How to get a Massage Therapist license in North Dakota

Who needs a Massage Therapist license

Manual application of a system of structured touch to the soft tissues of the body (assessment, pressure, stretching, devices that mimic touch, topical and hot/cold applications); excludes diagnosis and services requiring a medical, chiropractic, OT, PT or podiatry license.⁴

Work that does not need this license:

• Students in a supervised practicum or school student clinic are exempt.⁴
• Energy-field work that does not manipulate soft tissue is exempt if not called massage.⁴
• Using the title "massage therapist", "L.M.T." or "M.T." without a board license is prohibited.⁴

Other rules on who may do this work:

• Other state-licensed professionals acting within their own practice (not holding out as massage therapists) are exempt.⁴

Requirements for a Massage Therapist license

Minimum age

18 years old⁴

High school diploma or GED

Required⁷

Education or training

At least 750 clock hours²
Approved massage therapy education program totalling 750 clock hours (board breakdown: 505 supervised + 245 unsupervised).³
Who may teach it: Classroom instruction must be given by a licensed massage therapist at a recognized and approved school (A&P/pathology instructors need a master's degree); practical hours are under direct supervision of an LMT with 3+ years' experience.⁸
Alternative: Foreign-trained applicants must have credentials reviewed by a board-approved credentialing agency at their own expense.⁴
Alternative: A school may credit prior postsecondary instruction up to the per-subject classroom hour caps.⁹

Education or training

At least 250 clock hours⁸
Supervised practical instruction (practical application and clinical practice).⁸

Education or training

At least 150 clock hours⁹
Anatomy, physiology and kinesiology (face-to-face classroom).⁹

Education or training

At least 130 clock hours⁹
Introductory massage therapy courses: basic and allied modalities, contraindications, sanitation, disease prevention and massage theory.⁹

Education or training

At least 10 clock hours⁹
First aid and CPR, with a current CPR card at graduation.⁹

Education or training

At least 40 clock hours⁹
Pathology (may be non-face-to-face).⁹

Education or training

At least 50 clock hours⁹
Business practices, career development and professional ethics (may be non-face-to-face).⁹

Education or training

At least 120 clock hours⁹
Other courses directly related to massage therapy (may be non-face-to-face).⁹

Exam

Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), or NCETM / NCETMB (NCBTMB)³
Passing score: Passing score report must be sent directly from the testing organization.⁵

Exam

North Dakota jurisprudence examination⁵
Passing score: 80 percent or higher⁵
When you can take it: Sent to the applicant after all other documents are received.³

Background check

Background check required⁴
Fingerprints required³
A conviction disqualifies only if the board finds it has a direct bearing on serving the public as a massage therapist or the person is not sufficiently rehabilitated.⁴

Social Security number

Social Security number required (N.D.C.C. 43-50-02); applicants without one must explain why, including immigration status.¹⁰

Also required

Recent passport-type photo and proof of identity (including aliases) are required.⁵

Also required

Applicants who fail to obtain a license within one year may reapply within six months of rejection for a fee of $50 or less; two applications exhaust the privilege.⁴

Also required

Licensees must display the original license or renewal card at the place of practice.⁴

How much a Massage Therapist 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.

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

How to apply

1. Complete a 750-hour approved massage therapy program and pass the MBLEx (or NCBTMB NCETM/NCETMB); have the score report sent directly to the board.³
2. Apply online through the NDBMT site, or mail the paper application with a $150 money order or cashier's check.³ ndbmt.org³
3. Have your school send an official transcript and school affidavit directly to the board; send a copy of your signed diploma, the notarised Affidavit of Compliance, a passport-type photo, ID and verifications of any other state licenses.³
4. After the paperwork is reviewed, complete the jurisprudence exam (80%+) and the criminal history check with two fingerprint cards sent to you by the board.³

Apply online

ndbmt.org³

Application form

ndbmt.org¹⁰

Processing time

Up to 3 months after all paperwork is received.³

Renewal and continuing education

How often

Every 2 years¹

When it expires

Expires February 28: odd-numbered licenses in odd years, even-numbered licenses in even years; online renewal opens December 1 of the prior year.¹¹

Renewal fee

$200⁵

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period⁶

Required topics

At least 12 of the 24 hours must be classroom, hands-on; no more than 50% by remote means⁴
6 hours per cycle after 15 years of active practice (at least 3 hands-on)⁶
3 hours per cycle after 25 years of active practice (at least 1.5 hands-on)⁶

Approved courses

Courses must be board-approved, taught by a qualified instructor and directly related to massage therapy; hours must be earned in the two years before renewal with no carry-over.⁵

Exemptions

No CE is required for the first renewal after initial ND licensure.⁶
The board may grant an individual waiver for health issues or other good cause.⁴

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $50⁵ (renewal after expiry (within two years); $250 total with the $200 renewal fee)

If it expires

A license expired less than two years may be renewed late (renewal fee + $50 late fee + CE proof); after more than two years you must reapply as a new applicant.¹²
Practising on an expired license is unauthorised practice and grounds for discipline.⁵

Renew online

ndbmt.org¹¹

Moving to North Dakota with a license from another state

These are the routes the North Dakota Board of Massage Therapy publishes for the Massage Therapist license.

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Active military members and military spouses do not pay the $150 application fee (proof of orders or spouse status required).¹⁰

City and county rules

North Dakota licenses massage therapists statewide; the board inspects but does not license massage establishments, and local business rules may apply.¹⁴

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license

ndbmt.org³

File a complaint

ndbmt.org¹⁵

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• N.D.C.C. ch. 43-25 (Massage Therapists)
• N.D.A.C. ch. 49-01-02
• N.D.A.C. 49-01-02-01
• N.D.A.C. art. 49-02 (Educational Requirements for Licensure), chs. 49-02-01 to 49-02-03
• N.D.A.C. ch. 49-03-01 (Requirements for Massage Establishments)

Rule changes since January 2024

• April 1, 2024: N.D.A.C. 49-01-02, 49-02-01/02/03 and 49-03-01 amended effective April 1, 2024 (jurisprudence exam, health assessments, live-remote classroom hours, establishment rules).⁵

Common questions

Massage therapist licenses in other states

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