Minnesota Cosmetology License Requirements
Information verified:How to Get a Cosmetology License in Minnesota
Becoming a licensed cosmetologist in Minnesota is a six-step process governed by Minnesota Statute Chapter 155A and Minnesota Rules Chapter 2105. Unlike many states, Minnesota separates the Practical Skills Test (administered by your school) from the three written tests (administered by PSI), so coordination between your school and the testing vendor matters from day one.
- Be at least 17 years old. Rule 2105.0145, Subp. 1 sets the minimum age for a first-time cosmetologist, esthetician, nail technician, or eyelash technician applicant who has not been licensed in another state.
- Enroll in a Minnesota-licensed cosmetology school and complete 1,550 hours of cosmetology curriculum. The school's manager or owner must notarize the Course Completion Certificate documenting both your hours and your passing Practical Skills Test result.
- Schedule and pass the three PSI written exams — General Theory, Written Practical, and Minnesota Laws and Rules — at candidate.psiexams.com or by calling PSI at 1-855-834-8746. Score reports are valid for one year.
- Complete the Initial Operator License Application available on the Board's First-Time Licensee page. The application is also published in Spanish and Vietnamese.
- Submit the application package by mail or in person to the Board office at 1000 University Avenue West, Suite 100, St. Paul, MN 55104, with the application fee paid by check or money order to "Board of Cosmetology." Faxed and emailed applications are not accepted.
- Choose your processing speed. Standard processing is $195 within 15 business days; expedited processing is $345 within 5 business days. There is no temporary or pending status — your license number does not appear in the public lookup until issuance.
If you trained outside Minnesota, do not file the Initial Operator application. Use the Domestic License Transfer or Foreign License Transfer pathway instead. Foreign-trained applicants must first obtain an English-language credentials evaluation from a board-approved agency (SpanTran, Josef Silny & Associates, or AEQUO International), then complete any additional training at a Minnesota-licensed school before testing.
Training Requirements
Minnesota's training-hour requirements are codified in Rule 2105.0145, Subpart 1, item C. Each license discipline has its own minimum:
- Cosmetologist — 1,550 hours.
- Esthetician — 600 hours.
- Nail Technician — 350 hours.
- Eyelash Technician — 14 hours. This is one of the lowest eyelash-technician hour requirements in the country and reflects Minnesota's decision to license the discipline as a narrow scope of practice.
- Hair Technician — separate hour requirement under the Hair Technician transfer pathway, distinct from the cosmetologist program.
- Advanced Practice Esthetician — additional hours beyond the standard esthetician or cosmetologist credential, completed at a board-approved AP esthetician program.
Curriculum is approved under Minnesota Rules Chapter 2110, the Board's school-licensing chapter. Cosmetologist and hair technician courses must include textured-hair training covering varied curl patterns, hair-strand thicknesses, and volumes per Minnesota Statute 155A.30, Subd. 2 — a 2025 statutory change. Practice-based classes must be delivered in person inside a licensed school building; only board-approved theory classes may be taught online. Schools are limited to no more than ten hours of instruction per day per student.
Five-Year Validity Window
Initial training is valid for only five years. If you complete a program but do not become licensed within five years, your application must include a Skills Course Completion Certificate from a Minnesota-licensed cosmetology school, dated no more than one year before submission. The same rule applies to applicants whose training is more than five years old at the time of license transfer.
Hours Earned in Other States
Hours transferred from another school within the past five years count toward the Minnesota minimum, but only if documented on the Minnesota school's notarized Course Completion Certificate. If your out-of-state training does not meet Minnesota's hour requirement, you must enroll as a transfer student under Rule 2110.0705 at a Minnesota-licensed school and complete that school's gap requirements.
Cosmetology Exam Requirements
Minnesota uses PSI Exams as its sole written-test vendor. PSI administers three separate written tests for cosmetologist applicants, each priced and scheduled independently:
- General Theory test — covers anatomy, physiology, infection control, chemistry of cosmetology services, and core technical theory.
- Written Practical test — a written examination of the procedural steps for licensed services. This is a written test, not a hands-on demonstration.
- Minnesota State Laws and Rules test — covers Minnesota Statute Chapter 155A, Minnesota Rules Chapter 2105, and infection-control rules. Applicants who already hold an active Minnesota operator or salon manager license in another field do not need to retake this test.
Schedule any of the three exams through candidate.psiexams.com or by calling 1-855-834-8746. Original passing score reports must accompany the license application and must be no more than one year old at the time of submission.
Practical Skills Test — Done at Your School
Minnesota does not run a state practical skills examination. The hands-on practical evaluation is administered inside the licensed cosmetology school as part of the curriculum, and the school manager or owner notarizes its result on the Course Completion Certificate. This means your school — not PSI — controls when and how you take your practical, which is unusual compared with neighboring states.
Salon Manager and Instructor Tests
Salon manager applicants pass an additional Salon Manager test through PSI. Instructor applicants must pass three additional instructor-specific tests (general theory, practical, and laws and rules) and document at least 2,700 hours of licensed practice in the same field within the three years preceding application.
Foreign Applicants
If you trained outside the United States, you must take and pass all three written tests with PSI after completing a foreign credentials evaluation and any required gap training at a Minnesota-licensed school under the Foreign License Transfer pathway.
How to Renew Your Minnesota Cosmetology License
Minnesota individual cosmetology licenses are issued for a three-year cycle under Minnesota Statute 155A.27, Subd. 6. Each license expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month in the third year of the cycle, so renewal deadlines are personalized rather than statewide. Renewal eligibility opens 10 weeks before the expiration date.
Continuing Education Requirements
Practitioners must complete 8 hours of board-approved continuing education during the three years preceding renewal:
- A 4-hour Core course consisting of 1 hour of laws and rules and 3 hours of health, safety, and infection control.
- A 4-hour Professional Practice course covering one or more of: product chemistry and chemical interaction; proper use and maintenance of machines and instruments; business management, professional ethics, and human relations; or techniques relevant to the licensee's field.
Eyelash technicians complete only the 4-hour Core course. Both courses must be completed after your most recent renewal or activation. Approved providers and current course lists are published on the Board's For Practitioners CE page.
Three-Year Renewal Fees
- Operator on-time renewal — $115 ($100 license fee + $15 application fee).
- Salon Manager or Instructor on-time renewal — $145 ($130 license fee + $15 application fee).
- Late practitioner penalty — additional $45 if not received by the expiration date.
- Operator renewal expired less than three years — $160 (includes the $45 late penalty).
- Operator renewal expired more than three years — $195, plus original passing PSI Laws and Rules and Written Practical results no more than one year old.
Fees are codified in Minnesota Statute 155A.25, Subd. 1a.
How to File
On-time renewals can be filed online through the Board's GLSuite licensee portal. Renewals for licenses expired more than six months can only be submitted by mail or in person — the online system will not accept them. Faxed and emailed applications are not accepted in any case. Renewals are processed within 15 business days of receipt.
Other Cosmetology License Types in Minnesota
Minnesota Statute 155A.27 defines nine individual practitioner license classifications. Each is a distinct credential with its own application, fee, training, and exam requirements:
- Cosmetologist — Authorized to perform the full scope of cosmetology services (hair, skin, nails). Requires 1,550 training hours, three PSI exams, and at least age 17.
- Esthetician — Skin-care services including facials and makeup. Requires 600 hours and the three PSI exams.
- Advanced Practice Esthetician (AP Esthetician) — A higher-tier esthetics credential unique to Minnesota. An AP esthetician license supersedes a standard esthetician license. Requires completion of a board-approved AP esthetician program plus the AP esthetician general theory and written practical exams.
- Nail Technician — Manicure, pedicure, and nail enhancements. Requires 350 hours and the three PSI exams.
- Eyelash Technician — Lash extensions and lash lifts only. Requires 14 hours of training under Rule 2105.0145.
- Hair Technician — Natural-hair and textured-hair services with a separate transfer pathway under the Board's Hair Tech application.
- Salon Manager — Practitioner authorized to be the designated manager of record for a salon. Every Minnesota salon must have a designated salon manager. Requires holding an active operator license and passing the Salon Manager exam.
- Instructor — Authorized to teach in a licensed school. Must hold an active operator or manager license, document at least 2,700 hours of licensed practice in the prior three years, complete a board-approved instructor course, and pass instructor general theory, practical, and laws and rules tests.
- School Manager — Designated manager of record for a licensed cosmetology school. Must hold an active Minnesota cosmetology salon manager license and pass the school manager exam covering school-related laws and rules.
The Board also issues facility licenses (salon, school), homebound service permits, special-event permits, and one-year temporary military licenses for service members and their spouses under Minnesota Statute 197.4552. Threading is statutorily exempt from licensure, and a person who provides only hairstyling and makeup services may operate without a full cosmetology license after completing a four-hour board-approved health and safety course under §155A.27, Subd. 9.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many hours does Minnesota require for a cosmetologist license?
- 1,550 hours of training in a Minnesota-licensed cosmetology school under Rule 2105.0145, Subp. 1, item C. Estheticians need 600 hours, nail technicians 350 hours, and eyelash technicians 14 hours.
- What is the minimum age to get a cosmetology license in Minnesota?
- 17 years old for cosmetologist, esthetician, nail technician, and eyelash technician applicants who have not been licensed in another state, per Rule 2105.0145, Subp. 1.
- Who administers the Minnesota cosmetology exam?
- PSI Exams. Schedule online at candidate.psiexams.com or call 1-855-834-8746. Three separate written tests are required: General Theory, Written Practical, and Minnesota State Laws and Rules.
- Is there a hands-on practical exam in Minnesota?
- Not at the state level. The Practical Skills Test is administered inside your licensed cosmetology school and the school manager or owner notarizes the result on your Course Completion Certificate. PSI handles only the three written tests.
- How much does a Minnesota cosmetology license cost?
- $195 for the initial Operator License Application with standard 15-business-day processing, or $345 with 5-business-day expedited processing. Renewal is $115 for an operator and $145 for a salon manager or instructor every three years.
- How often do Minnesota cosmetology licenses renew?
- Every three years. Each license expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month in the third year of the cycle. Renewal eligibility opens 10 weeks before the expiration date.
- How many continuing education hours does Minnesota require for renewal?
- 8 hours per three-year cycle: a 4-hour Core course (1 hour laws and rules, 3 hours health, safety, and infection control) and a 4-hour Professional Practice course. Eyelash technicians complete only the 4-hour Core course.