Massachusetts law about massage therapy

Laws, regulations, case law and web sources on massage therapy law.

If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, or if you have a specific question, please contact our law librarians for assistance.

Best bet

Board of Registration of Massage Therapy
This is the agency that licenses massage therapists. Contains links to licensing information and forms.

Massachusetts laws

• MGL c.13, § 98 Board of Registration of Massage Therapy
• MGL c.13, § 99 Powers and duties of Board of Registration of Massage Therapy
• MGL c.112:
  • § 227 Definitions. Defines what massage therapy is, and what it is not
  • § 228 Licensing of massage therapists
  • § 229 Application for massage therapist license; renewal
  • § 230 Reciprocal licenses for massage therapists from other jurisdictions
  • § 231 Requirements for licensing of massage therapists
  • § 232 Unethical or unprofessional conduct
  • § 233 Licensing of massage therapy schools
  • § 234 Regulations by board
  • § 235 Advertising by massage therapists
• MGL c.140, § 51 Local boards of health may regulate other fields (such as bodywork therapy) not licensed as massage therapy

Massachusetts regulations

269 CMR Board of Registration of Massage Therapists

Selected cases

Duggan v. Town of N. Attleborough, 27 LCR 483 (2019), MISC-18-000007
A licensed massage therapist is a "professional" within the scope of grandfathering under G.L. c. 40A, § 7.  They can have an office in a for use as "professional office space."

Wang v. Board of Registration in Massage Therapy, SJ-2022-0118 (Jan. 30, 2023)
Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the Board’s revocation of a massage therapist’s license upon judicial review under G.L. c. 112, § 64, in accordance with the standards provided in G.L. c. 30A, § 14.

Forms

Instructions on submitting an Initial Massage Therapist
Application
Includes instructions on how to become a licensed massage therapist.

Web sources

American Massage Therapy Association Massachusetts chapter law and legislation update 
Recent and proposed legislative changes as summarized by a local chapter of a national massage therapists’ organization.

Check a professional massage therapist’s license online
Under "Licensing Entity", choose "Board of Registration of Massage Therapy" in the pull-down menu to search license records.

Exempted individuals (massage therapy) 
List of bodywork therapists exempted from registration with the Board of Registration of Massage Therapists. Local boards of health may regulate fields not licensed as Massage Therapy.

Preemption of local boards of health from licensing and regulating massage therapists, Division of Professional Licensure, January 30, 2008.
Local Boards of Health in cities and towns cannot license or regulate massage therapists.

Last updated:	March 5, 2025