a Board-approved credential evaluation agency, at the applicant's expense, with certified English translation.¹³

Exam

State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners Jurisprudence Examination (online)³
Given by: Administered by the Board (online)¹⁴
Passing score: 75%¹⁴
Retakes: 30-day wait after a failure; after two failed attempts a new registration form and re-take fee are required.¹⁴

Exam

Exam waived: Out-of-state licensees: the Board may waive requirements if the applicant passed an equivalent exam when first licensed elsewhere.¹

Background check

Background check required⁴
Fingerprints required¹⁵
State and national (CJIS + FBI) check; the Board weighs age at offense, nature and circumstances, time elapsed, work history, references and other evidence of risk.³

Also required

Good moral character.¹

Also required

Current CPR certification at least at Basic Life Support (BLS) level, plus a 2x2 passport-type photo.³

Also required

Display the license where you practice, including temporary spaces; report name/address changes within 60 days ($100 penalty).¹⁶

Also required

The Board cannot issue or renew while a tax lien or child-support hold is unresolved.¹⁶

Also required

Checks and money orders are no longer accepted; pay by Visa or Mastercard through the portal.⁹

How much a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) license costs

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

1. Complete a Board-approved, accredited massage program of at least 750 contact hours (or qualify under an out-of-state/alternative route).²
2. Pass a Board-approved national massage examination and have the score sent directly to the Board.³
3. Apply online in the Massage Portal, pay the $150 application fee by card, and upload a passport photo and BLS-level CPR card.³ mdbnc.health.maryland.gov⁹
4. Get fingerprinted for the State (CJIS) and FBI criminal history records check.¹⁵
5. Have your school send official transcripts and any other state send verification of your license directly to the Board.³
6. When the Board emails registration instructions, pass the online Jurisprudence Exam (75%; $275), then pay the $200 license fee to be issued the license.¹⁴

Renewal and continuing education

Required topics

3 h professional ethics or jurisprudence; 3 h communicable disease (incl. HIV/AIDS); 2 h diversity, cultural competency or implicit bias; 16 h massage-related courses.⁶
One-time 1-hour implicit bias and structural racism course at the first renewal after April 1, 2026 (counts toward CE).¹⁶
Current CPR at renewal: Healthcare Provider level for LMTs.⁶

Exemptions

No CE at the first renewal if the license was issued within 12 months of the renewal date (for 2026: licensed on or after November 1, 2025).¹⁶
Hardship waiver or extension by written petition at least 90 days before the renewal date (2026 deadline July 31, 2026).¹⁷

If it expires

No grace period for practice: an expired licensee must stop practicing until renewed.⁹
Within 5 years of expiry: reinstatement with CE, criminal history check and the $475 all-inclusive fee; after 5 years a new license under current requirements is needed.¹
Inactive status ($50 per renewal); reactivation within 5 years needs CE from the past 2 years, CPR and (since 7/1/2026) a criminal history check.¹⁸

Moving to Maryland with a license from another state

These are the routes the Board of Massage Therapy Examiners publishes for the Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) license. The other massage therapist licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Registered Massage Practitioner (RMP)

Massage therapy in settings that are not health care settings (not in a health care provider's office or health care facility); RMPs and their employers may not advertise health-related therapeutic massage.⁸

Requirements

Background check

Background check required¹

Also required

Conversion to LMT: RMPs may convert with 10 years continuous good-standing registration, OR 1,000 hands-on hours (work + Board-approved CE) in the past 2 years, OR 750 hours of massage education (program + CE); $100 conversion fee. Ch. 191 removed the Oct 31, 2026 conversion deadline.³

Also required

Current Basic CPR at renewal for RMPs.¹⁶

Fees

How to apply

1. New RMP registrations are not available. Existing RMPs renew every two years in the Massage Portal, or apply in the portal to convert to an LMT ($100).³ mdbnc.health.maryland.gov⁹

Renewal

Required topics

3 h professional ethics or jurisprudence; 3 h communicable disease (incl. HIV/AIDS); 2 h diversity, cultural competency or implicit bias; 16 h massage-related courses.⁶
One-time 1-hour implicit bias and structural racism course at the first renewal after April 1, 2026 (counts toward CE).¹⁶
Current Basic CPR at renewal for RMPs.¹⁶

Exemptions

Hardship waiver or extension by written petition at least 90 days before the renewal date (2026 deadline July 31, 2026).¹⁷

If it expires

No grace period for practice: an expired licensee must stop practicing until renewed.⁹
An RMP who does not reinstate within 5 years of expiry (or reactivate within 5 years of going inactive) can return only by meeting the LMT licensing requirements.¹

From another state

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a massage therapist in Maryland, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Maryland is on the Maryland license lookup page.

Look up a license

mdbnc.health.maryland.gov⁹

File a complaint

health.maryland.gov⁹

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Md. Code, Health Occ. Title 6 (§§ 6-101 to 6-502), Massage Therapists
• 2026 Laws of Md. Ch. 191 (SB 419), effective July 1, 2026
• COMAR 10.65.01 General Regulations
• COMAR 10.65.05 Continuing Education Requirements
• COMAR 10.65.07.02 Fees for Massage Therapy Licensure and Registration

Rule changes since January 2024

• July 1, 2026: Ch. 191 (SB 419): RMPs may keep practicing after Oct 31, 2026; new out-of-state education route; reinstatement/reactivation now require a criminal history check.¹ Ch. 191 (SB 419) lets registered massage practitioners keep practicing beyond Oct 31, 2026 and keeps the RMP-to-LMT conversion open without a deadline.¹
• June 22, 2026: New COMAR 10.65.12 (Handheld Tools) took effect.⁹
• June 1, 2026: HB 771 (Ch. 205): health boards must allow CE credit for an approved human trafficking awareness course (regulations due by Jan 1, 2027).¹⁹

Common questions

Massage therapist licenses in other states

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin