TDLR Licensing Requirements & Exam Format

Who Regulates the Texas Esthetician License

The Texas esthetician license is regulated by the TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation). In 2015 the old Texas Cosmetology Commission and its successor board were folded into TDLR, so any study material naming a standalone "Texas State Board of Cosmetology" is out of date.

The official credential title is Esthetician (sometimes called a "skin care specialist"). It is one of several specialty licenses under the barbering and cosmetology program — distinct from the broader Cosmetology Operator license.

Why it matters for the exam: the written test devotes a full Licensing and Regulation section (about 15%, ~11 questions) to which agency regulates you, what your license permits, and your duties to the public. Knowing TDLR is the issuing agency is a near-guaranteed point.

Eligibility and Training Hours

Before you can test, you must complete a 750-hour esthetician course at a TDLR-licensed barbering/cosmetology school. Memorize 750 — it is the single most-tested logistics number.

Other eligibility facts:

• You must be at least 17 years old to apply for the license.
• Your school notifies TDLR when you complete your hours; TDLR then approves you for examination.
• Combination licenses change the hours: a Manicurist/Esthetician needs an 800-hour combined course (or 750 esthetics + 600 manicurist), and a Hair Weaving Specialist/Esthetician needs 800 combined (or 750 + 300).

Approval-to-Test Workflow

1. Finish 750 approved hours; school reports completion to TDLR.
2. TDLR reviews your file and marks you eligible for examination.
3. PSI Services (TDLR's third-party testing vendor) emails you an eligibility notice with scheduling instructions.
4. You schedule, pay, and sit the written exam first.
5. After passing the written, you schedule and pay for the practical exam.
6. After passing both, you apply to TDLR for the license and pay the application fee.

The Written Exam Format

The esthetician written exam is a computer-based test delivered by PSI. Its structure:

• 75 scored multiple-choice questions (plus unscored pretest items used for future test development).
• 105 minutes total time.
• 70% correct required to pass — your score appears on screen immediately when you finish.

Note that many generic guides say "100 questions / 2 hours" — that is the cosmetology operator exam, not the esthetician exam. For estheticians, anchor on 75 / 105 / 70%.

Written Exam Content Outline

The outline below is the official PSI weighting. Use it to budget study time toward the heaviest topics.

Exam trap: notice that Infection Control and Facial Treatments tie for the largest share (25% each). Students who over-study makeup (only 5%) and under-study sanitation lose easy points.

The Practical Exam

The practical exam is a hands-on, performance test (about 1 hour 55 minutes) that scores sanitation and service technique. Sections typically include pre-exam setup and disinfection, eyelash strip application, cleansing, steaming, massage, mask and moisturizing, soft-wax hair removal, a blood-exposure incident demonstration, and end-of-exam disinfection. The passing standard is again 70%.

You must pass the written exam before you can schedule the practical — this sequencing question appears on the test.

Fees, Registration, and Renewal

Fees go to two different parties, which is a common exam distractor:

• Paid to PSI: written exam roughly $50, practical roughly $72 (fees are non-refundable and non-transferable).
• Paid to TDLR: a $50 non-refundable application fee after you pass both exams.

More logistics worth memorizing:

• Schedule with PSI online or by phone; your name must match TDLR's records exactly.
• A paid exam fee is forfeited if you do not test within one year of payment.
• The esthetician license is valid for two years and renews on a two-year cycle (renewal near $53) with required continuing education.
• A temporary license can let you begin working immediately after passing while your permanent license is processed.

Worked example: A graduate finishes 750 hours on June 1. The school reports it; TDLR approves her; PSI emails an eligibility notice. She pays $50, takes the 75-question written exam, scores 80% (pass), then pays $72 and passes the practical. She submits the $50 application to TDLR and receives a two-year license. The correct payee order — PSI for exams, TDLR for the license — is exactly what the exam tests.

Test-Day Logistics and Identification

Knowing the procedural details prevents avoidable failures. On exam day you must bring valid government-issued photo identification whose name matches TDLR's records exactly — a misspelled or mismatched name can void your appointment and forfeit your fee. The written exam is delivered on a computer at a PSI testing center, and (since June 2022) selected written exams are also offered through a remote E-Exam online process.

More rules worth memorizing:

• If you arrive late or miss your appointment, you cannot test and your fee is forfeited.
• After you finish, your pass/fail score appears immediately on screen.
• If you fail, you may schedule a retake with PSI, typically within 24-48 hours, and you may retest until your application eligibility expires (about one year from approval).
• You do not need to bring study materials, calculators, or notes — only acceptable ID.

Continuing Education and Renewal Details

The esthetician license is valid for two years and must be renewed before expiration. Renewal requires completing TDLR-mandated continuing education (CE) hours that emphasize health and safety / sanitation, the same content that dominates the licensing exam. The renewal fee is near $53.

Letting a license expire means you may not legally practice until you renew; practicing on an expired or no license is an enforcement violation. This connects directly to the exam's Responsibilities of the Licensee subtopic: keeping your license current, displaying it where required, and operating only within your license type are core duties tested under the Licensing and Regulation section.

Memory anchor for logistics questions: 750 hours, 75 written questions, 105 minutes, 70% to pass, $50 / $72 exam fees to PSI, $50 application fee to TDLR, two-year renewal. These seven numbers cover the majority of logistics points on the test.