Obtaining a Hawai'i State Massage license
with hours from another state
If you want to get a massage license in Hawai'i and you have massage training hours from another state, or if you are ready to take the state exam, you will need to contact the Hawai'i Board of Massage at 808-586-3000, or 808-586-2694, or http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/pvl/boards/massage/ .
Every state has its own requirements in terms of the number of training hours (570 for Hawai'i) and the proportion of classroom to hands-on training required, and the State of Hawaii does not recogize licenses from other states nor the National Exam . The Hawai'i Board of Massage, and only the Hawai'i Board of Massage, can determine which of your out-of-state hours will count and which ones will not. And only they (i.e. not us) can tell you how many and what kind of hours you will need.
Once the Board of Massage has told you, in writing, how many hours you need, then you can come to the Big Island Academy of Massage for those additional hours. We highly recommend, as a safety measure, that you take more hours than they tell you they need.
Here are some common scenerios to give you an idea of the process:
1. You have completed more than 570 certified hours in another state.
1a. If the Board approves all of your hours, you will only need to take the state exam, held every March, June, September, and December. See their website for details.
1b. If the Board tells you that you need more hours, those hours can be obtained either by enrolling in some of our continuing education workshops or by working as a student in the clinic in our Level 2 pre-licensing program.
2. You have completed less than 570 certified hours in another state.
2a. You will need more hours. Find out how many and what kind. You can get all of the hours you need here at the Academy, whether it be anatomy, massage workshops, or hands-on Level 2 massage hours in the clinic.
Please contact us after you have contacted the Hawai'i Board of Massage and they have determined what you need.
