1.5 Licensed Services Outside a Salon: Homebound Permits, Care Facilities & Special Events

Why this section matters

The PSI outline item "Licensed services not offered in a licensed salon" cites Minn. Stat. 155A.275 and Minn. R. 2105.0410. The statute was repealed by the 2026 Legislature after the bulletin was written, so you need to know both what the rule says and what changed.

The general rule

A salon is an indoor area used to provide personal services, and it does not include a customer's home (Minn. Stat. 155A.23, subd. 9). Under Minn. R. 2105.0322, subp. 5, regulated services must not be provided anywhere other than a licensed salon or licensed school, "or as otherwise provided by this chapter." Minn. R. 2105.0410 supplies the exceptions.

Care facilities (Minn. R. 2105.0410, subp. 1)

The rule applies to nursing homes licensed under Minn. Stat. chapter 144A, housing with services establishments, and (since August 1, 2021) assisted living facilities licensed under chapter 144G.

When the facility's salon must be licensed: if any cosmetology service is provided to anyone other than homebound residents (for example, staff, family members or the public).

When it may stay unlicensed: only if it serves homebound residents exclusively and its use is limited to:

1. Board-licensed practitioners who hold homebound service permits
2. Facility staff, limited to washing hair, setting hair, trimming hair, filing nails, applying and removing nail polish, and makeup application
3. Family members serving their own homebound relatives who live there
4. Volunteers providing services without compensation

All nursing home residents count as homebound for this rule. Residents of a housing with services establishment who receive comprehensive home care services, and assisted living residents who receive assisted living services, also count as homebound.

Homebound service permits (Minn. R. 2105.0410, subp. 3)

A homebound person lacks the physical or intellectual capacity for independent transportation and cannot travel independently to a licensed salon (Minn. R. 2105.0010, subp. 10e). A homebound service permit lets a licensee serve residents of a licensed nursing home or a homebound person in their residence.

Permit holders are also subject to inspection. If violations are found they receive a written report, must correct within ten business days, and face penalties for an expired license, refusing to cooperate, and reusing single-use items (Minn. R. 2105.0115). They are not required to post inspection reports.

Special events: the former permit and the 2026 repeal

Minn. Stat. 155A.275 created a special event services permit for nonpermanent hair styling, setting, reinforcing or extending, nail polish, and makeup at a location other than a licensed salon. The rule details in Minn. R. 2105.0410, subp. 2 were:

• Only holders of an active manager license could apply, with liability insurance of $25,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.
• Permitted services: cosmetologists could style, reinforce or extend hair; cosmetologists and nail technicians could remove and apply polish; cosmetologists, estheticians and AP estheticians could apply and remove makeup, but not eyelash extensions.
• Permits expired December 31; each event had to be registered online at least 48 hours in advance; the printed permit had to be carried at the event.
• The holder had to follow the infection-control rules, carry an ANSI first aid kit, and bring enough brushes, combs and implements so only disinfected tools were used on each person.

Laws 2026, chapter 119, article 4, section 38 repealed Minn. Stat. 155A.275 and deleted the $75 special event permit fee from 155A.25. Under Minnesota's default rule, laws take effect August 1 after enactment unless they say otherwise. The published rule text still describes the permit, so a question written from the June 2026 bulletin may still ask about it. In practice, check the board's current guidance before providing event services.

Options that remain for off-site work