Washington State Massage CE Requirements 2026: A Complete Guide
If you're a licensed massage therapist in Washington, staying current with your continuing education requirements is essential for license renewal. Here's everything you need to know about WA massage CE requirements for 2026, including the new health equity training mandate.
The Basics: 24 Hours Every 2 Years
Washington requires 24 CE hours every two years for massage license renewal. Your renewal date is based on your birthday and the year of your original license issuance.
Not all 24 hours are created equal. The state breaks them into specific categories with distinct rules about format and content.
Required Categories
Ethics, Communication, and Boundaries: 4 hours minimum. At least 2 of these 4 hours must specifically cover professional roles and boundaries. These hours can be completed online.
Health Equity Training: 2 hours minimum. This is a newer requirement that took effect January 1, 2024. It applies to all health professions licensed under RCW 18.130, including massage therapy. The training must address health disparities, social determinants of health, and strategies for reducing inequities in care.
In-Person Supervised Skills Training: 8 hours minimum. These must involve direct, supervised application of massage therapy techniques. Online courses do not satisfy this requirement.
Remaining Hours: The balance of your 24 hours (up to 10 additional hours) can be in any approved massage therapy topic.
Online vs. In-Person
Up to 16 of your 24 hours can be completed online, including your ethics and health equity hours. The remaining 8 hours must be completed in person with direct supervision.
This means you can complete your ethics, health equity, and several elective hours online, then fulfill your hands-on requirement through a local workshop or training.
NCBTMB Certification (Separate from State License)
If you hold NCBTMB board certification in addition to your state license, you have a separate requirement: 24 CE hours every 2 years, with at least 3 hours in ethics. NCBTMB accepts courses from approved providers.
How The Listening Field Can Help
The Listening Field offers NCBTMB-approved online courses that satisfy several of Washington's CE categories:
Ethics: Our supervised ethics courses meet the 4-hour ethics requirement, including professional roles and boundaries. Our trauma-informed ethics course is one of our most popular offerings.
Health Equity: Our Cultural Competency and Health Equity CE course is approved for 2 CE credits and meets Washington's health equity training requirement.
Cultural Competency: Our full cultural competency course sequence provides additional hours in a topic area that strengthens your practice and your license portfolio.
Visit our Bundles page to see course packages designed for Washington massage therapists, or browse our Ethics Courses and Cultural Competency Courses to build your own renewal plan.
