StateLicensed

Cosmetologist License Requirements in Louisiana

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
1500 hrs
Upfront cost
$85
Exam
Cosmetologist Theory (Written) Examination, Cosmetologist Practical (Skills) Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 1 year
Issuing board
Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    No separate minimum-education rule applies to the license itself beyond completing the 1,500-hour approved-school curriculum, but enrolling in that school requires proof of education equal to at least the 10th grade (or, for postsecondary schools, a high school diploma, GED, or recognized equivalent) per LAC 46:XXXI.315.A.3.. No explicit statutory or regulatory minimum age for the Cosmetologist certificate itself was found (minAge left null); Louisiana law also bars the board from disqualifying or denying a certificate of registration solely or partly because of a prior criminal conviction, except in cases specifically authorized by R.S. 37:2950 (LAC 46:XXXI.1715), and no general fingerprint-based or criminal-history background-check requirement for individual cosmetologist applicants was found in the board's rules, so backgroundCheck is set to false. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 1500 hours of training at a state-approved program. The cosmetology curriculum at an LSBC-approved school must consist of at least 1,500 hours covering scientific concepts, physical services (shampoo, draping, esthetics, manicuring/pedicuring, etc.), chemical services (coloring, lightening, waving, relaxing), hair designing/styling, and the Louisiana Cosmetology Act and rules (LAC 46:XXXI.301). Students may sit for the written exam after completing 1,000 of those hours and for the practical exam after completing 1,400 hours (LAC 46:XXXI.309.A.1), even though the full curriculum is 1,500 hours. [1]

  3. 3

    Cosmetologist Theory (Written) Examination

    Pass the Cosmetologist Theory (Written) Examination (fee: $25). Written multiple-choice theory exam given by the board's own examination team; applicants become eligible after completing at least 1,000 of the required 1,500 curriculum hours (LAC 46:XXXI.309.A.1). A $25 fee also applies to a re-take of this exam (R.S. 37:599(A)(1)(c)). [2]

  4. 4

    Cosmetologist Practical (Skills) Examination

    Pass the Cosmetologist Practical (Skills) Examination (fee: $25). Hands-on, mannequin-based skills exam (e.g. permanent wave, foil highlight, color retouch, relaxer retouch, virgin bleach/chemical placement) given by the board's own examination team; candidates must bring their own mannequin. Eligible after completing at least 1,400 of the required 1,500 curriculum hours (LAC 46:XXXI.309.A.1); full task list published in the board's own Practical Examination Information bulletin. A $25 fee also applies to a re-take of this exam (R.S. 37:599(A)(1)(c)). [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC). [3]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) issues your Cosmetologist Certificate of Registration for Louisiana.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] None specified
License fee [3] $35
Renewal fee [3] $35
Cosmetologist Theory (Written) Examination [2] $25
Cosmetologist Practical (Skills) Examination [2] $25
Duplicate license [3] $25

LSBC charges the same $35 fee for the initial certificate of registration and for each annual renewal (R.S. 37:599(A)(2)(a); LSBC 'Notice of Fee Increase,' effective August 1, 2025) — there is no separate 'application' fee beyond that $35 certificate fee, so application is set to null here. Restoring a certificate that has been expired 3 years or less costs 2x the applicable annual fee per year expired, capped at $300 (R.S. 37:599(A)(3)); that formula-based restoration fee is not a fixed dollar amount so it is not listed under 'other'.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 1 year.

Renewal is annual, due on or before the licensee's own date of birth each year; if not renewed, the certificate expires 30 days after that birth date (R.S. 37:590(A)(2)). If a certificate lapses for more than 3 years, the holder must pass a short-form restoration exam before it can be reinstated, in addition to paying the restoration fee (R.S. 37:590(B)). No continuing-education hours are required to renew a standard Cosmetologist certificate — the 16-hour CE requirement in LAC 46:XXXI.505 applies only to licensed cosmetology INSTRUCTORS maintaining active/master-instructor status, not to standard cosmetologists, so ceHours is null here.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Louisiana grants licensure by reciprocity to anyone holding an active cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, or instructor license from another U.S. state or territory (or from a foreign country, with board approval), upon a completed reciprocity application, required fees, and evidence of passing the required exams; if the applicant has not already passed a qualifying exam, Louisiana's own national and/or practical examination must be passed instead (LAC 46:XXXI.509). Louisiana has not been confirmed as a member of the Cosmetology Licensure Compact: public compact-tracking sources as of mid-2026 list roughly 10 enacting states (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington) and Louisiana is not among them, but the compact's own official member map (cosmetologycompact.gov) is JS-rendered and could not be verified by automated fetch, so compacts is left empty rather than asserted either way.

31 state-approved training providers in Louisiana — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $35
  • $25
  • $25
Total$85

Frequently asked questions

How many hours of cosmetology training does Louisiana require?

1,500 hours of instruction at an LSBC-approved cosmetology school. You become eligible for the written exam after 1,000 hours and for the practical exam after 1,400 hours.

Who administers Louisiana's cosmetology licensing exam?

The Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology administers both the written (theory) and practical exams itself through its own examination team — Louisiana does not contract the cosmetologist exam out to a third-party vendor like PSI or Prometric. Each exam section costs $25, and a retake of either section also costs $25.

How often do I need to renew my Louisiana cosmetologist certificate, and what does it cost?

Every year, on or before your own date of birth. The renewal fee is $35, the same amount charged for the initial certificate. If you miss the deadline, your certificate expires 30 days after your birthday.

Can I transfer my cosmetology license from another state to Louisiana?

Yes. Louisiana grants licensure by reciprocity to cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, and instructors actively licensed in another U.S. state or territory, or in another country with board approval — you'll need a completed reciprocity application, the applicable fees, and proof you passed your original exams.

What happens if my Louisiana cosmetology certificate has been expired for a long time?

If it's been expired more than 3 years, you must pass a short-form restoration exam before your certificate can be reinstated, in addition to paying a restoration fee equal to twice the annual fee for each year expired (capped at $300).

Sources

  1. [1] doa.la.gov/media/tixdfwvx/46v31.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
  2. [2] legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx — accessed 2026-07-10
  3. [3] lsbc.louisiana.gov/pdfs/fees_increase.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
  4. [4] legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx — accessed 2026-07-10