StateLicensed

Esthetician License Requirements in Nebraska

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
600 hrs
Upfront cost
$95
Exam
Cosmetology/Esthetics Written Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Licensure Unit — Board of Cosmetology and Esthetics

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 17 years old, High school diploma, GED, or equivalent educational document.. Applicants must be at least 17 years old on or before enrollment in a school of cosmetology/esthetics. The application requires applicants to self-disclose any criminal convictions (with a non-exhaustive example list) and report certain post-application convictions/discipline to the Investigative Unit within 30 days — this is a self-disclosure and reporting requirement rather than a described mandatory fingerprint-based background check, so backgroundCheck is recorded as false. Verified via Wayback Machine archive snapshot 2025-03-11 (dhhs.ne.gov blocks direct fetches). [2]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 600 hours of training at a state-approved program. The esthetics program of study must include at least 600 hours, per the Board's own 'Cosmetology or Esthetic School Application' (172 NAC 36). dhhs.ne.gov did not respond to direct automated fetch (DNS timeout) from this research session; content verified via Wayback Machine snapshot [2023-03-28], with sourceUrl kept as the original dhhs.ne.gov URL. Verified via Wayback Machine archive snapshot 2025-03-10 (dhhs.ne.gov blocks direct fetches). [1]

  3. 3

    Cosmetology/Esthetics Written Examination

    Pass the Cosmetology/Esthetics Written Examination. Written examination only — Nebraska's licensing documents describe a single written exam satisfying both written and practical knowledge requirements, with no separate hands-on practical component described. The exam fee is paid directly to PSI, not to the DHHS Licensure Unit, and is not published in the Board's application materials, so fee is recorded as null rather than guessed. Verified via Wayback Machine snapshot [2021-07-13] (dhhs.ne.gov timed out on direct automated fetch during this research session). Verified via Wayback Machine archive snapshot 2025-03-11 (dhhs.ne.gov blocks direct fetches). [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Licensure Unit — Board of Cosmetology and Esthetics. [2]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Licensure Unit — Board of Cosmetology and Esthetics issues your Esthetician License for Nebraska.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] None specified
License fee [2] $95
Renewal fee [2] $118
Cosmetology/Esthetics Written Examination [2] None specified

The Board's 'Cosmetology and Esthetics by Examination' application lists a single License Fee, prorated by the month/year the license will be issued (as low as $25 in months close to the biennial expiration, up to the standard $95 rate); there is no separately itemized 'application' fee apart from this license fee, so 'application' is left null to avoid double-counting. The active renewal fee is $118 per the Board's own Esthetician Renewal Application (a reduced $50 active-renewal option also appears on that form for circumstances not fully specified in the document). PSI's exam fee is paid separately. Verified via Wayback Machine snapshots (dhhs.ne.gov timed out on direct automated fetch during this research session). Verified via Wayback Machine archive snapshot 2025-03-11 (dhhs.ne.gov blocks direct fetches).

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 8 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Esthetician licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years. Renewal requires 8 hours of continuing education, with at least 4 of those hours dedicated to performing the actual skills/services of the profession. Nebraska offers a free 50-question open-book online jurisprudence exam that counts for 2 of the 8 CE hours. Reinstatement from inactive/expired status also requires 8 CE hours completed within the prior 24 months. Verified via Wayback Machine archive snapshot 2025-01-24 (dhhs.ne.gov blocks direct fetches).

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Per the Board's 'Cosmetology or Esthetics by Reciprocity' application, an applicant must have completed at least 600 hours of esthetic training (or 1,800 hours of cosmetology training) and have successfully passed a written examination in the jurisdiction where they were originally licensed; if that jurisdiction did not require a written exam, the applicant must take the NIC examination. Applicants with less training than Nebraska's minimum may still qualify if their education/training/service is judged 'substantially similar.' The same license-fee schedule applies as for original licensure (no separate reciprocity fee identified). No interstate esthetics/cosmetology compact was found — the Cosmetology Licensure Compact has been enacted in some states but is not yet operational anywhere, including Nebraska, so compacts is recorded as empty. Verified via Wayback Machine archive snapshot 2026-07-11 (dhhs.ne.gov blocks direct fetches).

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

Cost calculator

  • $95
Total$95

Frequently asked questions

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

600 hours in a Board-approved esthetics program.

Who administers Nebraska's esthetician exam?

PSI Services LLC. A single written exam satisfies both the written and practical knowledge requirements — there is no separate hands-on practical exam.

What does a Nebraska Esthetician license cost?

The license fee is $95 (prorated down to as little as $25 depending on the month/year of issuance), plus PSI's exam fee paid separately. Renewal is $118 every two years.

Does Nebraska require continuing education to renew an Esthetician license?

Yes — 8 hours per 2-year renewal cycle (licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years), with at least 4 of those hours on hands-on skills/services. A free online jurisprudence exam covers 2 of the 8 hours.

Can an out-of-state esthetician get a Nebraska license without retaking the exam?

Yes, by reciprocity, if the applicant completed at least 600 hours of esthetic training and passed a written exam in the state where they were originally licensed; if that state didn't require a written exam, the NIC exam must be taken instead.

Sources

  1. [1] dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/CosiEsthSchoolApp.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/CosiEsthAppByExam.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Cosmetology-and-Esthetics.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11
  4. [4] dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/CosEsthReciprocityApp.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11