Alaska Massage Therapy Resources

State Board Contact: Alaska Board of Massage Therapists – Website – Phone (Juneau office): 907-465-2550; Phone (Anchorage office): 907-269-8160; Email: BoardOfMassageTherapists@Alaska.Gov. Mailing: PO Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806.

1. At-a-glance facts

  • License title: Massage Therapist
  • Regulator: Alaska Board of Massage Therapists (through the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing)
  • Education required: 625 hours from an approved massage school (board page states this directly). Alaska Department of Commerce
  • CE required: 16 hours for renewal, with documentation requirements noted on the board forms page. Alaska Department of Commerce+1
  • Renewal cycle: Biennial (renewal form is for biennial renewal). Alaska Department of Commerce
  • Renewal fee: $290 for biennial renewal (with proration details for newer licenses). Alaska Department of Commerce

2. Official board and key links

3. Getting licensed

  • By examination: The board’s applications page starts with the 625-hour requirement and provides the correct application path. Alaska Department of Commerce
  • Education Requirements: 625 hours of massage training from an approved schoolabmp.com, plus passing the MBLEx or NCBTMB exam. Alaska also requires a background check with fingerprints, CPR certification, and 2 hours of bloodborne pathogens (BBP) safety trainingabmp.com.

4. Renewal and CE

  • Continuing Education: 16 CE hours every 2 years are required for license renewal in Alaskaabmp.com.
  • Licensing Fees: $200 application fee and $290 initial license fee (total $490 initial)insurebodywork.com; license renewal is $290 every 2 yearsinsurebodywork.com.
  • Healthcare Provider Status: Alaska licenses massage therapists under its Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. LMTs are considered licensed health practitioners, but they are not classified at the same level as primary healthcare providers. They are subject to professional licensing rules and a defined therapeutic scope (focused on massage treatment and not diagnosis).
  • Licensing History: Alaska implemented massage therapist licensing in 2014 , making it one of the more recent states to regulate the profession. Since then, regulations have added requirements like BBP training and maintained fairly high education standards (625 hours).
  • Insurance Billing: Workers’ Compensation: Alaska allows massage therapy to be reimbursed if prescribed by a physician or chiropractor as part of a worker’s comp treatment plan, though LMTs may need to be an approved provider. Auto Insurance (PIP): Alaska does not have no-fault PIP; standard auto insurance may cover massage under medical payments if medically necessary, but it’s not guaranteed. Health Insurance: No state mandate for coverage. Some Alaska health plans (including certain employer or union plans) may cover massage therapy for injuries or chronic pain if referred by a healthcare provider. Many insurance companies require the massage be billed under a medical provider’s supervision, so independent reimbursement to LMTs is limited.
  • Continuing Education Resources: The Alaska Board recognizes CE courses from approved providers (e.g. NCBTMB-approved or AMTA/ABMP courses). Licensees can find local CE workshops through the Alaska Massage Therapy Association (the AMTA Alaska Chapter) and national providers. The Board’s site and newsletters also announce any state-sponsored CE opportunities.
  • Professional Community & Mentorship: AMTA Alaska Chapter provides a community for Alaska LMTs. Given Alaska’s large geography, online groups (Facebook communities for Alaska massage therapists) are popular for connecting and mentoring. The state’s major cities (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau) often have local networking meetups. Therapists can also leverage alumni networks from local massage schools (and AMTA’s mentoring platform) to find experienced mentors.
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