District of Columbia Massage Therapist License Requirements
Requirements, fees, and renewal timing for this license, sourced from state board records.
Provides therapeutic massage to relieve pain and reduce stress.
What the District of Columbia data shows for Massage Therapists
District of Columbia's path to massage therapist licensure runs through 714 hours of approved instruction and a passing score on MBLEx (Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam), plus a criminal history screening before applicants younger than 18 can be licensed. District of Columbia folds the credential into its broader occupational licensing statute, which classifies the training track as "Massage Therapy School".
The initial price tag is $132, and renewal costs $70 every 2 years. Renewal isn't the end of the cost: 24 hours of continuing education are due every 2-year cycle, a recurring time commitment worth planning for.
For massage therapists, the reciprocity picture is: Varies by state — check with state board.
Licensing Ease Score
A higher score means this specific license is LESS burdensome to obtain and maintain here than the national requirement corpus, based on education hours, fees, continuing education, and experience requirements, not an overall judgment of the profession or the state.
Licensing Requirements in District of Columbia
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Guides
What to do with this massage therapist license
Massage Therapist in District of Columbia, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a massage therapist-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how District of Columbia's massage therapist requirements compare to every other state before relocating. Massage Therapist in every state
- Confirm whether your out-of-state massage therapist license transfers under an interstate compact before starting a new application. Reciprocity guide
- See how District of Columbia's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. District of Columbia overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the District of Columbia licensing board before making career decisions.
Source: NCSL Occupational Licensing Database, Institute for Justice License to Work (3rd Ed.), state licensing board websites
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Institute for Justice, the PlainCredential comparison corpus (current as of May 15, 2026) maps 4,947 state licensing requirement records; see the methodology.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.