StateLicensed

Cosmetologist License Requirements in Utah

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
1250 hrs
Upfront cost
$270
Exam
NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Written (Theory) Examination, NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Practical Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Cosmetology and Associated Professions Licensing Board

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Recognized high school diploma or equivalent, or being beyond the age of compulsory high school attendance (Title 53G, Chapter 6, Part 2) — required for admission to a licensed school, pass a criminal background check. Utah does not set a fixed minimum age for cosmetology licensure in statute or on DOPL's application materials (left null rather than guessed); the operative gate is the school-admission rule requiring a recognized high school diploma/equivalent or that the applicant be beyond Utah's compulsory school-attendance age. DOPL's Cosmetologist/Barber application includes a mandatory 'Qualifying Questionnaire' requiring disclosure of any pending criminal action, misdemeanor convictions within the past 10 years, felony convictions ever, and any prior professional-license discipline, with supporting police/court records required for 'yes' answers. [4]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 1250 hours of training at a state-approved program. 1,250 hours of instruction at a licensed or recognized cosmetology school (Utah Code 58-11a-302.13), reduced from a former 1,600-hour requirement by S.B. 330 (Cosmetology Modifications), effective 2026-01-01. Utah offers a genuine apprenticeship alternative at the same 1,250 hours (Utah Code 58-11a-306): the supervisor must be a licensed instructor providing one-on-one direct supervision, may supervise no more than 2 apprentices at a time, and the apprenticeship must be completed within 2 years of registration. S.B. 330 also consolidated the former separate 'cosmetology' and 'barbering' full licenses into this single Cosmetology license, so a Cosmetology licensee 'may be known as a cosmetologist or a barber.' [1]

  3. 3

    NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Written (Theory) Examination

    Pass the NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Written (Theory) Examination (fee: $105). Computer-based, administered at a Prov testing center. Content developed by the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC). Fee is the same whether testing for the first time or retesting. [2]

  4. 4

    NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Practical Examination

    Pass the NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Practical Examination (fee: $105). Hands-on, mannequin-based demonstration covering both Barber Practical Sections (haircutting, straight-razor shaving) and Cosmetology Practical Sections (thermal curling, hair cutting, chemical waving, hair coloring, hair relaxer application, basic facial, eyebrow hair removal, sculptured nail) across two simulated clients. If a candidate needs to retest, only the failed practical section(s) must be repeated; sections scheduled the same day are billed as a single $105 fee, but sections taken on different days are billed separately. [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Cosmetology and Associated Professions Licensing Board with the $60 application fee. [3]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Cosmetology and Associated Professions Licensing Board issues your Cosmetologist/Barber License for Utah.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $60
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] $52
NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Written (Theory) Examination [2] $105
NIC Cosmetologist/Barber Practical Examination [2] $105
Late renewal reinstatement fee (within 30 days of expiration) [3] $20

The $60 non-refundable application fee is from DOPL's Cosmetologist/Barber application packet; Utah statute (58-11a-302(1)(a)(ii)) sets fees administratively rather than in the statute itself, so this figure should be reverified against DOPL's current fee schedule before publishing a verified page, since the packet predates the 2026 SB 330 restructuring. No separate 'license issuance' fee beyond the application fee was found.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 0 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Licenses expire on September 30 of odd-numbered years (a fixed statewide date rather than an individual anniversary), per the 2-year renewal cycle set by Utah Code 58-11a-303. Renewal notices mail at least 60 days before expiration. No continuing education is required for Cosmetologist/Barber renewal. Renewal fee is $52; a $20 reinstatement fee applies in addition if renewed within 30 days after expiration.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Utah does not appear as an enacted, pending, or tracked-legislation state on the Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission's official Compact Map (cosmetologycompact.gov/compact-map/) as of 2026-07-10. Utah instead offers Licensure by Endorsement to an applicant who provides official verification of active licensure in good standing for at least one year from a jurisdiction DOPL has designated as equivalent to Utah's requirements — no new exam or hour documentation is required in that case. Applicants from a non-designated-equivalent jurisdiction, or without a full year of experience, apply by examination instead and may combine out-of-state education hours with documented work experience (Verification of Licensed Cosmetology/Barber Practice) to reach the required hour total.

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

Cost calculator

  • $60
  • $105
  • $105
Total$270

Frequently asked questions

How many training hours does Utah require for a cosmetology license?

1,250 hours at a licensed school, reduced from a former 1,600-hour requirement by S.B. 330, effective January 1, 2026. An apprenticeship pathway at the same 1,250 hours is also available under one-on-one supervision from a licensed instructor.

Who administers Utah's cosmetology exam?

Prov, Inc., under contract with the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), using NIC written and practical exams. Each exam costs $105.

How often do Utah cosmetologists renew their license?

Every 2 years — all Cosmetologist/Barber licenses expire on September 30 of odd-numbered years, regardless of issue date. No continuing education is required.

Is Utah part of the Cosmetology Licensure Compact?

No. As of mid-2026, Utah does not appear on the compact commission's official member map. Out-of-state cosmetologists use Utah's Licensure by Endorsement process instead.

What changed under Utah's S.B. 330?

S.B. 330 (2025) consolidated the separate cosmetology and barbering full licenses into a single Cosmetology license, reduced required hours from 1,600 to 1,250, and formalized a structured apprenticeship pathway with one-on-one supervision requirements, effective January 1, 2026.

Sources

  1. [1] le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/sbillenr/SB0330.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
  2. [2] provexam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/UT_Prov_CIB_2025_12.12.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
  3. [3] commerce.utah.gov/dopl/cosmetology/renew-a-license/ — accessed 2026-07-10
  4. [4] dopl.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cosmetologist-barber-application.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10