Requirements for Licensure
Overview
Please be advised application can take up to 3 months after all paperwork is received for review and approval. You can check the status of your submitted application here!
You must complete an approved massage therapy education program that is accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States department of education or you must complete an approved massage therapy education program that meets the standards set by the board, as provided in North Dakota Administrative Code article 49-02. To see a breakdown of the required 750 instructional hours, click here.
If your school/program is no longer in existence, please either contact the Board of Higher Education or the Board of Education in the state where you attended the program. You may obtain the contact information by accessing www.statelocalgov.net/50states-education.cfm.
A copy of a passing score of one of the following exams needs to be sent to the board office directly from the administering organization:
Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx)
National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCBTM)
National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)
Apply for Licensure
Initial Licensure (If you are a new graduate or have not practiced actively for at least two of the three last years.)
- Complete the Online Application
- You may submit a paper Application form and money order or cashier's check (no personal checks will be accepted) for the licensure fee if you do not wish to complete the online application.
- Submit Required Documents
- Application;
- $150 fee;
- Original transcript and Affidavit from School of Massage sent directly to the board office from your school;
- Copy of a signed massage school diploma;
- Copy of the official passing score report from the MBLEX or NCBMTB (NECTM or NCETMB) sent directly from the licensing entity;
- Original Affidavit of Compliance by Applicant;
- Proof of identity, (i.e. driver's license, state issued ID, passport) including documentation of any aliases or "also known as";
- Recent "passport type" photograph;
- Verification of massage therapy license from state(s) currently or previously licensed to practice in. (You must have each state submit a verification of your license to the NDBMT Office. The NDBMT will accept verifications emailed directly from the other state to the NDBMT Office. Verification printed from a state board website is also acceptable if you include website links and any instructions to verify your license on the other board's website. A copy of your license is not sufficient verification!)
- After all documents have been received in the Board office, the applicant will receive:
- Jurisprudence Exam
- Criminal History Background Check Form
- 2 Fingerprint Cards
Reciprocity
Any individual who has been duly licensed in another city, county, state, territory, or jurisdiction of the United States to practice massage, and has actively practiced massage therapy for at least two of the last three years, may apply for reciprocity if the applicant provides the following:
- Complete the Online Application
- You may submit a paper Application form and money order or cashier's check (no personal checks will be accepted) for the licensure fee if you do not wish to complete the online application.
- Submit Required Documents
- Application;
- $150 fee;
- Verification of massage therapy license from state(s) currently or previously licensed to practice in. (You must have each state submit a verification of your license to the NDBMT Office. State Verification form is page 3 of the paper application form. The NDBMT will accept verifications emailed directly from the other state to the NDBMT Office. Verification printed from a state board website is also acceptable if you include website links and any instructions to verify your license on the other board's website. A copy of your license is not sufficient verification!);
- An official transcript and affidavit from your massage school sent directly to the ND Board of Massage from your school;
- Copy of a signed massage school diploma;
- Copy of the official passing score report from the MBLEX or NCBMTB (NECTM or NCETMB) sent directly from the licensing entity;
- Original Affidavit of Compliance by application;
- Recent "passport type" photograph;
- Proof of identity, (i.e. driver's license, state issued ID, passport) including documentation of any aliases or "also known as".
- After all documents have been received in the Board office, the applicant will receive:
- Jurisprudence Exam
- Criminal History Background Check Form
- 2 Fingerprint Cards