Massage | Massachusetts | MBLEx
Massachusetts Will Require MBLEx for Applications After January 1, 2027
Massachusetts applicants who expect to submit after January 1, 2027 should pass the MBLEx in advance, including out-of-state licensees who must use the…
- Flag every Massachusetts applicant who expects to submit after January 1, 2027 and has not yet passed the MBLEx.
- Build time into the plan for MBLEx authorization, testing, score reporting, and a possible retake before filing.
- Treat an out-of-state license as supporting documentation, not as an automatic transfer; use the current Massachusetts new-license application process.
- Before submitting, recheck 269 CMR 3.01, the live application checklist, and any new Board guidance for the exact filing-date rule.
Published: 2026-08-26 · Reviewed: 2026-08-26
Official context
Massachusetts regulation 269 CMR 3.01(2)(i) states that an applicant submitting an application after January 1, 2027 must receive a passing score on an examination approved by the Board. In its November 17, 2025 meeting, the Board unanimously approved the MBLEx administered through FSMTB as the examination satisfying that provision. The rule says applications submitted after January 1, so the filing date—not a student's graduation date, relocation date, or date licensed elsewhere—controls the transition language.
What this means
Applicants who may file after the cutoff should be flagged now if they have not passed the MBLEx, because exam scheduling, score reporting, and any retake can consume time. Do not assume an existing out-of-state massage license simply transfers: the Board's current public licensing page says Massachusetts does not have a reciprocity-transfer process in place and that a new massage therapy license application must be submitted. Although 269 CMR 3.01 contains a reciprocal-licensure provision, applicants should follow the Board's current published workflow and verify their individual route directly with the Board. The live application page may be revised as 2027 approaches, so its current document list should not be used to discount the new regulation.
Official sources
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/269-cmr-3-individual-licensure/download
- https://www.mass.gov/doc/mt-minutes-11-17-25/download
- https://www.mass.gov/massage-therapy-licensing
- https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-massage-therapy-license
Licensing & Industry Updates is an educational summary of official public communications. It is not legal advice, and filing decisions should be checked against the current board page or rule text.