How to get a Massage and Bodywork Therapy Establishment License in North Carolina

North Carolina massage therapist licenses

North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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

bmbt.org²⁵

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years³¹

Renewal fee

$100⁴

Renew online

bmbt.org⁵

Who needs a Massage and Bodywork Therapy Establishment License

Any site where massage and bodywork therapy is practiced, licensed per location; in practice needed when a space has more than one massage room or more than one LMBT.¹

Work that does not need this license:

• Exempt: on-site massage at the customer's location; customer-operated chairs; DHHS-licensed facilities (hospitals, nursing homes); sole practitioners; approved school/college student clinics; chiropractic offices using only NC LMBTs.¹
• Salons/spas licensed by the Cosmetic Art board still need an establishment license if they have more than one massage room or LMBT; independent-contractor arrangements are not exempt.³

Other rules on who may do this work:

• Sole practitioner = one LMBT offering services from a space only that LMBT controls and uses.¹

Requirements for a Massage and Bodywork Therapy Establishment License

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

Background check

Background check required¹
Fingerprints required¹
Owners/operators with criminal history face longer review; new owners must submit fingerprints within 30 days of an ownership change.²

Insurance

Property damage and bodily injury liability insurance in the owner's name (and business name, if used); no minimum amount set in the Act.¹

Business requirements

Must employ or contract with at least one NC-licensed LMBT; all treatments by NC LMBTs; list LMBT staff and report changes within 30 days.¹

Business requirements

Self-evaluation inspection report, ownership information, lease details, and copy of any city/county business license.¹

Business requirements

New license required for a change of location or majority ownership (90-day temporary approval possible).⁶

Also required

Facilities: restroom with toilet and sink, showers if wet facilities, sanitation, clean linens, and display of establishment and LMBT licenses; ads must show establishment name and license number.⁶

How much a Massage and Bodywork Therapy Establishment 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. Buy the establishment application online ($20) via the Online Application Request.² bmbt.org²
2. Complete the application with ownership and location details, LMBT list, insurance proof, self-evaluation inspection report, lease and local business license (if any), and owner fingerprints.⁶
3. Pay the $150 initial license fee and track the application; staff or the License Standards Committee review it.²

Temporary or provisional license

90-day temporary operating approval possible after a change of location or majority ownership of a licensed establishment.⁶

Processing time

Certificate arrives 10-15 business days after the license number appears online.²

Renewal and continuing education

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $75³ (renewal after December 31, within 120 days of expiry)

If it expires

An expired establishment may not operate; reinstatement within 120 days with renewal fee plus late penalty, otherwise a new application.⁶

Moving to North Carolina with a license from another state

These are the routes BMBT publishes for the Massage and Bodywork Therapy Establishment License. The other massage therapist licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (LMBT)

Systems of activity applied to the soft tissues of the human body for therapeutic, educational or relaxation purposes; excludes diagnosis, medical/chiropractic procedures, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, prescribing, and sexual activity.⁵

Requirements

Minimum age

18 years old¹

High school diploma or GED

Required¹

Education or training

At least 650 clock hours⁶
Training program of at least 650 in-class hours of supervised instruction at a Board-approved school (or a college-based program exempt from Board approval); other schools reviewed case by case.¹
Who may teach it: Board-approved proprietary schools, or community-college/university massage programs exempt from Board approval; curriculum must meet Rule.0620(2) core curriculum.⁶
Alternative: Graduates of non-approved schools may qualify through case-by-case review (documents listed under Licensure by Endorsement).⁷

Exam

Competency assessment examination approved by the Board: MBLEx (FSMTB); NCETMB/NCETM (NCBTMB) or ABTE (NCCAOM) also listed¹
Given by: Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (MBLEx)⁸

Exam

Jurisprudence Learning Exercise (endorsement applicants)⁹
Not required⁹
Given by: NC Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy (online)⁹
Passing score: 100% (all 30 multiple-choice questions correct)⁹
Retakes: May be retaken; no fee.⁹

Background check

Background check required¹
Fingerprints required¹
Convictions do not automatically bar licensure; the Board weighs seriousness, date, age, circumstances, job nexus and rehabilitation. Applicants with criminal history take longer to process.¹

Residency or citizenship

Non-citizens provide a green card or visa showing eligibility for U.S. employment (board endorsement page); the application asks whether the applicant is a U.S. citizen.⁸

Social Security number

The application asks for the Social Security Number.⁶

Insurance

Malpractice insurance is not required.⁷

Business requirements

Practice only at a Board-licensed establishment or an exempt location (e.g. sole practitioner, client's location).⁶

Business requirements

Trade names must be registered with the county Register of Deeds and copies sent to the Board; ads must show name, LMBT and NC license number.⁷

Also required

Proof of English proficiency.¹

Also required

Four signed character statements and a passport-type photo.⁶

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.

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

How to apply

1. Complete at least 650 hours at a Board-approved school (or exempt college program) and pass the MBLEx or another Board-approved exam.¹
2. Buy the online application ($20) through the Online Application Request; login details are emailed to you.⁵ bmbt.org⁵
3. Complete the application and upload or arrange documents: photo, diploma, age proof, official school transcript, exam score report, four character statements, fingerprint card and consent; pay the $150 initial license fee and $40 SBI fee.⁶
4. Track your application online; staff approve complete files or refer them to the License Standards Committee and Board.⁵ bmbt.org⁵
5. Once licensed, display the license at your primary place of practice and use "LMBT" with your NC license number in all ads.⁶

Processing time

About 1-2 weeks after the application is complete; certificate 10-15 business days after the license number appears online (longer with criminal history).⁷

Renewal

When it expires

Licenses expire December 31; renewals run two years from January 1. The first license period is up to two years plus up to three months depending on the issue date (cutoff September 30). Online renewal opens October 1 of the expiry year.⁷

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period¹

Required topics

At least 3 hours of professional ethics.⁶
Distance learning at most 12 hours (6 for a 12-hour period); at least 12 hours must be in-classroom from the renewal period ending Dec 31, 2024 onward.⁶
Business management at most 8 hours.⁶
Animal massage not accepted; HIV/AIDS/hepatitis CE accepted but not as ethics.¹⁰

Approved courses

Courses must be from NCBTMB Approved Providers, or approved by NCBAHM, FSMTB or IASI, or from an accredited college (specified subjects). The Board does not pre-approve CE and audits at random.¹⁰

Exemptions

Armed forces members with a federal tax-filing extension get the same extension for CE and the renewal fee.⁶

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $75¹¹ (renewals postmarked after December 31)

If it expires

An expired license may be reinstated within 24 months once all CE is complete; after 24 months a new application is required.⁶
Late renewers must state whether they practiced in NC after expiry; practicing on an expired license brings discipline and civil penalties.¹¹

From another state

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

City and county rules

Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (LMBT)Counties and cities may regulate licensed massage therapists only consistently with the state Act; the Act also stopped local license taxes on massage when it joined the Art of Healing privilege-tax list (that state privilege tax ended July 1, 2024).¹

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license

bmbt.org⁵

File a complaint

bmbt.org⁷

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 90-622(3a), 90-632.10 to 90-632.19
• 21 NCAC 30 .1001-.1014 (establishments)
• N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 90, art. 36, §§ 90-620 to 90-636
• 21 NCAC 30 (North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy rules)
• 21 NCAC 30 .0204 and .1014; G.S. 90-628, 90-632.14

Rule changes since January 2024

• February 1, 2025: Board rules 21 NCAC 30.0201/.0620/.0627 amended to require 650 instead of 500 classroom hours, following a statute change.⁶
• July 1, 2024: NC Department of Revenue Art of Healing privilege license no longer required for LMBTs.⁷

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
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin