How to get a Cosmetologist license in California

California cosmetologist licenses

California issues 2 cosmetologist credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for every California cosmetologist license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED

Not required⁷¹

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years¹

Who needs a Cosmetologist license

Cosmetology covers hair (cutting, coloring, waving, straightening, styling), scalp/face/neck/arm massage and skin care, hair removal (except by light-based devices), manicures/pedicures, and eyelash/brow tinting, perming and lash application.¹

Work that does not need this license:

• Exempt: licensed medical, dental, nursing and similar practitioners acting within scope; military officers on duty; theatrical, radio, TV and film production employees; unpaid services outside a licensed establishment; product demonstrations for sale; and certain correctional-institution programs.¹
• Students may serve the public at the approved school where they are enrolled without a license.¹

Other rules on who may do this work:

• A license is required to practice cosmetology for pay; licensees may work only within the scope of their license.¹
• You may not work while waiting for your exam: unlicensed activity carries a $1,000 fine.⁵

Requirements for a Cosmetologist license

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Minimum age

17 years old⁷

Education or training

At least 1,000 clock hours¹

The board's words

“A course in barbering or cosmetology established by a school shall consist of not less than 1,000 hours of practical and technical instruction”

Who may teach it: Only Board-approved schools count; hours from non-approved schools are not recognized. The school issues a Proof of Training document.²
Alternative: Board/DAS-approved cosmetology apprenticeship (see the Cosmetology Apprentice record).⁷
Alternative: Licensed practice outside California: each three months counts as 100 training hours.⁷
Alternative: California-licensed barbers, or barbering-course graduates, who complete a cosmetology crossover course at an approved school.⁷
Alternative: Military training documented by V-MET records may be evaluated for exam eligibility.¹

Exam

California written cosmetologist examination (national examination developed by PSI)²
Given by: PSI²
Passing score: Criterion-referenced passing score set by the Board on subject-matter-expert advice (no fixed percentage published).¹
When you can take it: Apply for the exam once the required hours are complete (with the school's Proof of Training, or an apprenticeship Certificate of Completion).²
Written exam only: 100 scored questions plus 10 pretest questions, 120 minutes; offered in English, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese.²
Retakes: Unlimited retakes; each attempt needs a Re-Examination Application and fee.²
Exam waived: Holders of a current, unrestricted license from another state get a California license by reciprocity without the written exam.⁵

Background check

Background check required³
Applicants with a conviction or no-contest plea attach the Disclosure Statement Regarding Criminal Pleas/Convictions; denial is decided under B&P Code 480.³

Social Security number

SSN or ITIN required; the Board accepts an ITIN instead of an SSN.²

Also required

Bring a valid, unexpired government photo ID to the exam.¹

Also required

Licensees may only work in a Board-licensed establishment.¹

How much a Cosmetologist license costs

Some lines are combined figures, or parts of one; do not add the lines up.

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, PSI², when you schedule.

How to apply

1. Complete a 1,000-hour cosmetology course at a Board-approved school (or a Board/DAS-approved apprenticeship).¹
2. Submit the Cosmetologist Examination Application with the school's Proof of Training and the $125 fee, by mail or online through BreEZe.² Form (PDF, barbercosmo.ca.gov)³
3. After approval, PSI sends a handbook (about 6 weeks); schedule the written exam with PSI.⁵
4. Pass the written exam; the license is issued the same day.⁵

Apply online

breeze.ca.gov²

Application form

Form (PDF, barbercosmo.ca.gov)³

Processing time

PSI handbook arrives about 6 weeks after an initial application is approved (about 3 weeks for re-exams); online applications are processed 2 to 4 weeks faster than mailed ones.⁵

Renewal and continuing education

When it expires

Licenses run two years and expire at midnight on the last day of the month of issue; renewals can be filed up to 83 days early.¹

Renewal fee

$50⁸

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $25¹

If it expires

An expired license can be renewed within five years by paying all missed renewal fees plus the delinquency fee.¹
After five years unrenewed, the license is canceled; you must apply and pass the exam again.⁸
Outstanding fines must be paid before a renewal is issued; there is no retired status.⁸

Renew online

breeze.ca.gov⁸

Moving to California with a license from another state

These are the routes BBC publishes for the Cosmetologist license. The other cosmetologist licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Apprentice

Learn cosmetology while working for wages in a licensed establishment, always under a Board-approved trainer; may only perform services already covered in technical training and may never be the only person working in the salon.¹

Requirements

Minimum age

16 years old⁶

Education or training

At least 2 clock hours¹

The board's words

“shall be two (2) hours of instruction in the laws and regulations of the Board, basic patron protection and sanitation and disinfection procedures.”

Education or training

At least 220 clock hours⁶
Related training (classroom) from the program sponsor: at least 220 hours over two years, in addition to on-the-job hours.⁶
Who may teach it: Taught by a program sponsor approved by the Board and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.⁶

Experience

At least 3,200 hours of on-the-job training⁶

The board's words

“Apprentice are required to complete a minimum of 3200 OJT hours over a 2–year period.”

Supervision: Trainer must hold a license in the same occupation; trainer and establishment may not have outstanding fines, be on probation or have discipline in the last 2 years.⁶

Background check

Background check required¹
Applicants may be denied under B&P Code 480 (criminal convictions).¹

Social Security number

Valid SSN or ITIN and a government photo ID required.⁶

Also required

Employer must carry workers' compensation for the apprentice.⁶

Also required

Working before the apprentice license is issued exposes the salon owner and apprentice to fines of up to $1,000.⁶

Other requirements and options

Apprenticeships exist only for barbering, cosmetology and electrology (not manicurist or esthetician).⁶
School hours cannot be transferred into an apprenticeship.⁶

Fees

How to apply

1. Join a Board-approved apprenticeship program sponsor.⁶
2. Complete the Board's online Pre-Apprentice Training Class.⁶
3. With your sponsor, file the Application for an Apprentice License (naming your trainer and licensed establishment) plus the DAS registration papers, and pay the $25 license fee.⁶
4. After at least 21 months, with OJT and related training complete, apply for the cosmetologist exam with the Certificate of Completion and fee.⁶

Renewal

When it expires

Expires two years after issue, on issue of the full license, or after a second failed exam, whichever comes first; apprentices must apply for the exam within three months of finishing training (the Board may extend for good cause).¹

From another state

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

Apprentice (cosmetology)No local cosmetologist license: the state Board licenses individuals, and the salon itself needs a Board establishment license.¹

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a cosmetologist in California, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in California is on the California license lookup page.

Look up a license

breeze.ca.gov²

File a complaint

barbercosmo.ca.gov²

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code div. 3, ch. 10 (Barbering and Cosmetology Act), §§ 7300-7457
• Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7321 (cosmetologist exam qualifications)
• Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7331 (out-of-state licensees)
• Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7362.5 (1,000-hour course)
• Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, div. 9 (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology), §§ 900-999
• Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 998
• Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7332-7336 (Apprenticeship)
• Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, §§ 913-926 (Apprenticeship)
• Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 998(f)

Rule changes since January 2024

• August 1, 2025: Cosmetologist exam application revised August 2025 (adds expedited processing for active-duty SkillBridge participants).³

Common questions

Cosmetologist licenses in other states

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming