1.2 License Renewal, Continuing Education & Display Rules
Key Takeaways
- Under 16 TAC §83.31, practitioner and establishment licences have a two-year term, school licences a one-year term, and a student permit does not expire.
- 16 TAC §83.25(b) requires 4 continuing education hours per renewal: 1 hour in sanitation, and for renewals on or after September 1, 2025, 1 hour on human trafficking prevention, with the remaining hours from approved topics.
- Under 16 TAC §60.83 the late renewal fee replaces the renewal fee rather than adding to it: 1.5 times for 90 days or less expired, 2 times for more than 90 days but less than 18 months.
- 16 TAC §83.70(f) requires a current photograph of at least 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches attached to the front of the licence, or a digital display of the photograph together with an image of the licence.
- Practitioners must notify TDLR in writing of a name change within 30 days (§83.70(g)) and of an address change within 30 days (§83.70(h)); failing to do so is a Class A violation.
The Two-Year Cycle: 16 TAC §83.31
16 TAC §83.31 sets the licence terms, and the list is short enough to memorise outright:
| Licence type | Term |
|---|---|
| Practitioner licences (including Eyelash Extension Specialist) | 2 years |
| Establishment licences | 2 years |
| School licences | 1 year |
| Student permit | Does not expire |
The expiration date is printed on the licence. Under §83.26(c), a late renewal creates an unlicensed period running from the expiration date to the issuance date of the renewed licence, and during that unlicensed period a person may not perform any act of barbering or cosmetology that requires a licence. Paying a late fee restores the licence going forward; it never retroactively legalises the work you did while expired. §83.26(d) adds that not receiving a renewal notice does not excuse the requirement.
To renew under §83.26(a)–(b) you must comply with the Act and Chapter 83, submit a completed application, pay the fee, and complete the continuing education required by §83.25.
Continuing Education: 16 TAC §83.25
Every practitioner licence renewal requires 4 hours of continuing education from department-approved courses. What changed — and what most third-party guides still get wrong — is the internal split.
§83.25(b) now requires the four hours to include:
- 1 hour in sanitation required under the Act and this chapter; and
- for renewals on or after September 1, 2025, 1 hour on human trafficking prevention, which at a minimum must cover:
- activities commonly associated with human trafficking;
- recognition of potential victims of human trafficking; and
- methods for assisting victims of human trafficking, including how to report human trafficking; and
- the remaining hours in any topic listed in §83.25(h).
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 4 CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS PER 2-YEAR RENEWAL (16 TAC §83.25(b)) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1 HOUR : Sanitation required under the Act and 16 TAC Chapter 83 |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1 HOUR : Human trafficking prevention |
| (renewals on or after September 1, 2025) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2 HOURS: Approved topics listed in §83.25(h) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Exam trap: the pre-2025 structure was "1 hour sanitation + 3 hours general topics, one of which had to cover human trafficking." Courses taught before September 1, 2025 were handled that way under §83.25(c). For a renewal today, human trafficking prevention is its own dedicated hour.
The administrative rules around CE
- §83.25(d): For a timely or a late renewal, the hours must be completed within the two-year period immediately preceding the renewal date.
- §83.25(e): You may not receive credit for the same course more than once.
- §83.25(f): Hours only count for courses registered with the department under 16 TAC Chapter 59.
- §83.25(g): Keep your certificate of completion for two years after completing the course. Failing to do so is an explicitly listed Class A violation in TDLR's enforcement plan.
What is not in the rule: the old "65 years of age and 15 years licensed" continuing-education exemption was deleted in the 2022 rulemaking that produced the current Chapter 83. Do not answer an exam question as though it still exists.
Late Renewal: 16 TAC §60.83
Late renewal fees are set in TDLR's procedural rules, not in Chapter 83. The mechanic that gets missed is that the late renewal fee is paid instead of the renewal fee, not on top of it — §60.83 states expressly that "a person paying a late renewal fee is not required to pay the late renewal fee in addition to the renewal fee."
| Time expired | What you pay | May you practise? |
|---|---|---|
| 90 days or less | A late renewal fee equal to 1.5 times the renewal fee | No — §83.26(c) unlicensed period |
| More than 90 days but less than 18 months | A late renewal fee equal to 2 times the renewal fee | No |
| More than 18 months but less than 3 years | Executive Director approval — submit information sufficient to explain the need for the late renewal — plus 2 times the renewal fee | No |
| 3 years or more | §60.83 publishes no late-renewal path; TDLR treats the licence as beyond late renewal | No |
With a $50 specialty renewal fee, a licence 60 days expired costs $75 total (1.5 × $50), not $125.
Inactive Status: 16 TAC §83.24
The inactive-status rule is §83.24 (a common citation error is "§83.27," which does not exist):
- §83.24(a): Apply for inactive status not later than the expiration date of the licence, and pay the fee.
- §83.24(b): A person on inactive status may not practise any act of barbering or cosmetology authorised by that licence.
- §83.24(c): An inactive licence must still be renewed under §83.26 — but continuing education is not required while it stays inactive.
- §83.24(d): To return to active status, submit an application, pay the fee ($25 under §83.201(d)(2)), and complete the CE required for renewal of an active licence during the preceding licence period. Those hours may not be reused for a future active renewal.
Display Duties for the Individual Practitioner: 16 TAC §83.70
Read subsection (e) carefully, because it is written as an either/or, not as a mandatory workstation posting:
§83.70(e): "All current licenses must either be posted near the licensee's work station in the public view or be made available at the establishment reception desk."
There is no rule requiring a sign at your station pointing clients to a reception binder — either placement satisfies the rule on its own.
§83.70(f) governs the photograph, and the operative words are at least:
"A current photograph of the licensee at least 1 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches must be attached to the front of the license or permit, or digitally displayed along with an image of the license or permit. The photograph may not obscure any information on the license or permit."
Three things follow. The dimension is a minimum, not an exact size. A digital display is expressly allowed. And the photo must not cover the licence number, name, or expiration date.
The 30-day notifications
| Change | Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Name change | Notify the department in writing within 30 days | §83.70(g) |
| Address change | Notify the department within 30 days | §83.70(h) |
§83.70(h) adds the reason this matters: the department may send all notices and other required information to your last known mailing address on file. A missed renewal notice caused by a stale address is still your problem under §83.26(d). Failing to notify within thirty days of a name or address change is listed by TDLR as a Class A violation ($500 up to $1,500).
Two more practitioner duties in §83.70
- §83.70(i): Wear clean top and bottom outer garments and footwear while performing services. The rule names tee shirts, blouses, sweaters, dresses, smocks, pants, jeans, and shorts as outer garments, and excludes lingerie.
- §83.70(j): The practitioner is personally responsible for compliance with the health and safety standards of Chapter 83 — you cannot deflect a sanitation citation onto the salon owner.
Display Duties for the Establishment: 16 TAC §83.71
| Requirement | What the rule actually says | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection report | Display, in a conspicuous place clearly visible to the public, a notice that a copy of the establishment's most recent inspection report is available upon request | §83.71(l) |
| Human trafficking sign | Display, in a conspicuous place clearly visible to the public, a sign acceptable to the department regarding human trafficking information as required by Occupations Code §1603.356 | §83.71(m) |
| Health and safety rules | Display a copy of §§83.100–83.115; this may be satisfied by keeping the law and rules book accessible to all practitioners who work in the establishment | §83.71(q) |
| Licensed staff only | Ensure everyone performing or offering services is properly licensed at all times, and never allow a person to perform a service for which they do not hold the required licence | §83.71(n) |
| Scope of the establishment licence | The establishment may not perform or offer services outside the scope of its own licence | §83.71(o) |
High-frequency trap: §83.71(l) requires a notice that the report is available on request — not the posting of the report itself. Guides that tell you to frame the original inspection report on the reception wall are describing a rule Texas does not have.
An eyelash extension specialist is renewing her Texas licence today. How must her four continuing education hours be composed under 16 TAC §83.25(b)?
An eyelash extension specialist realises her Texas licence expired four months ago. Under 16 TAC §60.83, what does she pay to renew?
Which statement correctly describes the photograph requirement for a Texas practitioner licence under 16 TAC §83.70(f)?
A licensed eyelash specialist changes her legal surname following marriage and moves to a new apartment. Within what statutory timeframe must she notify TDLR of these changes?