How to Become a Cosmetologist in New Mexico

Checked against New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists · Verified 2026-10-17

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: $100 cosmetologist license fee (plus a $10 application fee listed on the board's fee page).
Licensed by: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists

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Who can apply

You must be at least 17 years old (16.34.5.8 NMAC).
You must complete the 1,600-hour cosmetology course (or equivalent credit) at a school licensed by the board.
You must pass the board's practical and written examinations and pay the required fees.

Step by step

Enroll in a cosmetology school licensed by the board.
Complete the 1,600-hour cosmetology course.
Schedule your exams with Professional Credential Services (PCS), the board's testing vendor.
Pass the national practical, national theory (written) and New Mexico state law exams.
Self-register in the RLD online portal (NM-PLUS) and submit the Cosmetology License application with the $100 license fee.
Once licensed, post your license with a recent passport-size color photo where clients can see it.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: New Mexico requires 1,600 hours (or equivalent credit) in a cosmetology course at a school licensed by the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (16.34.5.10 NMAC).

Exam: The exam is scored in three segments: national practical, national theory written, and state law written. You need a scaled score of at least 75 on each. If you fail a segment, you retake only that segment in full (16.34.3.9 NMAC). The board's FAQ says to contact PCS (1-888-822-3272) to schedule. By rule, exam and re-exam fees are a maximum of $100. Timing: the board FAQ says you have 24 months after finishing school to complete the exams, while 16.34.5.8 NMAC says the course must have been completed within the preceding 12 months; check with the board.

Practice for the cosmetology written exam free — infection control, hair care, chemical services, skin and nails →

What it costs in New Mexico

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Cosmetology school tuition (1,600 hours)$
Student permit (issued through your school)(optional)$25
Exams through PCS (rule caps exam fees at $100)$
Cosmetologist license fee$100
Application fee$10

Estimated total in New Mexico$110Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Student permit: $25 (permits are issued to the school; the board FAQ says students with permits may practice only after finishing their education while awaiting a license).
Exam and re-exam fees: up to $100 under the board's fee rule (16.34.14.8 NMAC); the exact amount is set by the testing vendor.
Late renewal fee: $40.
School tuition varies by school.

Pay in New Mexico

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How long it takes

The board FAQ says applications are approved within 3-5 business days from completion.

Keeping your license

Renewal: Renew online through the RLD portal. The board FAQ says the renewal fee is $100 for a 2-year period and licenses expire on the last day of your birth month; the board's fee page lists the $100 cosmetologist renewal under 'Annual Renewal Fees'. A $40 late fee applies after the expiration date. The board lists continuing education as a renewal requirement for instructors (12 hours a year), not for cosmetologists.

Good to know in New Mexico

States not eligible for expedited licensure: Cosmetologists licensed in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas or Puerto Rico are not eligible for expedited licensure because their training rules are not consistent with New Mexico's minimum (16.34.6.8 NMAC). Military service members and veterans have a separate expedited route.

Expired license: If your license has been expired 1 to 5 years you must retake the exams. After more than 5 years you must complete at least 150 hours of remedial education at a licensed school and retake all exams (16.34.3.11 NMAC).

Foreign-trained applicants: Submit notarized English translations of your license and transcript. If you fail any part of the exam, you must complete at least 150 hours of remedial education before retesting (16.34.3.13 NMAC).

Scope: A New Mexico cosmetologist may cut and style hair, do chemical services, facials, makeup, manicures and pedicures, lash and brow services, and trim beards with clippers or scissors, but may not shave with a straight razor. Barber, esthetician, manicurist/pedicurist and hairstylist are separate licenses.

Licensed in another state: Submit the reciprocity application, the jurisprudence exam and the $150 reciprocity fee through NM-PLUS. No temporary licenses are issued for reciprocity applicants. Board staff must issue an expedited license within 30 days of a complete application (unless there is a disqualifying conviction or other cause for Board review). At your first renewal you must pass the Board's practical and written exams to receive a regular license (16.34.6.12 NMAC).

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists before you apply.