Renew a Massage Therapist License
Licenses are valid for a two-year period beginning on the date of issuance and must be renewed before the expiration date.
Begin Your Renewal
To begin your renewal:
NOTE: Your license will not be issued until you have completed the fingerprinting requirement (see below).
Fingerprinting Requirement
Please complete the fingerprinting process at least 30 days before your license expires to allow for processing time.
All massage therapy applicants must be fingerprinted for a national criminal history background check. This is a one-time requirement that must be completed by all licensees no later than September 1, 2021.
Please see the Fingerprinting Instructions for Massage License Holders page for detailed instructions on the fingerprinting process, including any fees you will be responsible for.
Human Trafficking Prevention Training Requirement
A human trafficking prevention training course, approved by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), must be completed to renew your license.
For more information on the training requirement, please visit our Human Trafficking Prevention Training for Health Care Practitioners webpage.
Renewal of Expired Licenses
A person whose license has been expired for 90 days or less may renew the license by paying to the department a renewal fee that is equal to 1-1/2 times the normally required renewal fee.
A person whose license has been expired for more than 90 days but less than 18 months may renew the license by paying to the department a renewal fee that is equal to two times the normally required renewal fee.
On approval by the executive director (see Request to Executive Director for Expired License Renewal Form (PDF)), a person whose license has been expired for at least 18 months but less than three years may renew the license by paying to the department a renewal fee equal to two times the normally required renewal fee.
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.
The department will conduct a criminal history background check, including fingerprinting, on all persons who apply for or renew a massage license. 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.
