Cosmetologist license in California
1000Training hours or experience
not less than 1,000 hours of practical and technical instruction1
The details
- License name
- Cosmetologist.1
- Education or training
- A course of not less than 1,000 hours at an approved school, or an apprenticeship program. Must be at least 17 and have completed 10th grade or equivalent.1
- Exam
- Written exam of 100 scored questions and 10 pretest questions in 120 minutes, offered in five languages.3
- Fees
- $125 application for examination and initial license fee, non-refundable.2
- Moving from another state
- Out of state applicants use a separate application with school form. Each three months of practice outside California counts as 100 hours of training.13
- Licensing board
- California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.1
The sources we read do not say: renewal.
Sources
- License Requirements, California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, checked 1 November 2026
- Cosmetologist Application, California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, checked 1 November 2026
- Applicants, California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, checked 1 November 2026
Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source used only because the official page could not be read.