It doesn’t have one exact answer, but real tests give a fun range: roughly 150–400 licks for most people, and up to a few thousand in some experiments.

Quick Scoop

  • College “licking machine” tests (like at Purdue) landed around 360–410 licks on average to reach the Tootsie Roll center.
  • Human volunteers in those same studies averaged closer to 150–250 licks.
  • Junior high and other student groups sometimes reported lower numbers, around 140–150 licks on average.
  • Informal attempts and forum posts show people getting anywhere from under 1000 licks to well over 2000, depending on lick strength, tongue roughness, patience, and how strictly they define “reached the center.”

So, in 2026 terms: the “scientific” answer hovers in the low hundreds, but the legendary answer remains the same as the old commercial joke—“the world may never know.”