Licensure Requirements, Application Process, and Qualifications
Qualifications
Maryland requires an applicant to be at least 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, complete a Board-approved massage therapy program of at least 600 hours, pass the MBLEx or Board-accepted exam, hold current CPR certification, and submit to a criminal history records check. The Board also reviews moral character and any history that bears on fitness to practice.
Application process
Submit the application, fee, official transcripts or certificate of completion, exam score, CPR card, and fingerprints or background authorization. The Board verifies the school's approval and hours. Incomplete or false applications can be denied. A license is not transferable to another person. Out-of-state applicants may seek licensure by endorsement if their education and license are substantially equivalent; the Board may require additional documentation or an exam.
Worked example
An applicant completed a 500-hour program in another state and holds an active license there. Maryland's 600-hour requirement is not met on the face of the record. The Board may deny the application unless the applicant completes additional approved education or qualifies under a specific endorsement pathway. The applicant should not practice in Maryland while the application is pending; a pending application is not a license.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming any CPR card is acceptable; it must be current and Board-acceptable.
- Assuming a criminal conviction is an automatic bar; the Board evaluates nature, time, and rehabilitation.
- Practicing before the license is issued, even after passing the exam.
- Sending unofficial transcripts or an expired exam score.
- Assuming a license from another state automatically transfers.