To get a massage therapy license in Indiana, you need to graduate from an approved 625-hour massage therapy program, pass a Board-approved national exam (typically the MBLEx), clear a national criminal background check, and file an application with a $100 fee to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). The State Board of Massage Therapy, which sits under IPLA, issues the license once every piece is in place.
Finish an Approved 625-Hour Education Program
Start with a high school diploma or equivalent. Then complete a massage therapy program with at least 625 hours of supervised classroom and hands-on instruction, covering anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology, and massage techniques.1Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Massage Therapy Licensing Information
The program has to be in good standing with a government agency that regulates massage therapy schools, and it has to meet one of these standards:
- Authorization by Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development.
- Accreditation by another state whose education standards are substantially the same as Indiana’s.
- Approval by the Board as part of a college or university program.
If your program came up short of 625 hours, Indiana lets you make up the remaining hours at an approved school before you apply.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 25 Article 21.8-4-2 – Qualifications
Pass the MBLEx
The Board-approved exam is the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. It’s an entry-level test built to confirm you can practice safely and competently.3Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. MBLEx Requirements and Process
The exam fee is $265, paid directly to FSMTB, and it’s nonrefundable. Once you pass, proof has to come to IPLA straight from the testing organization. You can’t forward it yourself.
Complete a National Criminal Background Check
Every first-time applicant has to submit to a national background check. Fingerprints run through the Indiana State Police and the FBI, and results are sent electronically to IPLA. You pay for it.4Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Criminal Background Checks
The order matters. Submit fingerprints after IPLA receives your application, not before. Fingerprints submitted early are rejected, and you’ll have to pay for a second background check. The background check is only required for initial licensure. It doesn’t come back at renewal or reinstatement.
Submit Your Application to IPLA
Once your education, exam, and background check are lined up, file the application through IPLA. You’ll need:
- The completed application form with all required disclosures.
- The $100 application fee, paid by credit or debit card. Nonrefundable.
- Official transcripts sent directly from your massage therapy program, confirming graduation and the 625 hours.
- MBLEx score verification sent directly from the testing organization.
- Verification of your high school diploma or equivalent.
IPLA reviews the file and issues the license once everything is confirmed.1Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Massage Therapy Licensing Information
If You’re Already Licensed in Another State
Indiana doesn’t automatically recognize out-of-state licenses, but the Board can grant a license by endorsement if the other state’s standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Indiana’s. You still have to:
- Be in good standing in the other state with no pending disciplinary actions.
- Pay the Board’s application fee.
- Disclose any criminal conviction history, especially anything tied to massage therapy practice.
- Submit to a national criminal background check.
- Have every state that previously credentialed you send current status information directly to the Board.
The Board must deny endorsement to anyone convicted of prostitution, rape, or sexual misconduct, and to anyone on a sex offender registry.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 25 Article 21.8-5-1 – Licensure by Endorsement
What You Can and Can’t Do Once Licensed
Indiana law defines massage therapy as a health care service that uses external manipulation or pressure of soft tissue to enhance health, relieve pain, reduce stress, improve circulation, relax muscles, or increase range of motion. Permitted techniques include touch, pressure, friction, stroking, rocking, kneading, vibration, positioning, and stretching within the normal anatomical range, with or without massage devices. You can also apply heat, cold, water, ice, stones, lubricants, and non-prescription topical preparations.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 25 Article 21.8-1-4 – Massage Therapy
Two things are off-limits: spinal manipulation and diagnosing or prescribing drugs. Either one can trigger Board discipline.
Practicing without a license is a separate problem. Knowingly violating the massage therapy licensing statute is a Class C misdemeanor under Indiana criminal law.7Justia. Indiana Code Title 25 Article 21.8 Chapter 7 – Discipline and Violations Don’t see clients before your license is issued.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Indiana massage therapy licenses expire May 15 every four years, on a cycle running 2025, 2029, 2033, and forward. Renewal costs $150. A full renewal period requires 24 hours of continuing education, including at least 2 hours of ethics. If your license was active for less than the full four years, you owe fewer hours on a sliding scale down to zero for anyone licensed 12 months or less in the period.1Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Massage Therapy Licensing Information