How to get a Massage Establishment License in West Virginia

West Virginia massage therapist licenses

West Virginia 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 West Virginia massage therapist license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

Requirements

Also required

Fees are paid by personal bank check, certified check or money order; cash is not accepted.³

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years¹⁸

Who needs a Massage Establishment License

A place of business (including mobile sites) where licensed massage therapists work as employees, partners or contractors.⁷

Other rules on who may do this work:

• Government-owned premises, or businesses offering massage under another state-issued professional license.¹
• A sole practitioner who uses no business name, or who shows their full legal name or license number wherever the business name appears.⁷
• Adult-oriented businesses cannot be licensed as massage establishments.¹

Requirements for a Massage Establishment License

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

Exam

Not required¹

Background check

Background check required²
Applicants disclose convictions in the past 5 years and supply court dispositions and completion-of-sentence documents.²

Business requirements

Submit a copy of the business's registration with the WV Secretary of State.²

Business requirements

Name a designated establishment manager (need not be a licensed therapist).²

Also required

Use only massage therapists licensed in West Virginia who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents with a valid work permit, and keep license copies, work-eligibility proof and I-9 forms or contracts on file.¹

Also required

Post the establishment license, each therapist's license and any local business licenses; keep client records and a current staff list with license numbers on site.¹

Also required

No nude or partially nude service, no sexual contact, no one living on the premises.¹

How much a Massage Establishment License costs

How to apply

1. Register the business with the West Virginia Secretary of State.²
2. Complete the board's Application for Massage Establishment License (owner, manager, history and criminal questions).² Form (PDF, wvmassage.org)⁹
3. Mail it to the board with the $100 fee by check or money order.³

Application form

Form (PDF, wvmassage.org)⁹

Renewal and continuing education

When it expires

Renew every two years on the board's renewal form, by the end of the month before the license expires.³

Renewal fee

$100³

Continuing education

2 hours each renewal period¹

Required topics

Laws and rules of massage therapy (2 hours)⁷

Exemptions

Owners who are licensed massage therapists¹

Moving to West Virginia with a license from another state

These are the routes the West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board publishes for the Massage Establishment License. The other massage therapist licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)

Massage therapy is a health care service: scientific and skillful manipulation of soft tissue for therapeutic or remedial purposes, including massage, myotherapy, bodywork, hydrotherapy, hot and cold applications and similar therapies. It does not include diagnosis, services needing a medical, osteopathic, chiropractic or podiatry license, or energy work (reiki, qigong, sound healing). Telehealth massage licenses are not issued; pelvic floor therapy and touching of the genitalia are outside the scope.⁴

Requirements

High school diploma or GED

Required¹⁰

Education or training

At least 625 clock hours⁵
Program of massage education at a school approved by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education (or a state agency in another state, D.C. or a U.S. territory), requiring a high school diploma or equivalent and at least 625 hours of supervised academic instruction.¹⁰
Who may teach it: An official transcript must come directly from the school; the board's Form 1 is accepted only from West Virginia schools, and both need the school's official seal.⁵
Alternative: Applicants who finished their massage program two or more years before applying must also show all continuing education they would have completed had they been licensed during that time.⁸

Exam

Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx); NCBTMB examination accepted if passed before February 1, 2015⁵
Given by: Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)⁵

Background check

Background check required¹¹
A conviction can disqualify only if it has a rational nexus to massage therapy (nature, time passed, relationship to duties, rehabilitation). After a denial for a conviction, the applicant may re-apply after 5 years with no new convictions; violent or sexual offenses can mean a longer wait.¹¹
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply¹¹

Also required

Sign the agreement to uphold the NCBTMB Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.⁸

Also required

Display the current license at the primary work site (a board-issued duplicate at any second workplace).⁸

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 a state-approved massage program of at least 625 hours.⁵
2. Pass the MBLEx (FSMTB). An NCBTMB exam passed before February 1, 2015 is also accepted.⁵
3. Get the board's application packet and have your school send an official sealed transcript (or the board's Form 1 if it is a West Virginia school) directly to the board.⁵
4. Mail the completed application with all documents and the $50 application fee plus the $300 two-year license fee, paid by check or money order.³

Processing time

Generally 10 to 14 business days from mailing a complete application packet.¹²

Renewal

When it expires

Each license expires two years from the end of the month it was issued; renew before it expires.⁸

Renewal fee

$200³ (Biennial renewal)

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period¹³

Required topics

At least 3 hours in professional ethics¹³

Approved courses

CE must follow NCBTMB, FSMTB or board-approved guidelines and come from approved providers (NCBTMB, FSMTB, AMTA, ABMP or other board-approved). Up to 6 hours over the 24 may carry over to the next period. Keep records (title, date, place, hours, instructor, sponsor); the board may audit.¹³

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $50³ (renewal application and fees submitted after the license expiration date (late renewal allowed up to 60 days))
Reinstatement fee: $300³ (re-applying after the license lapsed more than 60 days after expiration)

If it expires

Late renewal (with the $50 late fee) is allowed for 60 days after expiration; after that you must re-apply on the initial application form with exam proof and 24 current CE hours.¹⁴
A license is removed from the register if not renewed within 30 days of the board's notice; reinstatement requires appearing before the board to show cause and paying the fees.⁸
Practising on a lapsed license violates the article.¹⁰

Renew online

wvlicense.com⁹

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: The initial license fee is waived for military service members, honorably discharged veterans and their spouses (and low-income applicants) who file the board's waiver form with proof.¹⁶

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 West Virginia, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in West Virginia is on the West Virginia license lookup page.

File a complaint

wvmassage.org⁹

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• W. Va. Code ch. 30, art. 37 (Massage Therapists), §§ 30-37-1 to 30-37-14
• W. Va. Code R. 194-7 (194 CSR 7, Establishment Licensure; eff. May 1, 2024)
• W. Va. Code R. 194-4
• W. Va. Code R. 194-1 (194 CSR 1, General Provisions; eff. May 15, 2025)
• W. Va. Code R. 194-5
• W. Va. Code R. 194-6 (194 CSR 6, Prior Criminal Convictions; eff. April 30, 2020)
• W. Va. Code § 30-1-27 (Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act of 2025)

Common questions

Massage therapist licenses in other states

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