Continuing Education: Frequently Asked Questions

How many CEs do I need?
Oregon requires 25 hours of continuing education every two years, due with your renewal. 12 of those must be "contact" hours and the other 13 can be either "contact" or "noncontact" hours. If you are licensed in another state, please check with the licensing agency of that state for specific details.

What is the difference between "contact" hours and "noncontact" hours?
For exact details, please visit the OBMT web site. Contact hours are essentially classes (that show a demonstrable relationship to the practice of massage) taught by and in the presence of an instructor and other LMTs. Noncontact hours can be met through a variety of sources, including volunteering, books, DVDs, attending board meetings, research, and other types of study related to massage. Again, for specifics as to what can be accepted, please contact the OBMT.

How many hours of Ethics are required?
Currently, ethics classes are not required by the state of Oregon. If you choose to maintain certification with or membership in an organization that does require ethics classes, these can also be used towards your continuing education hours for Oregon as long as they also meet Oregon criteria.

Why is continuing education so expensive?
That depends on how you choose to fulfill it! Certainly there are classes out there that cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. This is not feasible for all LMTs and the board recognizes this (which is why the noncontact hours are so easy to fulfill). Furthermore, you can still get contact hours at reasonable prices (including FREE) if you know where to look and what to do. If you are in an area where OMTA has an area representative, members can attend a 2 CE hour meeting for free as often as on a monthly basis. If you aren't in an area with an active OMTA area representative, we'd love to have you volunteer, or you could even form a small local group on your own, meeting monthly for an hour, and rotating who is the "teacher" for the session.

How do I become a certified provider for continuing education for massage therapists in Oregon?
There is currently no such thing as a certified provider for continuing education for massage therapists in Oregon. If you have a class that you feel is of value to massage therapists, go ahead and offer it! LMTs in Oregon are responsible for tracking and maintaining records of their CE hours. It is helpful, if you do offer a course, that you provide attendees of your classes with a certificate that has the following information on it: Class title (and brief description if the title does not fully describe the coursework), instructor name, date, and time(s) of the class, instructor phone number, and the number of hours of the class.

What classes can I take for Oregon that are also good for my national license?
1) There is no such thing at this time as a "national license" for massage therapy.
2) If you are referencing the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), courses taught by NCBTMB-approved instructors can count for contact hours for Oregon as well. If you take an NCBTMB-approved course online, via video, or through another media form, the credits will count for noncontact hours for Oregon.

Topic-Specific FAQ

Choosing an LM T

Insurance

Regulation and Licensing

Legislation

Continuing Education Resources

OMTA Annual Conference

OMTA CEU: Continuing Education University

OMTA Area Representatives

OMTA Member Schools

OMTA LMT Member Instructors

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