Texas Massage CE: What Can Be Online, and What Must Be In Person

If you hold a Texas massage therapist license, it's easy to assume you can finish your CE online and be done.

Sometimes that's true. Sometimes it isn't. TDLR doesn't cap online hours by a number. It caps them by subject.

The rule is short, and it's the one I see people miss: online or correspondence CE is acceptable only if the subject is not massage therapy techniques or manipulation of soft tissue.

Important: I'm a bodywork instructor, not TDLR. Rules change. Always confirm with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation before you count on any course for renewal.

The 12-hour rule

Texas massage therapists must complete at least 12 hours of TDLR-approved or recognized continuing education to renew. Licenses run for two years from the date of issuance, and the 12 hours apply to that license term.

That's on TDLR's continuing education page and in 16 TAC §117.30. In the rule, one clock hour is 50 minutes, and 0.1 continuing education unit equals one clock hour. Read the hours on your certificate, not just a "CEU" label.

For a side-by-side look at Texas, Nevada and California, see Massage CE Requirements in Nevada, Texas and California.

What TDLR actually says about online CE

TDLR's continuing education page, under "Online or Correspondence Courses," says:

Continuing education that otherwise meets the standards, but is offered or presented online or by correspondence, is acceptable only if the subject matter is not massage therapy techniques or manipulation of soft tissue.

The same limit is in 16 TAC §117.31(c).

So the question is not "Can Texas CE be online?" The question is "What is this course about?"

What can be online

If the course otherwise meets TDLR's standards and the subject is not techniques or soft-tissue work, it can be online or by correspondence. The rule does not set a separate cap on how many of those hours can be online.

Subjects TDLR lists as acceptable CE include:

• Massage therapy laws and rules
• Business practices
• Professional ethics
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Hydrotherapy
• Kinesiology
• Pathology
• Health and hygiene

First aid and CPR can also count, but only up to 6 hours per renewal period, and only if the instructor is certified by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, National Safety Council, or another provider whose curriculum meets those national guidelines.

That list is why so many "Texas massage CE online" courses exist. Ethics, business and science hours can fit this path. A recorded deep-tissue webinar does not, if the subject is techniques or soft-tissue manipulation.

What has to be in person

If you want CE credit for massage therapy techniques or manipulation of soft tissue, take it live and in person.

The rule doesn't give you a workaround for a livestream, a Zoom demo or a correspondence technique course. TDLR's wording is "online or by correspondence." If the subject is techniques or soft-tissue manipulation, that format is not accepted.

Technique and advanced bodywork courses also have instructor rules. Under 16 TAC §117.31(b), massage therapy techniques and courses involving the manipulation of soft tissue must be taught or presented by a licensed massage therapy instructor, with a separate path for certain out-of-state instructors. That's another reason a random online video is a poor bet for technique hours.

Who TDLR accepts as a provider

TDLR does not pre-approve individual CE programs. You compare the sponsor, the content and the certificate against the rules, and you keep the records.

Providers TDLR recognizes include:

• TDLR-approved continuing education providers (TDLR has a provider search)
• Licensed Texas massage therapy schools, which may issue CE certificates or transcripts for advanced course work
• NCBTMB-approved providers and courses, if the course is directly related to TDLR's acceptable curriculum

Out-of-state CE may be accepted if it is approved by a national board such as NCBTMB (16 TAC §117.31(d)). The subject still has to fit, and technique hours still have to be in person.

Sarga 101's hours are approved through Sarga Bodywork's NCBTMB provider number (#1431), not under my name. Confirm with TDLR for your renewal.

The human trafficking course is separate

TDLR's massage therapist renewal page lists two different requirements: your continuing education hours, and a human trafficking prevention training course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

That trafficking course is required each renewal. Take it during your current license period, and keep the certificate. You do not have to attach it to the renewal unless TDLR asks, but the department can request proof.

Don't assume the HHSC course automatically counts toward your 12 CE hours. TDLR's trafficking-training FAQ says a course can satisfy both requirements only if it is HHSC-approved and it also qualifies under your profession's CE rules. As of November 10, 2026, that FAQ listed podiatry as a profession that may take CE credit this way, and it did not list massage therapy. Check TDLR if you want one course to do both jobs.

Keep your certificates

TDLR uses a random audit system. Audits can happen after you renew, at any time during your license period. Don't mail your certificates with the renewal unless you've been selected for audit. Keep them, and upload them through your TDLR account if you're asked.

Other renewal items on TDLR's renewal page include fingerprinting (complete it at least 30 days before your license expires) and the renewal fee listed there. Confirm the current fee before you pay.

If you want technique hours that count

Look for a live, in-person class whose subject is clearly technique or soft-tissue work, taught by a qualified instructor, with a certificate that shows the provider, hours and dates.

That's the kind of class I teach. Sarga Bodywork® 101 is 4 days in person, 10 am to 5 pm, 8 students max, with 35 NCBTMB-approved CE hours through provider #1431 when you complete the in-person and online portions. Attendance at every in-person session is required for those hours.

Next up: Sarga 101 in Austin, April 12-15, 2027. Tuition is $1,450. See the Sarga 101 training page and the class calendar for details and other cities.

Take it if you want a barefoot method you'll use, not just because 35 hours is more than 12.

FAQ

Can I complete all 12 Texas CE hours online?

Only if none of those hours are massage therapy techniques or manipulation of soft tissue. The rule does not set a numeric cap on online hours for other accepted subjects. If you want credit for a technique class, that class has to be in person.

Does a live webinar count as in person?

TDLR's published rule groups "online or by correspondence" together and does not treat a live webinar as a separate category. If the subject is techniques or soft-tissue manipulation, don't count on a webinar. Confirm with TDLR if a provider tells you otherwise.

Does Sarga 101 count for Texas CE?

Sarga 101 is NCBTMB-approved, and TDLR accepts NCBTMB-approved courses that fit its curriculum. It's taught in person, which Texas requires for technique CE. Confirm with TDLR for your renewal.

Does the HHSC human trafficking course count toward my 12 hours?

Treat it as a separate renewal requirement unless TDLR tells you a specific HHSC-approved course also qualifies as massage CE. Check the current TDLR FAQ before you try to count it twice.

Next step

If you need in-person technique hours, start with the Austin Sarga 101 dates or the calendar. And read TDLR's CE page once before you buy any online package that promises to cover your whole renewal.