StateLicensed

Esthetician License Requirements in Minnesota

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
600 hrs
Upfront cost
$285
Exam
Esthetician General Theory Examination, Esthetician State (Minnesota Laws and Rules) Examination, Esthetician Written Practical Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 3 years
Issuing board
Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 17 years old. Per Minnesota Rule 2105.0145, applicants who have not been licensed in another state must be at least 17 years old. The Board's own 'First-Time Licensee' steps page lists only the application, payment, original Course Completion Certificate, and original exam results as required items — it does not describe a fingerprint-based or criminal-history-check step for initial esthetician licensure, so backgroundCheck is recorded as false rather than assumed true. Content verified via Wayback Machine snapshot of the Board's site (mn.gov board pages are bot-blocked for automated fetches). [5]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 600 hours of training at a state-approved program. 600 hours of training at a board-approved Minnesota cosmetology school, per Minnesota Rule 2105.0145. Minnesota also has a second, higher tier — the Advanced Practice (AP) Esthetician — requiring an additional board-approved 500-hour curriculum, available only to those who completed esthetician or cosmetologist training within the past 5 years or who hold an active Minnesota cosmetologist or esthetician license; licenseNames records only the entry-level Esthetician license. If prior training is more than 5 years old, a skills-course certificate no more than 1 year old is required. mn.gov board pages are bot-blocked for automated fetches; content verified via Wayback Machine snapshot of the Board's site, though the exact 2105.0145 rule text itself was retrieved directly from revisor.mn.gov (Minnesota's official statutes/rules site), which was not blocked. [1]

  3. 3

    Esthetician General Theory Examination

    Pass the Esthetician General Theory Examination (fee: $35). Computer-based, 75 scored items plus 10 unscored pretest items, 1.5 hours, 75% to pass One of three written exams required for Minnesota esthetician licensure (general theory, state laws and rules, written practical); can be scheduled together as the $90 'Esthetician Combo Exam' or paid/scheduled separately. Sourced from PSI's own candidate-bulletin server (proctor2.psionline.com, official exam vendor domain, fetched directly with no bot-block); the bulletin is dated 'September 1, 2019,' so figures should be treated as PSI's best-available published pricing rather than guaranteed current-year rates. [2]

  4. 4

    Esthetician State (Minnesota Laws and Rules) Examination

    Pass the Esthetician State (Minnesota Laws and Rules) Examination (fee: $25). Computer-based, 30 scored items plus 5 unscored pretest items, 1 hour, 75% to pass Per Minnesota Rule 2105.0145, an applicant who already holds an active Minnesota cosmetologist license is not required to retake this laws-and-rules exam when adding an esthetician credential. [2]

  5. 5

    Esthetician Written Practical Examination

    Pass the Esthetician Written Practical Examination (fee: $30). Computer-based, 50 scored items plus 5 unscored pretest items, 1.5 hours, 75% to pass Despite the name, this is a written (not hands-on) practical-knowledge exam administered on computer, per PSI's bulletin. [2]

  6. 6

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners with the $40 application fee. [3]

  7. 7

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners issues your Esthetician License for Minnesota.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $40
License fee [3] $155
Renewal fee [3] $115
Esthetician General Theory Examination [2] $35
Esthetician State (Minnesota Laws and Rules) Examination [2] $25
Esthetician Written Practical Examination [2] $30
Late renewal fee [3] $45

Per Minnesota Statutes 155A.25, estheticians fall under the general 'practitioner' fee category (shared with cosmetologists, nail technicians, and AP estheticians): initial licensure totals $195 ($155 license fee + $40 application fee); renewal totals $115 ($100 license fee + $15 application fee). PSI's exam fees ($35 + $25 + $30, or $90 combined) are paid separately to PSI, not the Board.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 3 years. 8 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Per Minnesota Statutes 155A.27, licenses are issued and renewed for a period of 3 years. Per the Board's own 'Renew Your License' page, renewal requires an 8-hour continuing-education package: a 4-hour core course (safety, infection control, laws and rules) plus a 4-hour professional-practice course on Board-approved topics. Content verified via Wayback Machine snapshot of the Board's renewal page (mn.gov board pages are bot-blocked for automated fetches).

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Minnesota allows domestic license transfer: complete the Domestic License Transfer Application, have each state where the applicant has been licensed send a Certification of Licensure directly to the Board, and include original passing results from Minnesota's required exams. Foreign-trained applicants must obtain a foreign-credentials evaluation, have a Minnesota cosmetology school evaluate the report and determine any additional required training, and pass all three Minnesota written exams. Per Rule 2105.0145, an applicant who already holds an active Minnesota cosmetologist license can add the esthetician credential via application and fees without retaking the state laws-and-rules exam. No interstate esthetics/cosmetology compact was found — the Cosmetology Licensure Compact has been enacted in some states but is not yet operational anywhere, including Minnesota, so compacts is recorded as empty. Content verified via Wayback Machine snapshot of the Board's 'License Transfers' page (mn.gov board pages are bot-blocked for automated fetches).

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

Cost calculator

  • $40
  • $155
  • $35
  • $25
  • $30
Total$285

Frequently asked questions

How many training hours does Minnesota require for an Esthetician license?

600 hours at a board-approved Minnesota cosmetology school. A separate, higher Advanced Practice (AP) Esthetician credential requires an additional 500-hour curriculum for those with a recent esthetician/cosmetologist background.

What exams does Minnesota require, and who administers them?

Three written exams administered by PSI Services LLC: General Theory ($35), State/Minnesota Laws and Rules ($25), and Written Practical ($30), or $90 combined.

What does a Minnesota Esthetician license cost?

Initial licensure totals $195 ($155 license fee + $40 application fee); renewal totals $115 ($100 license fee + $15 application fee) every 3 years. PSI's exam fees are paid separately.

Does Minnesota require continuing education to renew?

Yes — 8 hours total: a 4-hour core course (safety, infection control, laws and rules) and a 4-hour professional-practice course, required every 3-year renewal cycle.

Can a licensed cosmetologist add an esthetician credential without extra exams?

An applicant who already holds an active Minnesota cosmetologist license can apply for the esthetician credential without retaking the state laws-and-rules exam, per Minnesota Rule 2105.0145.

Sources

  1. [1] revisor.mn.gov/rules/2105.0145/ — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] proctor2.psionline.com/media/programs/704.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/155a.25 — accessed 2026-07-11
  4. [4] mn.gov/boards/cosmetology/practitioners/renew/index.jsp — accessed 2026-07-11
  5. [5] mn.gov/boards/cosmetology/practitioners/new-licensees/index.jsp — accessed 2026-07-11
  6. [6] mn.gov/boards/cosmetology/practitioners/license-transfers/index.jsp — accessed 2026-07-11