For licensed massage and bodywork therapists
What North Carolina requires to renew your massage license
A North Carolina massage and bodywork therapy license is renewed every two years. To renew on time you need 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics and at least 12 hours in a classroom, submitted online by December 31 with a $100 fee.
Reviewed November 2026 against the North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy’s continuing education and online renewal pages and the Massage and Bodywork Therapy Practice Act. The Board can change its rules; its pages are linked at the end of this guide and are the final word.
Renewal requirements at a glance
| Renewal cycle | Every two years. Your license expires on December 31 of the year printed on it. |
|---|---|
| Renewal window | Online renewal opens October 1. The application must be submitted by 11:59 PM on December 31. |
| Continuing education | 24 hours of approved continuing education completed during the licensure period. |
| Ethics | At least 3 of the 24 hours must be in ethics. |
| In-classroom hours | At least 12 of the 24 hours must be completed in a classroom. |
| Distance learning | No more than 12 hours. |
| Business management | No more than 8 hours. |
| Renewal fee | $100. |
| Late renewal | A $75 late fee is added after December 31, and the renewal must then be mailed in on paper with a total of $175. |
| Expired more than 24 months | The license cannot be renewed. You must apply for a new license under the requirements in place at that time. |
If your first licensure period is shorter than two years (more than one year but less than two), the Board requires 12 hours instead of 24, still including 3 hours of ethics, with no more than 6 hours of distance learning.
Which courses count
The Board does not pre-approve individual courses, and it asks licensees not to call the office for pre-approval. It is your responsibility to confirm that a course comes from an approved source before you take it. The Board’s continuing education page accepts:
- Courses from providers approved for continuing education by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB).
- Courses approved by the North Carolina Board of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM), the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), or the International Association of Structural Integrators (IASI).
- Courses at an accredited college or university in anatomy, physiology, pathology, psychology, pharmacology, massage and bodywork therapy, or business management.
Your certificate of completion must show the approved provider number, the total hours, and, for an ethics course, the number of ethics hours. You upload a PDF of each certificate when you renew, so keep them together as you earn them.
Two details catch people out. HIV, AIDS and hepatitis courses are accepted for credit but never as ethics hours. And the Board does not accept animal massage courses for credit at all.
In-classroom hours
Since the renewal period that ended December 31, 2024, at least 12 of your 24 hours must be completed in a classroom. Distance learning is capped at 12 hours for a two-year period. In practice that means half of your continuing education has to be hands-on and in person, which is the half most therapists find most useful anyway.
NC Massage School’s continuing education courses are taught in person in our Cornelius classroom, so every hour you take with us counts toward the in-classroom minimum. Each listing on our continuing education schedule shows the approved provider, the provider number and the CE hours, and you receive your certificate at the end of class or by email within three business days. North Carolina requires full attendance for credit, so arrive on time and stay for the whole course; partial credit is not possible.
The renewal timeline
- October 1: the Board’s online renewal pages open. Renewing in October or November leaves time to chase a missing certificate or a forgotten password.
- December 31, 11:59 PM: deadline. An online renewal submitted by then is on time.
- After submitting: the Board mails your renewal certificate and wallet card within 5 to 7 business days. Your card statement is your receipt.
How to renew online
- Go to the Board’s website, bmbt.org, and open the online renewal pages (available from October 1).
- Review your record and update your address or workplace if anything has changed.
- Enter each continuing education activity on the renewal’s second page and upload a PDF of its certificate. The system will not let you continue until the required totals are met, and hours above a category’s maximum are not counted toward the total.
- Answer the renewal questions, pay the $100 fee by card, and submit.
If you miss the deadline
A license that is not renewed by December 31 has expired, and you should not practice until the Board has renewed it. To renew late, contact the Board office for the paper forms and mail the application with the $175 fee ($100 renewal plus the $75 late fee), copies of your continuing education certificates, and a letter stating whether you practiced massage and bodywork therapy in North Carolina after your license expired.
If the license has been expired for more than 24 months it cannot be renewed. At that point you apply for a new license and must meet whatever requirements are in place at the time, which can include the current education minimum and examinations. Renewing on time is far simpler.
Frequently asked questions
Do online continuing education courses count in North Carolina?
Yes, up to 12 of the 24 hours in a two-year period (6 of 12 in a shorter first period). The rest must be completed in a classroom.
Do I need ethics hours every renewal?
Yes. Every renewal requires at least 3 hours of ethics, and the ethics hours must be stated on the course certificate.
Can business or marketing courses count?
Up to 8 hours of business management can count toward a renewal.
Does the Board pre-approve courses?
No. You confirm that the provider is approved and that the provider number and hours appear on your certificate. The Board’s continuing education page lists the approved sources.
When does my license expire?
On December 31 of the year printed on your license. Renewal opens October 1 of that year.
What if my first license was issued mid-cycle?
For a first licensure period of more than one year but less than two, the requirement is 12 hours, including 3 hours of ethics, with no more than 6 hours of distance learning. For a period of two years or more it is the full 24 hours.
Sources
- NC Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy: Continuing Education Requirements
- NC Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy: Online Renewal Information
- NC Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-630.5, License renewal
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-628, Fees
Earn your in-classroom hours near Charlotte
Hands-on weekend workshops at our Cornelius campus, with the provider number and hours on every certificate. Browse the schedule and register for the next course that fits your renewal.
New to the profession? Read how to become a massage therapist in North Carolina.