StateLicensed

Esthetician License Requirements in North Carolina

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
600 hrs
Upfront cost
$188
Exam
NIC National Esthetics Written Examination, NIC National Esthetics Practical Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 1 year
Issuing board
North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Meet the eligibility requirements set by the issuing board. No minimum age or minimum education (e.g., high school diploma/GED) requirement for esthetician licensure was found in the Board's rules or application materials. The Board does not require a criminal history check, but applicants must disclose on the license application whether they have ever been convicted of a felony, and per G.S. 88B-24 the Board may refuse to license a felon after training/exam completion. [5]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 600 hours of training at a state-approved program. North Carolina has a single esthetician tier — there is no separate master/advanced esthetician license (confirmed against the Board's full administrative rule chapter; no such tier exists). Training must be completed at a Board-approved cosmetic art school esthetician curriculum (21 NCAC 14T .0604), beginning with infection-control/blood-exposure procedures that must be passed at 100%. The rule does not break the 600 hours into separately-numbered clinical vs. theory hour totals, so clinicalHours is not reported here. [1]

  3. 3

    NIC National Esthetics Written Examination

    Pass the NIC National Esthetics Written Examination (fee: $84). Computer-based written/theory exam at a Prov-designated testing center Passing score is a scaled 75.00 (21 NCAC 14N .0110). Failed written exams may be retaken as many times as necessary without obtaining additional school hours. [2]

  4. 4

    NIC National Esthetics Practical Examination

    Pass the NIC National Esthetics Practical Examination (fee: $84). Hands-on skills demonstration at one of three Prov practical testing sites in NC (Cary, Matthews, Rocky Mount) Passing score is a scaled 75.00. Failed practical exams may be retaken up to 3 times; a 4th retake without obtaining additional school hours may have the score voided by the Board. [2]

  5. 5

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners. [3]

  6. 6

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners issues your Esthetician License for North Carolina.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] None specified
License fee [3] $20
Renewal fee [3] $20
NIC National Esthetics Written Examination [2] $84
NIC National Esthetics Practical Examination [2] $84
Out-of-state licensed applicant / reciprocity initial license fee [3] $35

NC charges a single combined initial license fee (no separate application fee is listed): $20 for in-state graduates, $35 for applicants already licensed in another state. The current annual renewal fee is also $20, confirmed via the Board's Personal License Renewal Application (form updated 7-1-2025), which shows the fee due for the cycle expiring 10/1/2025 as $20; that form's higher figures for earlier expiration years ($40-$100) reflect accumulated late/lapsed-renewal penalties, not the standard current fee.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 1 year. 8 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Esthetician licenses are on a 1-year cycle running October 1 to October 1 (21 NCAC 14A .0101(7)(b)). Renewal requires 8 hours of Board-approved continuing education per licensing year (G.S. 88B-21(e)); at least half of the CE hours must be in the cosmetic art field in which licensed. Licensees self-certify completion and keep their own CE records — the Board does not receive hours directly from providers and only requests documentation if a licensee is audited.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

North Carolina does not participate in any interstate cosmetic-art licensing compact — the Cosmetology Licensure Compact is not operational in any state. NC instead offers direct license-by-endorsement/reciprocity: an applicant with a current esthetician license in good standing from a reciprocal state pays a $35 fee and is not required to retake the NIC exam. Applicants from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, D.C., Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia must first submit certification of their out-of-state license before applying; applicants from most other reciprocal states can apply directly online or by mail. Registrations/certificates (as opposed to full licenses) are not accepted, and Florida-licensed estheticians specifically cannot reciprocate.

25 state-approved training providers in North Carolina — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $20
  • $84
  • $84
Total$188

Frequently asked questions

How many training hours are required to become a licensed esthetician in North Carolina?

600 hours of instruction in a Board-approved cosmetic art school esthetics curriculum, as set out in 21 NCAC 14T .0604.

Do I need to retake the exam if I already hold an esthetician license from another state?

No. If you have a current license in good standing from a state North Carolina recognizes for reciprocity, you do not have to take the exam — you submit a reciprocity application and $35 fee instead.

Can a licensed esthetician perform lash extensions in North Carolina?

Yes. Lash extension application falls within the scope of practice for a licensed esthetician (and licensed cosmetologist) under NC General Statute 88B.

Can an esthetician perform microblading in North Carolina?

No. Microblading is not within the Board's regulated scope of practice for estheticians. It is regulated separately, alongside tattooing and permanent makeup, by each county's Environmental Health Department.

Does North Carolina require a criminal background check to get an esthetician license?

The Board does not require a formal criminal history check, but applicants must disclose any felony convictions on their license application, and the Board may refuse to license someone convicted of a felony.

Sources

  1. [1] nccosmeticarts.com/initiallicensing/ncstudents.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] provexam.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Prov_CIB_NC_Esthetics_CIBs_Combined_02_01_2024.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] nccosmeticarts.com/board/fees.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11
  4. [4] nccosmeticarts.com/ce.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11
  5. [5] nccosmeticarts.com/uploads/forms/license_application.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  6. [6] nccosmeticarts.com/initiallicensing/licinanotherstate.aspx — accessed 2026-07-11