Apply for a New Massage Therapy Instructor License
A massage therapy instructor license must be obtained by any person who instructs a student in any section of the course of instruction required for a massage therapist license.
Begin Your Application
To apply for a massage therapy instructor license, you must be able to show proof of meeting the following requirements:
- You are currently licensed as a massage therapist in Texas
- You have been engaged in the practice of massage therapy for at least one year and have conducted 500 hours of hands-on experience (excluding internship hours)
- You have completed a high school diploma, a general equivalence diploma (GED), or you can show completion of at least twelve (12) semester hours of college credit from an accredited college or university
- You have completed a 30-hour course on teaching adult learners. Courses attended may include an instructional certification program, a college level course in teaching adult learners, a continuing education course in teaching adult learners, or an advanced program approved by the department in teaching the course of instruction.
To apply, submit an online license application along with the non-refundable $100 application fee.
Apply Online Now
Your license will not be issued until you have completed the fingerprinting requirement (below).
Fingerprinting Requirement
After submitting your license application, you must be fingerprinted for a national criminal history record review before a license may be issued.
This is a one-time requirement, and TDLR will be notified of any arrests or criminal convictions that occur after you are fingerprinted.
Please see the Fingerprinting Instructions for New Massage Applicants page for detailed instructions on the fingerprinting process, including any fees you will be responsible for.
Applicants with Criminal Convictions
If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (other than a minor traffic violation) or pleaded guilty or no contest (resulting in a deferred adjudication) to any in-state, out-of-state or federal criminal offense, you must provide a completed Criminal History Questionnaire (PDF) along with your application materials.
Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.
Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.
Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.
