Massage Therapy is governed by the Arkansas State Board of Health and the Arkansas Department of Health.
As of April 6, 2015, the Arkansas State Board of Massage Therapy was abolished and all powers transferred to the State Board of Health and the Arkansas Department of Health. The Massage Therapy Technical Advisory Committee was established by the same law, Act 1020 of 2015.
To obtain a Massage Therapist License, the State of Arkansas* requires the following at minimum:
Massage Therapist LicenseÂ
- Successful completion of a Massage Therapy program of min. 500 hours through a State-approved or Board-accepted school.
- Individuals educated out-of-state are required to provide evidence of having met Arkansas curricular standards.
- Successful completion of a Board-accepted examination (e.g. NCBTMB or MBLEx)
- Pass the Arkansas Massage Therapy Law examÂ
- Submit a criminal background check with fingerprintingÂ
- Under the Earn and Learn Act of 2021, it is also possible to become licensed as a Massage Therapist through Apprenticeship
 Master Massage Therapist
- This designation can be obtained after two years of licensure and practice.
- Successful completion of min. 250 hours of practical experience and min. 125 hours of continuing education.
Every Massage Therapy License, active or inactive, is valid for a period of two (2) years and expires on the licensee’s birthday.Â
**Bill 168 introduced by the Arkansas legislature in January 2025, is currently under review, but upon passing in the house, it will effectively immediately require Massage Therapists applying for licensure pass a state-specific examination for licensure in Massage Therapy.
Renewal of the Massage Therapist License requires 18 CE hours for each two-year term. Of those 18 CE, a maximum of six (6) may be achieved through online or at home learning. To upgrade to the Master Massage Therapist designation, 125 CE hours are required.
The State of Arkansas* accepts courses for continuing education hours from providers in the CE Registry. The State of Arkansas also accepts courses for continuing education hours from providers approved by the NCBTMB.
Dexterity PD is a proud Approved Provider with the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). Our courses are available and listed in the CE Registry. Course completion records are stored in the national Massage Therapy Licensing Database (MTLD) for permanent recording.
Dexterity PD is a proud Approved Provider with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). The most current list of our courses approved by the NCBTMB can be found on our NCBTMB Approved Provider Profile Page.
*Please confirm with your state as the list of states that accept courses through CE Registry may change. Additionally, please refer to your state and/or licensing body for details and authoritative information on requirements.
