How to Become a Cosmetologist: License Requirements by State
Checked against official state sources ·
Every state licenses cosmetologists through a board of cosmetology or barbering, or a licensing department. You typically complete 1,000 to 1,800 hours at a licensed school (or a longer apprenticeship where allowed), then pass a written theory exam and, in most states, a practical exam — often the national NIC exams given through a testing company like PSI or Prov. Hours, fees, renewal cycles and continuing education differ widely, and several states have recently lowered their required hours.
Of the 50 states covered here, 50 require a licensing exam and 50 require set training hours.
The steps most states share
- Meet the basic requirements — usually at least 16 to 18 years old with some high school or a diploma.
- Complete the required hours at a licensed cosmetology school, or an apprenticeship where your state allows it.
- Pass the written (theory) exam and the practical exam your state requires, plus any state law exam.
- Apply to your state board with the fee and get your license before you work on clients.
- Renew on schedule and complete any continuing education your state requires.
Requirements by state
| State | Exam | Training | Term | State fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $50 original license fee (paid after passing both exams). |
| Alaska | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $150 nonrefundable application fee plus $180 initial license fee ($330 total). |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 initial personal license fee. |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | — |
| California | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $125 non-refundable application, examination and initial license fee. |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | Cosmetologist licenses expire on April 30; the Office says the year depends on your issue date. New licenses issued within 120 days of the next expiration date run to the following expiration date. | — |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $100 initial application (examination) fee. |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | — |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $45 application fee paid to DBPR with the COSMO 1 application (the rule sets a $40 original license fee plus the Department's share of the exam fee). |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $30 application for licensure by exam. |
| Hawaii | Yes | Yes | All beauty operator licenses expire December 31 of each odd-numbered year, no matter when they were issued. | $20 non-refundable application fee. After you pass, you pay license fees listed on a "Fees Due" notice. The application lists the full totals as $92 if licensed in an odd-numbered year or $165 in an even-numbered year ($20 application + $22 license + Compliance Resolution Fund fee, plus half the renewal fee in even years). Optional temporary permit: $40 on the December 2025 application form (the Board's FAQ still says $37). |
| Idaho | Yes | Yes | New licenses are issued for at least 2 years and expire on your birthday. | Since July 1, 2026: $30 application fee plus $60 original license fee (a 2-year license). License by endorsement is $90. |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | Cosmetologist licenses expire September 30 of each odd-numbered year, so your first license may last less than 2 years. | $30 license fee filed with the application. Endorsement for out-of-state licensees: $45. |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | 4 yrs | $40 application fee (not refundable). Renewal is $40 per 4-year cycle. |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | Licenses run on a two-year cycle from April 1 to March 31. A license issued within six months of the renewal date is not renewed until the next cycle. | $60 application fee (not refundable). |
| Kansas | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 non-refundable license application fee. Optional temporary permit: $15. |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes | Starting July 2026, licenses renew every two years in even-numbered years; current licenses run to July 31, 2028. | $50 initial license fee. Out-of-state endorsement: $100. |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | Certificates renew every year on or before your birthday and expire 30 days after your birthday if not renewed. | $35 for the initial certificate of registration (R.S. 37:599). Student registration: $10. |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | Licenses renew every year by October 31. | Cosmetologist licenses cost $20 per year. OPOR's endorsement application lists $41 total ($20 license plus $21 application fee). |
| Maryland | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $28 original cosmetologist license (2 years). Apprentice cosmetologist license: $11. |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $68 application fee for the cosmetologist license. |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $63 application and 2-year license fee (by exam or by reciprocity). |
| Minnesota | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | $195 for the initial 3-year license ($155 license fee plus $40 application fee). |
| Mississippi | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $25 non-refundable application to test, then $50 practitioner license fee. |
| Missouri | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $25 student enrollment or apprentice enrollment fee. The Board's fee rule lists no separate first-license fee for operators. |
| Montana | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | Original license fee: ARM 24.121.401, as amended effective November 22, 2025, sets $100. The Board's cosmetologist checklist (updated 8/10/24) and license page still show $80. |
| Nebraska | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $95 initial cosmetologist license fee; $25 if issued July to December of an even-numbered year (licenses expire December 31 of even years). The initial and temporary license fees are waived for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military families. |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | You choose a 2-year or 4-year license. | $70 for a 2-year license or $140 for a 4-year license, plus the $125 testing fee. |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $55 application fee for the cosmetologist license; $55 for the apprentice license. |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $50 exam fee (includes the application fee), plus an initial license fee of $90 if issued in the first year of the 2-year cycle or $45 in the second year. |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $100 cosmetologist license fee (plus a $10 application fee listed on the board's fee page). |
| New York | Yes | Yes | 4 yrs | $40 initial application fee ($50 combined with a 6-month temporary license). |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | 3 yrs | Initial cosmetologist license: $49 per the Board's fee page ($64 for out-of-state applicants). The statute sets the cosmetologist license fee at $39 every 3 years (G.S. 88B-20). |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | Original cosmetologist license: up to $50 (statutory maximum, N.D.C.C. 43-11-28). Student registration: up to $15. |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $40 exam application fee plus $45 license issuance fee (OAC 4713-1-17). |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Yes | Licenses run one year and expire on the last day of your birth month; a two-year renewal ($80) is also available. | $50 exam registration; $40 per year license fee ($80 for a 2-year license). |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $30 application fee per field of practice, $45 per written exam, and $35 for the two-year practitioner certificate (OAR 817-040-0003). |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $26 initial cosmetologist license fee (49 Pa. Code 7.2, effective July 1, 2024). |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $25 application fee (Hairdresser/Cosmetologist: Application by Examination, 216-RICR-10-05-2). |
| South Carolina | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $45 cosmetologist examination application fee ($60 by endorsement). |
| South Dakota | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $120 examination and initial license fee (includes your first license); $90 per exam retake. |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 initial cosmetologist license application fee. |
| Texas | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $50 non-refundable license application fee. |
| Utah | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $60 cosmetologist license application fee ($20 to register an apprenticeship). |
| Vermont | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $120 cosmetologist application fee. |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | Exam fee paid to Prov ($194 for theory and practical). The Board's fee regulation lists a $120 individual application fee. |
| Washington | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $35 cosmetologist license fee. |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | 1 yrs | $35 initial license (Application for Registration); $25 student registration permit. |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Yes | 2 yrs | $11 cosmetologist initial credential fee. |
| Wyoming | Yes | Yes | The first license runs one year from the month you get it; after that, licenses renew every two years in your birth month. | $48 license fee, sent with the exam application. |
More states are added only once their rules are checked against the state's own commissioning office.
General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with your state's commissioning office before you apply.