Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) in Colorado – Schools, Salary, and License Info

The Colorado Office of Massage Therapy supervises the massage therapists in this state.

Since 2014, the rules have tightened, and these professionals receive their license based on:

• Completed education
• Passing an exam
• Passing a background check.

Educational Requirements

To pass the educational requirements, a future massage therapist must attend an approved school.

The approved schools meet these criteria:

Popular Programs

• Certification from the Colorado Community College System
• Approval from the Colorado Division of Private and Occupational Schools
• Approval from an educational regulatory agency in another state
• National accreditation

The program for this occupation can’t be shorter than 500 hours.

If you attended a program that was approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), it means you met the educational requirement.

Exam Requirements

To receive a license as a massage therapist, a person must pass an exam, which usually takes place after completing the educational program.

Candidates can choose one of the following exams:

1. the licensing exam of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Board
2. the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCETMB)
3. the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM)
4. another test that the Director approved.

From the list above, the 2nd and 3rd exams used to be offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

This Board now offers only the NCBTMB Board Certification Exam and the BCTMB.

This test is part of the Board Certification process and its requirements are more strict than for the initial license.

For the original license, a candidate can pass the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards examination, the MBLEx.

Those interested in taking this exam must pay the $195 fee when they submit an application.

The Application Process

The application is sent online to the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.

It takes about 5 days to process the applications, and if they’re approved, the candidates will receive an ATT.

The ATT gives them 90 days to schedule the exam through Pearson Vue.

To find out the scores, the candidate can mention in the application of the licensing agency where they want the scores to be sent.

This usually happens within 24 hours of testing.

Candidates must send the verification from all the tests related to massage therapy practice they passed, and they can do so online.

The official transcripts or certificates of education are required by the licensing agency.

However, it’s the issuing institution that has to send these documents.

The Office of Licensing in Denver is the only institution where hand-delivered transcripts or certificates are accepted, as long as they’re in their sealed and original envelopes.

The transcript should include the program’s accreditation or approval, but this can also be sent separately.

The accreditation proof can be a letter from the school or a print from the accrediting agency’s website, and can also be sent by email.

There is an application fee of $80.

Candidates have 30 days to complete the application, and they need to start all over again if they fail to do that.

The application must include the result of a background check done using the fingerprints.

This check can only be done by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

The fingerprints can be submitted within 1 week of completing the application.

Liability insurance is also needed before starting their new careers.

If they don’t have the qualifying policy, they’ll need to attest they will obtain one.

The Healthcare Professions Profiles must also be completed by the candidates, and they can do this after submitting the application.

Out-of-State Massage Therapists

Those applying from out of state will have their status verified by the Office of Massage Therapy Licensure.

The license by endorsement will be given to the candidate if:

• They’re in good standing
• Their jurisdiction has similar standards to those in Colorado.

Only training is accepted id these conditions are met:

• Graduating from a school with a code assigned by the NCBTMB
• The candidate is in good standing

If the program lost its status, each case will be evaluated individually in Colorado.

Candidates will have to prove either:

• Active practice (completing 400 hours in a year), OR
• Prove continuing education for 24 hours
  • These must cover ethics for up to 2 hours, and practice building/ office management of up to 2 hours.

International Candidates

Candidates from other countries will have to be reviewed by:

• The International Education Research Foundation (IERF);
• The International Consultants of Delaware, Inc.
• The Colorado licensing agency

Any of these institutions will verify the candidate’s education, work experience as well as other credentials needed.

International candidates can submit their documents online for review.

Extra Information

The career of a massage therapist is a rewarding one.

As proof, just have a look at the median salary these professionals earn in the main cities of Colorado.

Regional Salary in Colorado

Massage Therapy by State