1. (1) No individual may perform the duties of a massage therapist unless he or she holds a valid license issued by the board.
2. (2) To be licensed as a massage therapist, an individual shall:

3. (a) Have successfully completed a minimum of 650 hours of instruction from an education massage therapy school which shall consist of all of the following:

4. One hundred hours of anatomy and physiology, including 35 hours of myology, 15 hours of osteology, 10 hours of circulatory system, and 10 hours of nervous system, with the remaining 30 hours addressing other body systems at the discretion of the massage therapy school.Two hundred fifty hours of basic massage therapy, the contradistinctions of massage therapy, and related touch therapy modalities, including a minimum of 50 hours of supervised massage.Fifty hours of business, hydrotherapy, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, professional ethics, and state massage therapy laws.Two hundred fifty hours of electives as determined by the massage therapy school.
5. (b) In the case of an applicant for licensure who holds or has held a valid massage therapist license in another state, if the education program did not meet the same educational criteria as Alabama programs, the applicant’s continuing education, work experience, or other factors relevant to qualification to practice massage therapy in the state may be considered, at the discretion of the Board.
6. (c) Successfully pass either the Massage and Bodywork  Licensing Examination (MBLEx) or the Board Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCETMB). The board may approve other state exams on a case-by-case basis.
7. (d) Successfully complete a criminal history background check pursuant to Section 34-43A-13(c) of the Code of Ala. 1975.
8. (e) Pay all applicable fees.
9. (f) Provide proof of coverage demonstrating that the applicant possesses professional and general liability insurance with an “A” rated or better insurance carrier in the amount of at least one million dollars.
10. (g) Satisfy the requirements of Code of Ala. 1975, §31-13-7 related to citizenship or lawful presence.

Author: Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §34-43A-6.

History: New Rule: Filed January 29, 2001; effective March 5, 2001. Amended: Filed April 20, 2009; effective May 25, 2009. Amended: Filed February 10, 2012; effective March 16, 2012. Amended: Published September 29, 2023; effective November 13, 2023. Repealed and New Rule: Published September 30, 2024; effective November 14, 2024. Amended: Published September 30, 2025; effective November 14, 2025.