Licensing Requirements

Licensure options

In order to qualify for a massage therapy license in Washington State, all applicants must either: 

• Successfully complete a board-approved massage school, massage program, transfer program or apprenticeship program, or 
• Hold an active and unrestricted massage license in a state or foreign jurisdiction with substantially equivalent education and training requirements as Washington State, per WAC 246-830-035.
  • See Out-of-State Applicants drop-down for more details.

Massage Program Requirements

The education and training in massage therapy must consist of a minimum of 625 hours to be completed in no fewer than 24 weeks and must consist of the following: 

• 90 hours of anatomy and physiology 
• 60 hours of kinesiology 
• 70 hours of pathology 
• 260 hours of theory, principles, and practice of massage 
• 50 hours of student clinic. For those education and training programs beyond six hundred twenty-five hours, in no case may the number of student clinic hours exceed seventy-five hours. 
• 55 hours of clinical/business practices 
• 40 hours of professional ethics

If an applicant is enrolled in a board-approved massage program prior to September 1, 2021, they do not need to meet the new education and training requirements, even if their graduation date is after September 1, 2021.

Applicants for a massage therapist license must list all states where credentials are or were held, including where applicant has applied but a credential was not granted. A verification form (PDF) must be completed and submitted by the jurisdiction where the applicant is or was credentialed. The jurisdiction must send the completed form directly to the department.

Each applicant must answer the personal data questions. If there is a positive answer to the professional liability claims history question, the applicant must send an explanation of the nature of the case, data and summary of care given, copies of the original complaint, and the settlement or final disposition. If pending, applicant must indicate status.

• If the applicant meets the education requirement for option number one (see above), they must have their school or program complete, sign, and submit the school completion form.
• If the applicant meets the education requirement for option number two (see above), they must have their school or program complete, sign, and submit the education endorsement form.
• Successful completion of an examination administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) or Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). The NCBTMB or the FSMTB must send verification of the exam score report directly to the department.
• First aid and CPR cards. CPR must be in person, but a hybrid course is acceptable as well.

WAC 246-830-035 allows for licensure by endorsement if the applicant holds an active massage therapy license in good standing in another state, and the state's education and training requirements are substantially equivalent to Washington State. 

Substantial equivalency means a course of study at a massage school or massage program that requires: 

• A minimum of six hundred twenty-five hours of education and training, to be completed in no fewer than twenty-four weeks and approved by the equivalent licensing agency or agencies in the state, territory, or foreign jurisdiction in which it is located at the time of applicant's graduation; or 
• A minimum of five hundred hours of education and training and approved by the equivalent licensing agency or agencies in the state, territory, or foreign jurisdiction in which it is located at the time of applicant's graduation, at least two years of experience, and documentation of at least twenty-four hours of continuing education within two years prior to making application. 

WAC 246-830-037 allows for board approved massage schools or massage programs to operate transfer programs, subject to the board's approval, that accept an individual's credits or clock hours from massage schools, massage programs, colleges or universities. Successful completion of a transfer program allows applicants to qualify for licensure by educational endorsement without having to go through a full board-approved program. 

For further information, see RCW 18.108.095. 

Verification forms are available on the massage therapist licensing information webpage.