How to get a Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license in Wisconsin
Wisconsin licenses massage therapists statewide through the Massage & Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board.1 For the Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license you need a passing score on the Wisconsin State Law (Jurisprudence) Examination2 and a criminal background check1. The board lists $75 for the initial license3. You renew every 2 years3 and complete 24 hours of continuing education1.
Who issues it
Massage & Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board
Training and experience
An approved education program; see the requirements
Exam
Wisconsin State Law (Jurisprudence) Examination2
Fees the board lists
Initial license fee: $753
On this page
- Wisconsin massage therapist licenses
- Applies to every license level
- Requirements for a Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license
- How much a Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license costs
- How to apply
- Renewal and continuing education
- Moving to Wisconsin with a license from another state
- Temporary Permit - Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist
- Check a license or report a problem
- Common questions
- Massage therapist licenses in other states
Wisconsin massage therapist licenses
Wisconsin issues 2 massage therapist credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.
| License | What it covers | Exam | Application or license fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Permit (temporary license) - Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist | Practise under supervision, with written informed consent from every client.7 | Yes7 | – |
| Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist | – | Yes2 | $753 |
Applies to every license level
These rules are the same for every Wisconsin massage therapist license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.
Requirements
How to apply
- Apply online
- license.wi.gov1
Requirements for a Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license
The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.
- Education or training
- Graduate from an approved school of massage therapy or bodywork therapy, or complete an approved training program; you may apply before finishing, but the license is issued only after you complete it.2
Who may teach it: Schools approved by the DSPS Educational Approval Program (EAP) or a Wisconsin Technical College: the school sends Form 2962. Other schools send official transcripts directly to DSPS and may need extra review.2 - Exam
- Wisconsin State Law (Jurisprudence) Examination2
Given by: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (online, after application review)2
Passing score: 85%2
When you can take it: After DSPS reviews the submitted application.2
40 multiple-choice and true/false questions on MTBT chs. 1-5 and Wis. Stat. chs. 48, 146 and 460; untimed, may be resumed within three months.2
Retakes: Below 85%: file Form 2699 and pay the $75 retake fee; a new exam is assigned. Print the score report, or you must retake and pay again.2 - Exam
- Approved national examination: MBLEx (FSMTB), an approved NCBTMB certification exam, or the NCCAOM Asian Bodywork Therapy exam taken before December 31, 20122
Given by: Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (MBLEx); NCBTMB; NCCAOM2 - Background check
- Background check required1
Convictions and pending charges are disclosed and reviewed; files may go to DSPS Legal review, which adds processing time.1
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply1 - Insurance
- Malpractice liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 for all occurrences in one year (student policies not accepted).2
- Also required
- Current AED/CPR certification from an approved provider.2
- Also required
- Communicable diseases certification and malpractice suits/claims forms if applicable.2
How much a Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license costs
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial license fee | $753 | Massage & Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board | – |
| Exam retake fee | $752 | Massage & Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board | Score below 85% on the state law exam |
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
- Finish an approved massage therapy or bodywork therapy school or training program, and get current AED/CPR certification and $1M/$1M malpractice insurance.2
- Pass the MBLEx (or another approved national exam) and have the testing body send your results directly to DSPS.2
- In LicensE choose Apply for a License > Health > Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist > Initial Licensure, upload documents and pay the fee.2 license.wi.gov1
- Have your school send Form 2962 (or official transcripts if it is not EAP-approved or a Wisconsin Technical College).2
- After DSPS reviews the application, take the online Wisconsin State Law exam (85% to pass) and print the score report.2
- Temporary or provisional license
- Temporary permit while waiting for a national exam result; Bridge Temporary Credential (90 days) for practitioners licensed elsewhere with a Wisconsin employer.1
- Processing time
- DSPS reviews submitted materials in about 10 days; legal review and ACH payments (3-5 business days) add time.2
Renewal and continuing education
- How often
- Every 2 years3
- When it expires
- All licenses renew by February 28 of each odd-numbered year (next: February 28, 2027); renewal opens about 4 weeks before expiry in LicensE.1
- Renewal fee
- $753 (Biennial renewal, due 02/28 of odd years)
- Continuing education
- 24 hours each renewal period1
- Required topics
- At least 2 hours in ethics1
Courses on the practice of massage or bodywork therapy, or business practices related to the profession1 - Approved courses
- See Wis. Admin. Code ch. MTBT 7 for acceptable CE.1
- Exemptions
- No CE for the first renewal after the license is issued.1
- Late renewal
- Late renewal fee: $253 (renewed after the expiration date)
- If it expires
- Renewal also requires current malpractice insurance and CPR/AED (profession-specific renewal requirements).1
Expired more than 5 years (or revoked/surrendered): apply by "Renewal After 5 Years" with CPR/AED, insurance and 24 CE hours (2 ethics) from the last biennium; the board may require an exam.8
Pre-2010 certificates (numbers ending -46) cannot be renewed; apply for initial or reciprocal licensure.1 - Renew online
- license.wi.gov1
Renewal planner
Enter the expiration date printed on your Wisconsin Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.
Moving to Wisconsin with a license from another state
These are the routes the Massage & Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board publishes for the Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license. The other massage therapist licenses have their own routes in their sections below.
- Route
- License by endorsement
- What the board says
- Reciprocal licensure for holders of a current, active massage or bodywork therapist credential from another state, territory or country with substantially equivalent requirements; each state needs legal review by DSPS (DPCP) to decide whether reciprocity is allowed. License verification goes directly from the other board; CPR/AED, insurance and the state law exam are still required.4
- Conditions
- Not available from states without a massage credential, or from states on the DSPS not-reciprocal list (California voluntary CAMTC certification and Maine Massage Therapist are listed).9
- Fee
- $753
- Route
- Military service members and spouses
- What the board says
- Service members, former service members and spouses credentialed in another jurisdiction may apply for a reciprocal credential (Form 3982, Wis. Stat. § 440.09).5
- Route
- Temporary license or permit
- What the board says
- Bridge Temporary Credential (Act 10): practitioners with an unrestricted license elsewhere and a Wisconsin health care employer may practice for 90 days while the permanent application is reviewed; no fee.6
- Conditions
- Apply within 30 days of starting work; the employer files Form 2021-A102 within 10 days for onsite work; a 30-day extension is possible.6
Temporary Permit - Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist
Practise under supervision, with written informed consent from every client.7
Requirements
- Education or training
- Same education as initial licensure; the full initial application must be complete.7
- Exam
- National exam taken, result pending7
- Background check
- Background check required7
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply1 - Also required
- Supervisor submits Form 2968 through the LicensE Third Party Portal.7
How to apply
- File the full Initial Licensure application in LicensE first.7
- Take a national exam.7
- Apply in LicensE using the Temporary Permit method; your supervisor submits Form 2968.7 license.wi.gov1
- Temporary or provisional license
- This is the temporary credential.7
- Processing time
- About 10 days for DSPS review.7
Renewal
- How often
- Every 6 months7
- When it expires
- Expires after 6 months or when DSPS learns you passed the exam, whichever comes first.7
From another state
- Route
- No reciprocity
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 Wisconsin, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Wisconsin is on the Wisconsin license lookup page.
- File a complaint
- dsps.wi.gov1
Common questions
Can I transfer my massage therapist license to Wisconsin?
The Massage & Bodywork Therapy Credentialing Board publishes these routes for the Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist license: license by endorsement4 and temporary license or permit6. Conditions and forms.
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 Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
Sources
Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.
- Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist (DSPS profession page)Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist – Initial LicensureWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Credential Fees and Renewal DatesWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist – Reciprocal LicensureWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Military Benefits Related to Credentialing - DSPSWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Bridge Temporary CredentialWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist – Temporary PermitWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Massage Therapist or Bodywork Therapist – Renewal After 5 YearsWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
- Reciprocity and EndorsementWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional ServicesChecked November 8, 2026