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Rhode Island Massage Therapy — Requirements & Free Practice

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Massage Therapist

License to practice massage therapy and use the protected title Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT). Initial licensure, endorsement, foreign-trained applicants, military recognition, renewal, late renewal and reinstatement are represented separately. Chapter 5-95 governs statutory changes; the active 2024 regulation retains superseded education and renewal language. Special provisions in § 5-95-5 provide exemptions and prelicensure practice privileges rather than separately issued licenses.

Licensing authority: Rhode Island Department of Health, Rhode Island State Board of Licensed Massage Therapists · Application information

Licensure by endorsement: another United States state or territory
Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination
Application
Submit the completed application and cover page, valid ID, official transcript sent directly to the Board, disclosures of convictions and disciplinary matters, the applicant affidavit and fee. The application states that it is valid for one year from receipt.
Application Fee
The revised application requires a nonrefundable $65 fee payable to the Rhode Island General Treasurer.
Approved Education
Education program must be authorized where located, with curriculum meeting § 5-95-3(1); education outside the United States must be substantially equivalent and recognized where located. Practical training cannot be replaced by online or correspondence courses under § 10.5(A)(4).
Cpr Certificate
The application requires a copy of a CPR Certificate.
Criminal Background Check
§ 5-95-9(a)(2), (c), (e): nationwide criminal background check including fingerprints through Rhode Island State Police or local police; applicant pays its cost. Results go directly to the Board. A conviction for a sexual offense covered by subsection (c) requires denial; other disqualifying information is subject to Board judgment.
Curriculum
§ 10.5(A)(2) lists anatomy, physiology and kinesiology; supervised theory and practice; clinical assessment and bodywork competency; pathology; and electives including first aid and CPR and professional ethics, boundaries, regulations, business law or office procedures.
Education Equivalents
§ 5-95-9(a)(3)(ii)-(iii): an applicant holding a massage therapist license in another state needs 800 supervised in-class, hands-on and clinical hours or the equivalent. Each 50–60-minute course hour counts as one hour; each related semester credit as 15 hours; each full-time practice year as 100 hours; up to 100 hours from relevant continuing education. The Board application applies 800 hours or equivalent to applications filed on or after January 1, 2026.
Endorsement Practice Privilege
§ 5-95-5(6): acceptable evidence of current licensure elsewhere permits work for forty-five days from the application fee receipt to meet Rhode Island requirements; this original privilege cannot be extended or renewed.
Endorsement Rule
§ 10.5(B)(1): education in the state or territory must meet or exceed the listed requirements; the current statute supersedes the rule’s former statutory citation and 650-hour threshold.
Exam Score Delivery
The examination agency must send the MBLEx score/certification directly to the Board. The requirement concerns having passed the examination, including a passing result obtained before application.
First Aid Certificate
The application requires a copy of a First Aid Certificate.
License Cycle Discrepancy
The current statute § 5-95-9(c) provides the remaining two-year cycle. The lower-ranked revised application still states: "All Massage Therapists licenses expire yearly on June 30th." The 2024 regulation § 10.7(A) likewise states one year; the statute controls the cycle.
License Held Elsewhere
§ 5-95-9(b): hold a valid license, permit, certificate or registration from another United States state or territory, obtained under substantially equivalent standards; satisfy subsection (a), complete forms and pay fees.
Military Expedition
Active military members, reservists, honorably discharged veterans and eligible spouses may request expedited processing with the supporting military documentation specified in the application. Expedition alone does not replace this route’s substantive qualifications.
Minimum Age
R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-95-9(a)(1): applicant must be over eighteen years of age.
Other Approved Examination
§ 5-95-9(a)(4) and § 10.5(A)(3) allow another Board/Department-approved examination. No other currently offered examination is identified by those provisions; the open approval slot remains an applicant condition.
Out Of Jurisdiction Verification
If ever licensed elsewhere, request verification directly from each licensing jurisdiction. The interstate verification form asks whether a National Certification (NCBTMB) or MBLEx examination was passed; its generic NCBTMB wording does not identify the registered Board Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCETMB).
Tax Attestation
The application requires attestation that all applicable Rhode Island tax returns have been filed and all taxes owed to the State have been paid; SSN is transmitted to the Division of Taxation for verification.
Renewal after license expiration
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
§ 5-95-10(d): attest to twenty-four continuing education units every two years from offerings approved or sponsored by a Board-approved organization; provide satisfactory evidence when requested.
Continuing Education Cycle
The Board page states 24 continuing education units for the July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 renewal period. The older rule’s six annual units do not displace the statute.
Existing License
Hold a Rhode Island massage therapist license and submit the renewal application and applicable fee; current statutory renewal takes place every two years.
Expired License
§ 10.7(C): licensee who allows the license to expire may renew by submitting the renewal application, § 10.8 accompanying documentation and renewal fee; lapse beyond one license cycle is handled under the separate reinstatement provision.
Hardship Waiver
§ 5-95-10(h): Board may waive continuing education when hardship prevented completion.
Record Retention
§ 10.8(B): retain education participation documents for at least four years; subject to random Department audit.
Review
§ 5-95-10(g): renewal may be reviewed for investigation; disciplinary restrictions remain applicable.
Rule Cycle Discrepancy
The active 2024 rule § 10.7(A) states "for a period of one (1) year" and § 10.8(A) states "six (6) continuing education units (annually)". Current § 5-95-10 governs the two-year cycle and 24-unit requirement.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2024-06-26.

Licensure with foreign training and a foreign practice credential
Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination
Application
Submit the completed application and cover page, valid ID, official transcript sent directly to the Board, disclosures of convictions and disciplinary matters, the applicant affidavit and fee. The application states that it is valid for one year from receipt.
Application Fee
The revised application requires a nonrefundable $65 fee payable to the Rhode Island General Treasurer.
Approved Education
Education program must be authorized where located, with curriculum meeting § 5-95-3(1); education outside the United States must be substantially equivalent and recognized where located. Practical training cannot be replaced by online or correspondence courses under § 10.5(A)(4).
Cpr Certificate
The application requires a copy of a CPR Certificate.
Criminal Background Check
§ 5-95-9(a)(2), (c), (e): nationwide criminal background check including fingerprints through Rhode Island State Police or local police; applicant pays its cost. Results go directly to the Board. A conviction for a sexual offense covered by subsection (c) requires denial; other disqualifying information is subject to Board judgment.
Curriculum
§ 10.5(A)(2) lists anatomy, physiology and kinesiology; supervised theory and practice; clinical assessment and bodywork competency; pathology; and electives including first aid and CPR and professional ethics, boundaries, regulations, business law or office procedures.
Education Instruction
The Board application requires a transcript establishing 800 in-class, hands-on and clinical hours for a first-ever license, or equivalent when already licensed in another state; its January 1, 2026 instruction and the statute’s January 1, 2025 education text are preserved without inferring a foreign-license equivalency not expressly stated.
Endorsement Practice Privilege
§ 5-95-5(6): acceptable evidence of current licensure elsewhere permits work for forty-five days from the application fee receipt to meet Rhode Island requirements; this original privilege cannot be extended or renewed.
Exam Score Delivery
The examination agency must send the MBLEx score/certification directly to the Board. The requirement concerns having passed the examination, including a passing result obtained before application.
First Aid Certificate
The application requires a copy of a First Aid Certificate.
Foreign Qualification
§ 5-95-9(b): applicant must satisfy subsection (a), complete forms and pay fees, and hold a valid foreign license, permit, certificate or registration obtained under substantially equivalent standards. § 5-95-3(1) requires foreign education to be substantially equivalent and recognized where located.
Foreign Trained Rule
§ 10.5(C)(1) requires evidence of graduation from a foreign massage program with substantially meeting curriculum and a valid foreign practice credential, and states "in addition may be subject to an examination". The statute’s subsection (b) expressly requires subsection (a), including an approved examination; the application identifies MBLEx. The rule’s unspecified additional discretionary examination remains a condition.
License Cycle Discrepancy
The current statute § 5-95-9(c) provides the remaining two-year cycle. The lower-ranked revised application still states: "All Massage Therapists licenses expire yearly on June 30th." The 2024 regulation § 10.7(A) likewise states one year; the statute controls the cycle.
Military Expedition
Active military members, reservists, honorably discharged veterans and eligible spouses may request expedited processing with the supporting military documentation specified in the application. Expedition alone does not replace this route’s substantive qualifications.
Minimum Age
R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-95-9(a)(1): applicant must be over eighteen years of age.
Other Approved Examination
§ 5-95-9(a)(4) and § 10.5(A)(3) allow another Board/Department-approved examination. No other currently offered examination is identified by those provisions; the open approval slot remains an applicant condition.
Out Of Jurisdiction Verification
If ever licensed elsewhere, request verification directly from each licensing jurisdiction. The interstate verification form asks whether a National Certification (NCBTMB) or MBLEx examination was passed; its generic NCBTMB wording does not identify the registered Board Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCETMB).
Tax Attestation
The application requires attestation that all applicable Rhode Island tax returns have been filed and all taxes owed to the State have been paid; SSN is transmitted to the Division of Taxation for verification.
Initial licensure by examination
Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination
Application
Submit the completed application and cover page, valid ID, official transcript sent directly to the Board, disclosures of convictions and disciplinary matters, the applicant affidavit and fee. The application states that it is valid for one year from receipt.
Application Fee
The revised application requires a nonrefundable $65 fee payable to the Rhode Island General Treasurer.
Approved Education
Education program must be authorized where located, with curriculum meeting § 5-95-3(1); education outside the United States must be substantially equivalent and recognized where located. Practical training cannot be replaced by online or correspondence courses under § 10.5(A)(4).
Board Education Instruction
The Board application states: "For Applications filed on or after January 1, 2026: Official transcript showing 800 hours of in-class, hands on course-work and clinical work (for your first-ever license) OR the equivalent (if you already have a license in another state)". The current Board page gives the same January 1, 2026 instruction. These applicant instructions differ from the statute’s January 1, 2025 wording; the statute controls. The active 2024 rule still describes 650 hours.
Cpr Certificate
The application requires a copy of a CPR Certificate.
Criminal Background Check
§ 5-95-9(a)(2), (c), (e): nationwide criminal background check including fingerprints through Rhode Island State Police or local police; applicant pays its cost. Results go directly to the Board. A conviction for a sexual offense covered by subsection (c) requires denial; other disqualifying information is subject to Board judgment.
Curriculum
§ 10.5(A)(2) lists anatomy, physiology and kinesiology; supervised theory and practice; clinical assessment and bodywork competency; pathology; and electives including first aid and CPR and professional ethics, boundaries, regulations, business law or office procedures.
Exam Score Delivery
The examination agency must send the MBLEx score/certification directly to the Board. The requirement concerns having passed the examination, including a passing result obtained before application.
First Aid Certificate
The application requires a copy of a First Aid Certificate.
First License Education
§ 5-95-9(a)(3)(i), under the heading "Effective January 1, 2025", states: "including at least eight hundred (800) hours of supervised in-class, hands-on coursework and clinical work and has completed six hundred fifty (650) hours prior to December 31, 2024". The latter clause is retained as written, not converted into an examination leaf.
Graduate Practice Privilege
§ 5-95-5(5): an approved-program graduate may practice only under one assigned onsite licensed massage therapist, with ninety days from the application fee receipt to meet licensure requirements. This is a practice privilege during application, not an issued graduate license.
License Cycle Discrepancy
The current statute § 5-95-9(c) provides the remaining two-year cycle. The lower-ranked revised application still states: "All Massage Therapists licenses expire yearly on June 30th." The 2024 regulation § 10.7(A) likewise states one year; the statute controls the cycle.
Military Expedition
Active military members, reservists, honorably discharged veterans and eligible spouses may request expedited processing with the supporting military documentation specified in the application. Expedition alone does not replace this route’s substantive qualifications.
Minimum Age
R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-95-9(a)(1): applicant must be over eighteen years of age.
Other Approved Examination
§ 5-95-9(a)(4) and § 10.5(A)(3) allow another Board/Department-approved examination. No other currently offered examination is identified by those provisions; the open approval slot remains an applicant condition.
Out Of Jurisdiction Verification
If ever licensed elsewhere, request verification directly from each licensing jurisdiction. The interstate verification form asks whether a National Certification (NCBTMB) or MBLEx examination was passed; its generic NCBTMB wording does not identify the registered Board Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCETMB).
Tax Attestation
The application requires attestation that all applicable Rhode Island tax returns have been filed and all taxes owed to the State have been paid; SSN is transmitted to the Division of Taxation for verification.
Military member or spouse license recognition under Chapter 5 88
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board Application Demand
The ordinary Board application states: "Score/Certification of the MBLEx or other national examination approved by the Department sent directly from the examination agency." Chapter 5-88 mandates recognition notwithstanding other law on its stated eligibility and equivalence conditions; the lower-ranked ordinary application demand is retained here as an applicant condition rather than adding an examination to the statutory recognition route.
Decision Period
§ 5-88-3: written decision within sixty days after application.
Disciplinary Eligibility
§ 5-88-2: no occupational license revoked or surrendered for negligence or intentional misconduct, and no pending complaint, allegation or investigation concerning unprofessional conduct or an alleged crime.
Documentation
The application’s Military Expedition Form requests proof of military status, permanent change of station orders, proof of licensing good standing, required criminal background check and signed attestations.
Eligibility
§ 5-88-1(a): licensed or certified in another state for at least one year; United States armed forces member or spouse; military change-of-station or transfer to Rhode Island; accompanying spouse left employment to accompany the service member.
Fees
Pay all applicable Rhode Island fees.
Good Standing
§ 5-88-2: good standing in the other jurisdiction; no disqualifying criminal record under the provision referenced there.
Military Education Credit
§ 5-88-6: Board evaluates substantially equivalent military education, training or experience, or a spouse’s prior licensing education, toward requirements.
State Only Validity
§ 5-88-5(a): the resulting license is valid only in Rhode Island; it does not itself confer work eligibility under another jurisdiction’s compact or reciprocity agreement.
Substantial Equivalence
§ 5-88-1(b)(1): the Board must find the other jurisdiction’s licensing requirements substantially equivalent.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2024-06-26.

Reinstatement after lapse exceeding one license cycle
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Current Criminal Background Check
§ 10.7(D): submit current nationwide criminal background check results including fingerprints, obtained through the Rhode Island State Police or local police.
Lapsed License
§ 10.7(D): license lapsed for more than one license cycle; submit reinstatement application and renewal fee.
Prior Discipline
Prior disciplinary orders and restrictions remain applicable; this route concerns a lapsed license rather than recovery from a disciplinary revocation.
Renewal Obligations
For renewal accompanying reinstatement, the current statute’s two-year cycle and 24-unit continuing education requirement govern; a hardship waiver is at Board discretion. The regulatory reinstatement provision specifies no new examination.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2024-06-26.

Regular license renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
§ 5-95-10(d): attest to twenty-four continuing education units every two years from offerings approved or sponsored by a Board-approved organization; provide satisfactory evidence when requested.
Continuing Education Cycle
The Board page states 24 continuing education units for the July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 renewal period. The older rule’s six annual units do not displace the statute.
Existing License
Hold a Rhode Island massage therapist license and submit the renewal application and applicable fee; current statutory renewal takes place every two years.
Hardship Waiver
§ 5-95-10(h): Board may waive continuing education when hardship prevented completion.
Record Retention
§ 10.8(B): retain education participation documents for at least four years; subject to random Department audit.
Review
§ 5-95-10(g): renewal may be reviewed for investigation; disciplinary restrictions remain applicable.
Rule Cycle Discrepancy
The active 2024 rule § 10.7(A) states "for a period of one (1) year" and § 10.8(A) states "six (6) continuing education units (annually)". Current § 5-95-10 governs the two-year cycle and 24-unit requirement.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2024-06-26.

Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination

Provider
Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards; administered at Pearson VUE (Pearson Professional Centers) test centers
Format
Computer-based, fixed-length computer-adaptive test (CAT) of multiple-choice questions, each with one correct answer; offered in English and Spanish and administered year-round; results reported as PASS or FAIL, with a diagnostic report by content area for failing candidates
Exam questions
100 multiple-choice questions
Time limit
110 minutes for 100 questions within a two-hour (120-minute) appointment
Passing score
Criterion-referenced passing standard adopted by the FSMTB Board of Directors; results reported as PASS or FAIL
Exam fee
$265 MBLEx application fee
Examination outline
  • Anatomy & Physiology (11%)
    • A. System structure — Cardiovascular
    • A. System structure — Digestive
    • A. System structure — Endocrine
    • A. System structure — Integumentary
    • A. System structure — Lymphatic & Immune
    • A. System structure — Musculoskeletal
    • A. System structure — Nervous
    • A. System structure — Reproduction
    • A. System structure — Respiratory
    • A. System structure — Sensory
    • A. System structure — Urinary
    • B. System function — Cardiovascular
    • B. System function — Digestion
    • B. System function — Endocrine
    • B. System function — Integumentary
    • B. System function — Lymphatic & Immune
    • B. System function — Musculoskeletal
    • B. System function — Nervous
    • B. System function — Reproduction
    • B. System function — Respiratory
    • B. System function — Sensory
    • B. System function — Urinary
    • C. Tissue injury and repair
    • D. Concepts of energetic anatomy
  • Kinesiology (12%)
    • A. Skeletal muscle components & characteristics
    • B. Concepts of skeletal muscle contractions
    • C. Proprioceptors
    • D. Skeletal muscle locations, attachments (origins, insertions), & actions
    • E. Joint structure and function
    • F. Range of motion — Active
    • F. Range of motion — Passive
    • F. Range of motion — Resisted
  • Pathology, Contraindications, Areas of Caution, Special Populations (14%)
    • A. Overview of Pathologies
    • B. Contraindications — Site specific
    • B. Contraindications — Pathology related
    • B. Contraindications — Special populations
    • B. Contraindications — Tools
    • B. Contraindications — Special applications
    • C. Areas of caution
    • D. Special populations
    • E. Classes of medications
  • Benefits and Effects of Soft Tissue Manipulation (15%)
    • A. Physiological effects of soft tissue manipulation
    • B. Psychological effects of soft tissue manipulation
    • C. Effects of soft tissue manipulation for specific client populations
    • D. Soft tissue techniques — Types of strokes
    • D. Soft tissue techniques — Sequence of application
    • E. Hot/cold applications
    • F. Overview of massage/bodywork modalities
  • Client Assessment, Reassessment & Treatment Planning (17%)
    • A. Organization of a massage/bodywork session
    • B. Client consultation and evaluation — Verbal intake
    • B. Client consultation and evaluation — Health history form
    • C. Written data collection
    • D. Visual assessment — General
    • D. Visual assessment — Postural
    • D. Visual assessment — Gait
    • E. Palpation assessment
    • F. Range of motion assessment
    • G. Clinical reasoning — Ability to rule out contraindications
    • G. Clinical reasoning — Client treatment goal setting
    • G. Clinical reasoning — Evaluation of response to previous treatment
    • G. Clinical reasoning — Formulation of treatment strategy
  • Ethics, Boundaries, Laws, Regulations (16%)
    • A. Ethical behavior
    • B. Professional boundaries
    • C. Code of ethics violations
    • D. The therapeutic relationship
    • E. Dual relationships
    • F. Sexual misconduct
    • G. Massage/bodywork-related laws and regulations
    • H. Scope of practice
    • I. Professional communication
    • J. Confidentiality
    • K. Principles
  • Guidelines for Professional Practice (15%)
    • A. Proper and safe use of equipment and supplies
    • B. Practitioner hygiene
    • C. Sanitation and cleanliness
    • D. Safety practices — Facilities
    • D. Safety practices — Practitioner safety
    • D. Safety practices — Client safety
    • E. Practitioner care — Body mechanics
    • E. Practitioner care — Personal protective equipment (PPE)
    • E. Practitioner care — Self-care
    • E. Practitioner care — Injury prevention
    • F. Draping — Safe and appropriate
    • F. Draping — Communication
    • G. Business Practices — Business planning
    • G. Business Practices — Strategic planning
    • G. Business Practices — Office management
    • G. Business Practices — Marketing
    • G. Business Practices — Hiring/Interviewing
    • G. Business Practices — Documentation & Records — Client records
    • G. Business Practices — Documentation & Records — Business records
    • H. Healthcare and business terminology
Examination sources