How to Renew Your Georgia Massage License

Renewing your Georgia massage license does not have to be a complicated or overwhelming process, even if you are quickly approaching the October renewal deadline or late to renew your license. Keep reading to learn how to renew your license in just a few simple steps.

Georgia Massage License Renewal Requirements

If you currently have an active Georgia massage license, your renewal requirements are listed below:

Step 1: Complete Continuing Education (CE) Requirements:

In most cases, you will need 24 CE hours to renew your Georgia massage license.

12 of those 24 hour hours must be hands-on, supervised instruction. The remaining 12 hours are at the licensees discretion. That means those remaining hours can be online or in a classroom setting, as long as the course is Board-approved.

You may complete your continuing education at any time during the current renewal cycle. This means you can complete your CE hours for the current cycle any time between November 1st, 2022 and October 31st, 2024.

Your First Renewal

Of course, there is an exception. If this is your first renewal after receiving a Georgia massage therapy license, you have some special rules to reduce your CE load.

Now, this is where it can be confusing, as there seems to be a difference between those who recently moved to Georgia and got licensed and those who just graduated from a Georgia board-approved school and got licensed.

Situation 1:  Recently Moved to Georgia and Licensed (Likely by Endorsement)

If you just moved to Georgia and it is less than a year from your license issue date until the October 31st deadline, your requirements are below:

An applicant who is licensed during the second year, which we take to mean after November 1st of an odd year, is required to provide 12 hours of continuing education through an approved provider for that renewal period.

Six (6) of the total 12 CE Hours must include direct hands-on supervised instruction and the remaining 6 CE Hours can be hands-on, supervised instruction or other massage therapy related CE hours.

Situation 2: Recently Graduated from a Georgia Massage School

If you graduated from a Georgia-approved massage school within one year of your application date, you are exempt from CE requirements for your first renewal.

(6) An applicant having graduated from a Board recognized approved massage therapy education program within one year of their application date shall be exempt from continuing education requirements for their initial biennium renewal period only.

Finding Acceptable CE Hours

Now that you know how many hours you need for your license renewal, it is time to find acceptable CE course content for your renewal.

Here is a breakdown of what the Georgia Massage Board does and does not consider acceptable course content.

Approved providers for Continuing Education must have a current NCBTMB Continuing Education Provider Number and shall provide information on course attendance to CE Broker.

However, this does not mean that any course from an NCBTMB Approved Provider is approved.

The Board website also states:

All acceptable CE for Georgia licensees must also fall within the scope of practice of massage as defined in the Georgia Massage Therapy Practice Act (Title 43 Chapter 24A).

Here are a few examples of CE that do not meet the Board’s criteria for acceptable content:

• Animal Massage
• Aromatherapy
• CPR
• Light Therapy
• Sound Therapy
• Yoga

Are there any specific CE course requirements?

No. Georgia does not require a course on ethics, human trafficking, or laws and rules like other nearby states for license renewal.

When to Renew Your Georgia Massage License

The deadline to renew a Georgia massage therapy license is October 31st every even year.

The license renewal period usually opens three months before the license renewal deadline. This is the earliest date you can file your license renewal application.

This means Georgia should open the renewal in early August 2024 and close October 31th, 2024.

You will receive several renewal notice reminders via your email address on file with the Board. Login to your Georgia Massage License Account and verify your email address to ensure you receive these reminders. Not getting a renewal notice does not excuse you from the renewal or any late fees.

CE Broker

CE Broker is a tracking system the Georgia Board of Massage therapy uses to track CE hours of licensees. Instead of randomly auditing licensees to make sure they have complied with continuing education requirements, CE Broker allows the Board to verify that all licensees have completed coursework before renewing their license.

CE Broker automatically tracks the CE courses you’ve taken, and some providers may even report your hours directly to the system. If not, you can report your own hours.

All of your required hours will need to be reported in order to start the online renewal process.

Retain copies of all your CE certificates and any renewal documentation for at least five years in case of an audit or if any issues arise with your license renewal.

We Report Your CE Credits to CE Broker

Course credits completed from Efinito are automatically reported on your behalf to CE Broker as long as you provide your Georgia massage therapy license number during your exam.

Step 2: Complete Renewal Application and Pay Fees 

Renewal Application

The quickest way to renew your license is through the Georgia new GOALS website. If you prefer, you may request a paper application by contacting the Board.

NOTE: The GOALS website has had significant problems with the roll out. There are new PIN numbers and verification steps to complete in order to access your license account. We suggest you start the renewal process earlier this year to allow yourself time in case issues arise. If you are having problems with your GOALS account, please visit the State’s Troubleshooting FAQ.

Pay Renewal Fee

Pay the renewal fee. In addition to the renewal fee, there is a processing fee of $5 for online applications, and $10 for paper applications.

Check Your Renewal Status

Wondering if your license renewal went through? To check the status of your license renewal application, login to the Board website and look at your license expiration date in your license information section.

Step 3: Print and Display Your License

Print Your License

Once your renewal has been processed, you will receive an email from the Board and can print your license.

First, login to the Board GOALS website. In your license information section, click the “Print License” link.

Don’t Forget to Display Your License

Failing to display your massage therapist’s license certificate issued by the Board is considered unprofessional conduct.

Your license, or copy of license, must be displayed in a public manner easily and readily available for public view at each location the licensee practices.

Rule 345-6-.01 Professional and Unprofessional Conduct

Rule 345-6-.01 Professional and Unprofessional Conduct

Late, Expired, Reactivation, CE Waivers, and Military License Renewals

According to the Board website, there appears to be three categories of expired massage licenses in Georgia. Make sure you follow the correct steps to get your license active based on your current license status.

Reminder, you can only legally practice massage therapy with an ACTIVE status massage license.

Late Renewal

Georgia’s late renewal period is very short, lasting only 30 days. During this 30 day period, you may renew your Georgia massage license through the online portal or using a paper application, but you may not legally practice massage until your renewal application and late payment fee has been processed.

Georgia Massage Therapy License Late Renewal

You should have all of your required CE hours completed prior to renewing your license.

License Reactivation

License reactivations are for situations where your massage license has been expired for more than 30 days, but less than two years.

In addition to the application and fee, applicants will need to show proof of completion of 24 hours of approved continuing education. These hours cannot be used to meet CE requirements for the biennium that the licenses were reinstated.

License Reinstatement

Once your Georgia massage license has been expired beyond 2 years, you will need to submit an reinstatement application and fee, submit the required continuing education, and retake the exam.

In addition to the application and fee, applicants will need to show proof of completion of 24 hours of approved continuing education taken within one year of the date of reinstatement application.

An approved background check with satisfactory result from a fingerprint record check report conducted by the Georgia Crime Information Center and the FBI.

Rules also state massage reactivation applications must include “verification of having passed the MBLEx, within six (6) months of the date of the reinstatement application.”

Need to study for the MBLEx? Here is our recommendation: Massage Exam Academy – www.massagexamacademy.com

CE Waiver

Life happens. This may be illness, caring for loved ones, or other unforeseen hardships. If you find yourself in this position, you must contact the Board PRIOR to your license expiration date to have the Board consider your waiver request.

The Board may consider a waiver or variance of the requirement of CE hours for licensees who can provide acceptable proof of a verifiable illness, disability or hardship that substantially affected their ability to obtain the required CE hours during the prior biennium renewal period through submission to the board of a completed, signed waiver/variance request form prior to the biennium renewal expiration date of October 31st of every even numbered year.

Rule 345-4-.02 Continuing Education Hours

License Renewal for Active Military

If you are on active duty outside the U.S, the Board has some leniency on late expirations due to service. There is no mention of a waiver of hours or renewal fees, only a waiver of late renewal fees.

Any service member as defined in O.C.G.A. § 43-1-31 whose license to practice Massage Therapy expired while serving on active duty outside the state shall be permitted to practice massage therapy, shall not be charged with a violation relating to such practice on an expired license for a period of six (6) months from the date of his or her discharge from active duty or reassignment to a location within the state. Any such service member shall be entitled to renew such expired license without penalty within six (6) months after the date of his/her discharge from active duty or reassignment to a location within the state. The service member must present to the board a copy of the official military orders or a written verification signed by the service member’s commanding officer to waive any charges.

Get Started on Your Renewal Journey

Remember, starting early and staying informed about your renewal requirements will reduce the stress of the renewal process. If you are ready to get started on your continuing education, let’s take the first step together towards maintaining your professional standing, advancing your career, and learning new ways to help your clients.

Click the button below to view Efinito’s Georgia Massage Board-approved CE courses, hosted directly on CE Broker. Theses courses report to your Georgia massage license automatically once completed!

Other Helpful License Renewal Links

If you have other questions about your situation, refer to the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy or the relevant regulatory body for the most current requirements and procedures. Regulations can change, and it’s crucial to ensure that you’re adhering to the most up-to-date standards.

• Georgia Massage Board Website
• Georgia Massage Board FAQ
• Georgia Massage Therapy Rules
• Georgia Rules on CE and Reinstatement
• Georgia Massage Fee Schedule
• Georgia Massage Board “How to” Guides
• Georgia GOALS FAQ