NY Massage Law

Two filings are involved. You submit an Application for Licensure to the Office of the Professions with the $108 licensure and first registration fee, and you file a separate examination scheduling application with Meazure Learning at its NY Exams address. Both must be filed by the published deadlines for your chosen exam date, so track them separately.

The examination is offered twice annually. For September 18, 2026, the licensure application is due June 1, 2026 and the examination scheduling application July 1, 2026. For March 12, 2027, the dates are November 1, 2026 and December 1, 2026. For September 10, 2027, they are June 1, 2027 and July 1, 2027.

Before being admitted to the examination you must have met all requirements for licensure except citizenship. That means the education requirement, the age and good moral character requirements, and the CPR course completed within three years prior to licensure, plus evidence of English proficiency if applicable.

Possibly, through a limited permit. It may be issued if you meet all licensure requirements except the examination, and the $35 fee is not refundable. You must work under the personal, on-site supervision of an individual licensed and currently registered in New York State, and you may not engage in private practice. The permit lasts no more than one year from issuance or until results of the first examination for which you are eligible are made known, whichever comes first.

You may not be issued a limited permit if you have previously held a permit or have failed the New York State Massage Therapy Examination. You also must be employed by a licensed massage therapist or by an entity authorized to practice massage therapy that engages a licensed massage therapist to provide the required personal, on-site supervision.

Start from the New York State Massage Therapy Examination Blueprint, then map your weakest areas against the required coursework list: anatomy, physiology, neurology, myology or kinesiology, pathology, hygiene, first aid, CPR, infection control, product ingredients and their effects, and the theory, technique and practice of both oriental and western massage/bodywork therapy. Give the science subjects and both technique traditions deliberate coverage rather than relying on your strongest modality.

Administrative and coverage mistakes, not just content gaps. Missing the separate Meazure Learning scheduling deadline, assuming an unlisted program automatically qualifies (contact the State Board for Massage Therapy to confirm), and neglecting either oriental or western theory and technique. Also confirm CPR timing, since the course must fall within three years prior to licensure.

Not necessarily. Licensure by endorsement exists for people licensed elsewhere with at least two years of practice, but it requires that you have not taken and failed the New York State Massage Therapy examination. Endorsement applicants must be at least 21, show high school graduation, be in good standing, and meet either the 2–4 year or 5-or-more-year education and experience route.

One year of experience is defined as 52 weeks in which massage therapy is practiced an average of 12 hours each week. The 2–4 year route requires at least two years of acceptable post-licensure professional experience in the jurisdiction where you were licensed, including western and/or oriental massage therapy techniques.

Yes, if you have a disability and provide supporting documentation. Accommodations must be approved by the Professional Examinations Unit of the Office of the Professions using the Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations, with documentation from an appropriate healthcare provider describing the disability and recommended accommodations plus past accommodation records. Check the accommodations box on your scheduling application.