Educated in Ontario

Pour de l’assistance ou des renseignements en français, veuillez contacter cmto@cmto.com

Step 1: Complete a Massage Therapy diploma from a recognized Ontario education program

In Ontario, diploma programs in Massage Therapy are offered at colleges of applied arts and technology, and career colleges registered with and approved by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities.  Currently, a Massage Therapy diploma completed at any college of applied arts and technology, or career college in Ontario meets the education requirement for registration.

• Find a college of applied arts and technology offering a Massage Therapy program
• Find a career college offering a Massage Therapy program

Accreditation of Ontario Massage Therapy Education required as of January 1, 2027

The Registration Regulation under the Massage Therapy Act, 1991, has been amended to give CMTO the authority to approve programs for the purposes of registration as of January 1, 2027. CMTO will be approving programs that are accredited by the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA). Please see Accreditation of Massage Therapy Education for more information about the transition to mandatory accreditation, including the impact on students who were enrolled in a program before January 1, 2027.

If you graduated from a program that is no longer operating, please contact registrationservices@cmto.com.

Exam Eligibility

After the completion of a diploma, graduates have three years to write their certification exams. If a diploma program was completed more than three years before the date of the exam, candidates must successfully complete a CMTO Refresher Course.

Step 2: Register for and complete the certification exams

Once you have graduated from a recognized Massage Therapy program and met CMTO’s requirements in Step 1, you must successfully complete the certification exams administered by Prometric on behalf of CMTO. There are two mandatory certification exams:

• The written Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) exam; and
• The Objectively Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE).

Learn more about the certification exams.

Step 3: Complete CMTO’s Jurisprudence Program

After meeting the requirements in Step 1 and Step 2, you must successfully complete CMTO’s Jurisprudence Program, a four-hour online course designed to provide applicants with information on: 

1. Legislation and Regulations; 
2. Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Standards of Practice; and 
3. Professionalism and Code of Ethics. 

Learn more about the Jurisprudence Program. 

Step 4: Complete your registration

After completing the Jurisprudence Program, it can take up to 10 business days for CMTO to provide information on the Initial Registration (IR) process. This e-mail will include information about application fees and a list of required documents that must be submitted with an application. It will also include a link to complete an online application.

Individuals registering for the first time with CMTO will be able to register for either a General or Inactive certificate of registration.

To complete your registration, you must:

• Submit a Vulnerable Sector Check (to support demonstration of good character);
• Submit your Transcript from your Massage Therapy education program;
• Meet the requirements of CMTO’s Language Fluency Policy;
• Demonstrate good character;
• Provide proof of CPR certification in level A, B, C, HCP or BLS and First Aid in Emergency or Standard level;
• Pay the registration fee;
• Obtain professional liability insurance (PLI) as noted in CMTO’s By-Law No.10 (not applicable to Inactive Certificate registration);
• Submit a headshot photo; and
• Submit government-issued ID confirming authority to practise in Canada.

Before logging in to complete the application, please gather the required documents listed on the Initial Registration Document Checklist. Submission of the application information and payment of the application fee is completed online. Detailed information about the Initial Registration process, required documents and fees can be found in the Initial Registration Application Guide.

Once your completed application including all required documentation is received, it will be processed within 10 business days from the date all requirements have been received by CMTO. If your application is incomplete at the time it is submitted, or if more information is required, you will be contacted by e-mail within 10 business days. You may also check the status of your submitted application through your dashboard on CMTO’s Applicant Portal.

A note about fees

CMTO’s registration year runs from January 1 – December 31, and renewal takes place from October 1 – December 31 for the following year. If you become registered after October 1, you must pay the application fee, the prorated fee for the remainder of that year and the full fee for the following year. Please also note:

• If your registration is granted at any time up to and including October 31: You must renew your registration by November 1. If you don’t renew by this deadline, you will be charged a $100.00 late fee. If you do not renew and pay all required fees by December 31, your registration may be suspended for non-payment of fees.
• If your registration is granted after November 1: Although no late fee applies, you must renew your registration by December 31, or your registration may be suspended for non-payment of fees.

If you are planning to apply for registration later in the year and cannot pay the prorated annual fee and the renewal fee for the following year, you may wish to consider applying for registration after January 1.

If you have any questions about Initial Registration, please contact registrationservices@cmto.com.