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How to get a Cosmetologist license in Idaho

Idaho licenses cosmetologists statewide through the Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board.1 For the Cosmetologist license you need at least 1,600 clock hours2 of education, a passing score on the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) written and practical cosmetology examinations3 and a criminal background check4. The board lists $30 for the application3 and $60 for the initial license3, each a separate charge. You renew every 2 years5.

Last checked · 9 official sources

Who issues it

Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board

Training and experience

Training: at least 1,600 clock hours2

Exam

National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) written and practical cosmetology examinations3

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $303
Initial license fee: $603

Renewal

Every 2 years5

From another state

License by endorsement1 Details

On this page
  1. Idaho cosmetologist licenses
  2. Applies to every license level
  3. Who needs a Cosmetologist license
  4. Requirements for a Cosmetologist license
  5. How much a Cosmetologist license costs
  6. How to apply
  7. Renewal and continuing education
  8. Moving to Idaho with a license from another state
  9. Apprentice Registration
  10. Cosmetology Instructor
  11. City and county rules
  12. Check a license or report a problem
  13. Laws and rules
  14. Rule changes since January 2024
  15. Common questions
  16. Cosmetologist licenses in other states

Idaho cosmetologist licenses

Idaho issues 3 cosmetologist credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

LicenseWhat it coversTraining or experienceExamApplication or license fee
Apprentice Registration (cosmetology apprentice)Learn and practice cosmetology under direct supervision as a registered apprentice, under a Board-approved curriculum, until you qualify for the licensing exams.3–No1$303
CosmetologistCosmetology services such as hair, skin and nail care. Cosmetologists may give noninvasive skin care, use FDA Class I skin-care devices, and use Class II devices only under the direction and supervision of a licensed health care practitioner.1Training 1,600 clock hours2Yes1$303
Cosmetology InstructorTeach cosmetology in a licensed school or supervise apprentices. Instructors may teach only subjects within their own licensed scope of practice.3––$303

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the Idaho cosmetologist licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

1. Every license level (all 3)

Requirements

Background check
Background check required4
Fill in one Criminal Conviction Disclosure Form for each conviction, with court and probation/parole documents. Failing to report a conviction counts as falsifying the application and may lead to denial. Applications with criminal or discipline history are not approved between Board meetings.4

Fees

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Application fee$303Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing BoardNot refundable. Effective July 1, 2026

How to apply

Apply online
edopl.idaho.gov6

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Service members, honourably discharged veterans and military spouses may get expedited processing and credit for relevant military training (Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407). Active members may get renewal fee and requirement waivers (Idaho Code 67-2606).7

2. Every license level except Apprentice Registration (cosmetology apprentice)

Fees

FeeAmountPaid to
License verification to another state$106Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board

How to apply

Temporary or provisional license
None. The Board does not issue temporary licenses.1
Processing time
Complete applications with no criminal or discipline history are reviewed and approved between Board meetings. No number of days is published.1

Renewal

How often
Every 2 years5
When it expires
From July 1, 2026 DOPL is moving the Board to 2-year licenses. Individual licenses expire on the licensee's birthday; existing licensees move over in 2026-2027 based on even/odd birth year. New applicants get a license of at least 2 years that expires on their birthday. You can renew up to 60 days before expiry.5
Late renewal
Reinstatement fee: $3556
Renew online
edopl.idaho.gov6

Who needs a Cosmetologist license

Cosmetology services such as hair, skin and nail care. Cosmetologists may give noninvasive skin care, use FDA Class I skin-care devices, and use Class II devices only under the direction and supervision of a licensed health care practitioner.1

Other rules on who may do this work:

  • Some limited services may be done outside a licensed establishment: hair styling (with incidental trimming), temporary wash-out color, tweezing on the face and neck, cleansing the face before makeup, polish-only nail services with a single-use emery board, and makeup application.3
  • Needle-free "jet" injectors and fibroblast plasma pens are FDA Class II devices. Cosmetologists may use them only under the direction and supervision of a licensed health care provider.1

Requirements for a Cosmetologist license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

Education or training
At least 1,600 clock hours2
The board's words

“MINIMUM HOURS REQUIRED = 1600”


Who may teach it: A Board-licensed barber or cosmetology school with an approved curriculum. Clinical work must be supervised by a licensed instructor. The school keeps a monthly record of instruction.3
Alternative: Apprenticeship under a licensed instructor in a licensed establishment instead of school. A cosmetology apprenticeship must be finished within 104 weeks.1
Alternative: Licensed barber-stylists need 300 extra hours of cosmetology instruction; licensed barbers 700 hours; licensed estheticians or nail technicians 1,400 hours (or 2,800 apprentice hours).3
Alternative: A school may credit 80% of hours earned as an esthetician, barber, barber-stylist or nail technician student, up to 200 hours, toward the cosmetology course. Up to 30 hours can come from instructor-approved activities outside school.3
Alternative: Licensed in another state but not eligible for endorsement: practical experience can be credited at 200 student hours (or 400 apprentice hours) for every 6 months of cosmetology work.3
Exam
National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) written and practical cosmetology examinations3
Given by: ProV, Inc.1
When you can take it: Schools register their students for the exams. For apprentices, the supervising instructor registers them with ProV. Applicants trained out of state get a Verification of Eligibility (VOE) letter from DOPL first, then contact ProV.1
Written (theory) examination3
Practical examination3
Also required
Applications are made online through a DOPL Online Services profile. The application lists the documents you need, and you upload them as you go.1

How much a Cosmetologist license costs

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Initial license fee$603Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing BoardNot refundable. Effective July 1, 2026

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, ProV, Inc.1, when you schedule.

How to apply

  1. Complete the cosmetology hours at a Board-licensed school (or a registered apprenticeship).3
  2. Take the NIC written and practical exams through ProV. Your school (or your apprenticeship instructor) registers you.1
  3. Create a DOPL Online Services profile and apply for the license, uploading the documents the application asks for. Pay the $30 application fee and the $60 license fee.1 edopl.idaho.gov6
  4. If you have a criminal conviction, upload a Criminal Conviction Disclosure Form for each conviction with court documents.4
  5. Do not work until your license is issued.1

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal fee
$603
If it expires
You may not practice on an expired license. A $35 reinstatement fee applies to lapsed licenses.1

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Idaho Cosmetologist license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Moving to Idaho with a license from another state

These are the routes the Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board publishes for the Cosmetologist license. The other cosmetologist licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Route
License by endorsement
What the board says
Licensed in another state: apply by endorsement through DOPL Online Services. If you do not meet endorsement requirements, your practical experience can be credited toward the training hours. If you trained out of state but have not taken the exams, DOPL sends a Verification of Eligibility so you can test with ProV.1
Conditions
Out-of-state apprentices must send a certified record of their apprenticeship hours and operations.3
Fee
$903

Apprentice Registration

Learn and practice cosmetology under direct supervision as a registered apprentice, under a Board-approved curriculum, until you qualify for the licensing exams.3

Requirements

Education or training
A cosmetology apprenticeship must be completed within 104 weeks. The instructor must get Board approval of the curriculum before teaching starts.3
Who may teach it: The apprentice trains under a licensed instructor in an establishment that is not under discipline. The establishment keeps daily work records for 5 years and gives monthly progress reports.3
Experience
Supervision: Instructors may supervise only within their own licensed scope of practice. Failing to supervise an apprentice properly is unprofessional conduct.3
Exam
Not required1
Also required
If you stop an apprenticeship, you must get a new registration before you resume.3

How to apply

  1. Find a licensed instructor and an establishment (not under discipline) to train you. The instructor gets Board approval of the curriculum.3
  2. Register as an apprentice through DOPL Online Services and pay the fees.6 edopl.idaho.gov6
  3. Finish within 104 weeks; then your instructor signs you up with ProV for the NIC exams.1

From another state

Route
No reciprocity
What the board says
No transfer of an apprentice registration. Hours from an out-of-state apprenticeship can be counted if certified by that state's agency or instructor.3

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 under Applies to every license level.

Cosmetology Instructor

Teach cosmetology in a licensed school or supervise apprentices. Instructors may teach only subjects within their own licensed scope of practice.3

Requirements

Education or training
Instructor training at a Board-licensed school, recorded on the Board's Instructor Student Record of Instruction (lesson planning, audio-visual aid preparation, theory class, practical demonstrations, testing and evaluation). The form shows "MINIMUM HOURS REQUIRED = 500/ 1000" without saying which figure applies to whom.8
Who may teach it: Training is completed at a licensed school, recorded by the school and verified by the student and a licensed instructor of the school, and sent to the Board within 30 days of completion.8
Also required
An instructor under ongoing discipline may not supervise an apprentice. Instructors who supervise apprentices must get Board approval of the curriculum first.3

Fees

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Initial license fee$703Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing BoardNot refundable. Effective July 1, 2026

How to apply

  1. Complete instructor training at a licensed school; the school sends your Instructor Student Record of Instruction to the Board within 30 days of completion.8 Form (PDF, dopl.idaho.gov)9
  2. Apply through your DOPL Online Services profile, upload the requested documents and pay the $30 application fee plus the $70 instructor license fee.1 edopl.idaho.gov6
  3. If you have a criminal conviction, upload a Criminal Conviction Disclosure Form for each one with court documents.4

Renewal

Renewal fee
$703

From another state

Route
License by endorsement
What the board says
Instructors licensed in another state can apply for an Idaho instructor license by endorsement ($90).1
Fee
$903

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

Apprentice Registration (cosmetology apprentice)You need a state personal license to work, and each salon needs its own Board establishment license. Owners hold a primary establishment license; anyone leasing a booth or room needs a contiguous license. Employees and commission workers do not need an establishment license.1

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license
edopl.idaho.gov6
File a complaint
edopl.idaho.gov6

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Rule changes since January 2024

  • July 1, 2026: New fees and start of the move to 2-year (biennial) licenses for the Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board.5
  • June 15, 2026: "C" classification cards from inspections must stay posted until the next annual inspection.6

Common questions

How long does it take to get a Cosmetologist license in Idaho?

The rules set at least 1,600 clock hours2 before you can be licensed. On processing, the board says: Complete applications with no criminal or discipline history are reviewed and approved between Board meetings. No number of days is published.1

Can I transfer my cosmetologist license to Idaho?

The Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board publishes this route for the Cosmetologist license: license by endorsement1. Conditions and forms.

How often do you renew a Cosmetologist license in Idaho?

Every 2 years5. The renewal fee is $603.

Cosmetologist licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

  1. BCB Frequently Asked QuestionsIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated August 6, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  2. Cosmetology Student Record of Instruction (rev. 09/22/2020)Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated September 22, 2020Checked November 7, 2026
  3. IDAPA 24.28.01 Rules of the Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing BoardIdaho Office of the Administrative Rules CoordinatorChecked November 7, 2026
  4. Criminal Conviction Disclosure FormIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesChecked November 7, 2026
  5. Big changes are on the way (fee and biennial renewal changes, May 29, 2026)Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated May 29, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  6. Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board home (fees effective July 1, 2026)Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated November 6, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  7. Military Service Members, Veterans and SpousesIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated March 19, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  8. Instructor Student Record of Instruction (rev. 09/22/2020)Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated September 22, 2020Checked November 7, 2026
  9. Barber and Cosmetology Resources and FormsIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesDated July 8, 2026Checked November 7, 2026