1.2 Individual Licenses: Qualifications, Maintenance, Renewal & Continuing Education
Key Takeaways
A Minnesota cosmetologist applicant must be at least 17, show a 1,550-hour course completion certificate, and submit passing general theory, written practical and Minnesota law results no more than one year old (Minn. R. 2105.0145).
Individual license fees under Minn. Stat. 155A.25 are $195 initial ($155 license plus $40 application) and $115 to renew a practitioner license, with a $45 late renewal fee.
Practitioner licenses run on a three-year cycle and expire on the last day of the licensee's birth month (Minn. Stat. 155A.25, subd. 4; Minn. R. 2105.0520).
Renewal requires eight board-approved CE hours in the prior three years: four core hours (one law and rules, three health, safety and infection control) and four professional practice hours (Minn. R. 2105.0200).
An operator license expired three years or more needs fresh passing results on the Minnesota laws and rules test and a written practical exam plus initial fees (Minn. R. 2105.0215).
Why this section matters
Licensing is 25% of the PSI state exam (about 7 or 8 of 30 questions). The outline cites Minn. R. 2105.0190 and Minn. Stat. 155A.32 for maintaining individual licenses, Minn. R. 2105.0200 for renewal, and Minn. Stat. 155A.271 with Minn. R. 2105.0200, subp. 1 for continuing education. Numbers dominate these questions: hours, fees, days and years.
Getting the first license (Minn. R. 2105.0145, subp. 1)
An applicant for a cosmetologist, nail technician, esthetician or eyelash technician license who has not been licensed in another state must:
- Be at least 17 years old.
- Submit a completed application form.
- Submit original passing results no more than one year old from the board-approved general theory test, written practical test and Minnesota laws and rules test. The PSI bulletin adds that if the exams were passed on different dates, the one-year period starts from the earliest passing date.
- Prove training with an original course completion certificate bearing the notarized signature of the school manager or owner.
- Pay the fees in Minn. Stat. 155A.25.
| License | Required training hours |
|---|---|
| Cosmetologist | 1,550 |
| Esthetician | 600 |
| Nail technician | 350 |
| Eyelash technician | 14 |
| Advanced practice esthetician | 500-hour AP curriculum after esthetician or cosmetologist training (Minn. R. 2110.0525) |
If the completed training is more than five years old, the applicant must also submit a skills course certificate no more than one year old. Graduates of out-of-state programs equal to Minnesota's curriculum submit a notarized board form; graduates of shorter or unlicensed programs enroll as transfer students at a Minnesota school (Minn. R. 2110.0705). Training from another country is evaluated under Minn. R. 2105.0183.
What the school documents
Minn. R. 2110.0510 divides the 1,550-hour cosmetology course into 1,130 hours of skills and 420 hours of related theory, with the first 240 hours as preclinical instruction. The school certifies that a student is ready to take the written state exams after 1,350 hours, and at graduation documents completion of the required clinical exercises and a skills certification review. Minnesota has no separate state-run hands-on exam for cosmetologists; the three PSI exams are all written.
Credit is available for earlier training: a licensed esthetician can receive up to 550 hours toward cosmetology, a nail technician up to 300 hours, and an eyelash technician 14 hours (Minn. R. 2110.0550). From January 1, 2027, a registered Minnesota barber may receive up to 500 hours of credit (Minn. Stat. 155A.27, subd. 11, added in 2026).
Fees (Minn. Stat. 155A.25, subd. 1a)
| Transaction | Fee |
|---|---|
| Initial practitioner, manager or instructor license | $195 ($155 license + $40 application) |
| Renewal of practitioner license | $115 ($100 + $15 application) |
| Renewal of manager or instructor license | $145 ($130 + $15) |
| Practitioner late renewal | $45 |
| Name change / duplicate license | $20 each |
| Certification of licensure | $30 |
| Expedited initial individual license | $150 |
| Temporary military license | No fee (2026 amendment) |
A licensee who adds a license in a second category pays the full license and application fee for that category. The board must act on a complete application within 15 working days, or within five business days for an expedited or temporary military license, unless additional review is triggered.
Keeping a license in good standing (Minn. R. 2105.0190)
- Verify the workplace. You are responsible for confirming that the salon or school where you practice holds an active license.
- New services or devices (subp. 1a). Before using a product, technique, device or equipment that is new to you, confirm it is within your scope, follow the manufacturer's directions and contraindications, keep a record of your training for as long as you use it, and attest that you have the knowledge to provide it safely.
- Name change (subp. 2). Within 30 days of a legal name change, provide documentation and pay the fee. A license in the former name becomes invalid on the 31st day.
- Address (subp. 2a). Keep a current mailing address on file and update it within 30 days.
- Display (subp. 4). Post your license as described in Section 2.1.
The three-year, birth-month cycle
Individual licenses last three years (Minn. Stat. 155A.27, subd. 6) and expire on the last day of the licensee's birth month (155A.25, subd. 4). Under Minn. R. 2105.0520, the first year of the cycle may be shorter than 12 months; it runs from issuance to the end of the birth month, and years two and three are 12 months each.
Worked example. Carlos, born July 18, receives his first license on March 12, 2024. Year one ends July 31, 2024; year two ends July 31, 2025; year three ends July 31, 2026, the expiration date. If he renews on time, the next license expires July 31, 2029.
The board does not have to send a reminder; you must apply on your own. If a renewed license has not been issued by the end of the business day on the expiration date, you may not practice until it is issued. Unlicensed practice after expiration is subject to inspection penalties and discipline (Minn. R. 2105.0200, subp. 1).
Continuing education (Minn. Stat. 155A.271; Minn. R. 2105.0200, subp. 2)
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total for cosmetologists, nail technicians, estheticians, AP estheticians and salon managers | 8 hours completed in the three years before renewal |
| Core hours (4) | 1 hour of Minnesota cosmetology laws and rules + 3 hours of health, safety and infection control |
| Professional practice hours (4) | Product chemistry and chemical interaction; proper use of machines and instruments; business management, professional ethics and human relations; or techniques for the license held |
| Eyelash technicians | 4 core hours only |
| Instructors | 45 hours, at least 30 in teaching methodology and 15 in clinical practice |
| Proof | Keep proof for four years after the class; provide it within 30 days if audited |
Core CE may be offered only by a board-licensed school, a qualifying postsecondary institution or a board-recognized professional association; professional practice CE may also be offered by a board-licensed salon. Marketing or selling products during a CE class is prohibited (155A.271, subd. 1a). CE credits count for one renewal period but may be applied to every individual license you hold. If you fail an audit, the board rescinds the renewal and you may not practice until a new license is issued.
Expired licenses (Minn. R. 2105.0215)
| Time since expiration | What the practitioner must do |
|---|---|
| Less than three years | Meet the renewal requirements in 2105.0200 (including CE) and pay the renewal and late fees; a new cycle is issued |
| Three years or more (operator or salon manager) | Submit a renewal application with passing results no more than one year old on the Minnesota laws and rules test (managers take the manager laws and rules test) and a board-approved written practical exam, and pay initial license fees |
Important
The general theory exam is not required to reinstate an operator license that has been expired for three years or more. Students often guess "retake all three exams," which is wrong under 2105.0215, subp. 2.
What is the total statutory fee for an initial Minnesota practitioner license?
$115, made up of a $100 license fee and a $15 application fee
$195, made up of a $155 license fee and a $40 application fee
$225, made up of a $175 license fee and a $50 application fee
$350, made up of a $250 license fee and a $100 application fee
How are the eight continuing education hours for a cosmetologist's renewal divided?
Four core hours (one law and rules, three health, safety and infection control) plus four professional practice hours
Eight hours of any board-approved technique classes
Four hours of infection control plus four hours of retail product and marketing training from a manufacturer's educator
Two hours of Minnesota law and six hours of salon business accounting, payroll and financial management
A cosmetologist's operator license expired four years ago. Under Minn. R. 2105.0215, what must she submit to get a new license cycle?
Passing results on all three exams (general theory, written practical and Minnesota laws and rules) plus a new school course completion certificate
A new 1,550-hour course completion certificate
Only the renewal fee and the $45 late fee
Passing results no more than one year old on the Minnesota laws and rules test and a written practical exam, plus initial license fees
A licensee marries and legally changes her last name. How long does she have to notify the board before the license in her former name becomes invalid?
10 business days
30 days
60 days
Until her next renewal
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.