Indiana State Board of Cosmetology
Information verified:About the Indiana State Board of Cosmetology
The Indiana State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (SBCBE) is the regulatory body that licenses every cosmetologist, barber, esthetician, manicurist, electrologist, and beauty culture instructor in the state, along with all salons, mobile salons, beauty culture schools, and tanning facilities. The board operates under the umbrella of the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA), the cabinet-level agency that provides administrative, legal, and licensing-portal services to more than 30 separate Indiana professional boards.
This umbrella structure is unusual: rather than maintaining its own offices, staff, and online portal, the Cosmetology and Barber Board shares the PLA's resources at 402 West Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis and uses the statewide MyLicense and Access Indiana platforms for all applications, renewals, and verifications. The board itself is a seven-member body appointed by the Governor and includes licensed cosmetologists, barbers, manicurists, a school owner, and a consumer member.
Indiana statute uses the umbrella term beauty culture rather than cosmetology when describing the regulated trades. That single word covers six individual license types and four facility types, all governed by Indiana Code Title 25, Article 8 and Title 820 of the Indiana Administrative Code. The board publishes meeting agendas and minutes for every regular meeting (held bi-monthly on Mondays in Conference Room W064 of the Indiana Government Center-South) and broadcasts each session live on Zoom.
To reach the board directly, call (317) 234-3031 or email pla12@pla.IN.gov. Tracy Hicks serves as Board Director and Ruth Hashu-Roorda as Assistant Director. Mail and in-person inquiries should be addressed to the State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, 402 West Washington Street, Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Licenses Regulated
The Indiana State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners issues the following individual and facility licenses:
- Cosmetologist — Full-scope hair, skin, and nail services. Requires completion of the 10th grade or equivalent and 1,500 hours of beauty culture school instruction.
- Barber — Hair cutting, shaving, and shop services. Applicants must be at least 18, or 17 with a high school diploma or equivalent, and complete 1,500 hours of barber school instruction.
- Esthetician — Skin care, facials, and hair removal. Requires 10th grade education and 700 hours of esthetics instruction.
- Manicurist — Nail care services. Requires only 8th grade education and 450 hours of manicuring instruction — Indiana's lowest entry-hour license.
- Electrologist — Permanent hair removal using electric current. Requires 10th grade education and 300 hours of training, plus an active cosmetologist or esthetician license held continuously alongside it.
- Beauty Culture Instructor — Authorizes teaching at a licensed beauty culture school. Requires a high school diploma, 1,000 hours of instructor training, and a primary beauty culture license held continuously alongside the instructor credential.
- Beauty Culture Salon — Required for any fixed-location salon, barbershop, or crossover establishment. Each salon must operate under the personal supervision of a licensed beauty culture professional.
- Mobile Salon — Self-contained or transported beauty culture operation under 820 IAC 2-1, 3-1, and 3-2.
- Beauty Culture School — Required for any institution offering board-approved training. Schools must submit monthly verified reports of student hours and enrollment status.
- Tanning Facility — Operators must report any injury or complaint of injury under IC 16-1-47.
Indiana also recognizes provisional licenses for applicants from jurisdictions that do not issue a beauty culture license. Provisional holders must work under the supervision of a like-licensed Indiana professional until they meet the experience required to upgrade to a standard license. All licensees must post their Indiana license at their workstation, and salons cannot allow unlicensed individuals to practice on the premises.
Renew Your Indiana Cosmetology License
Indiana beauty culture licenses follow one of the longest renewal cycles in the country. Under IC 25-8-4, a license issued in this article expires on a date set by the licensing agency and then expires every four (4) years after the initial expiration date. Renewal notices are sent to the address — or, when the licensee has an email on file, the email address — of record approximately 90 days before the license expires. Practitioners can renew up to 90 days before expiration but cannot renew by telephone.
Continuing Education
Indiana does not require any continuing education hours for cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, electrologists, or beauty culture instructors. The former 820 IAC Article 6 (Continuing Education) was repealed and has not been replaced. This makes Indiana one of a small group of states with a true zero-CE renewal — licensees only need to pay the renewal fee and complete the renewal application before the deadline.
Current Renewal Fees
- Individual beauty culture license: $40.00 (cosmetologist, barber, esthetician, manicurist, electrologist, instructor)
- Beauty culture salon or mobile salon: $40.00
- Beauty culture school: $400.00
- Tanning facility: $200.00
How to Renew Online
All renewals are processed through MyLicense.IN.gov using an Access Indiana account. Access Indiana is the statewide single sign-on portal that links a Hoosier's licensing record across multiple state agencies. After signing in, choose Renew License from the left-hand menu and pay the $40 fee by credit or debit card.
Reinstatement After Expiration
Under IC 25-1-8-6, a beauty culture license expired beyond three years can be reinstated by paying an $80.00 reinstatement fee (the current $40 renewal fee plus the current $40 application fee), completing remediation determined by the board, and — if the license has been expired for five or more years — passing the written licensing examination again within one year of reinstatement application.
File a Complaint
Complaints against Indiana beauty culture professionals are not filed directly with the Cosmetology and Barber Board. Instead, the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division screens every complaint, investigates, and — when warranted — brings the matter before the board for a disciplinary hearing. This split keeps the licensing agency neutral and gives complainants an independent prosecutor.
How to File a Complaint
Submit your complaint through the Attorney General's consumer complaint portal. You can also call the Attorney General's toll-free Consumer Protection line at 1-800-382-5516. Include the licensee's name, the date and location of the incident, the conduct you believe violated state law or rule, and any documentation that supports your statement.
What Happens Next
The Attorney General reviews each complaint to decide whether the evidence supports an administrative complaint. If it does, the case moves to the Cosmetology and Barber Board, which acts as the trier of fact in a disciplinary hearing — much like a judge would in a courtroom proceeding. The state of Indiana is the petitioner; the licensee is the respondent. Cases may resolve through settlement, summary suspension (a 90-day emergency suspension when the licensee poses a clear and immediate danger), or a contested hearing before an administrative law judge.
Possible Sanctions
The board may impose revocation, suspension, probation, censure, reprimand, or any combination of these. Boards may also assess a fine up to $1,000 per violation. Revoked licensees cannot apply for a new Indiana license for seven years from the date of revocation.
Disciplinary actions and litigation records are published on the PLA website and remain searchable through the public license verification tool at MyLicense.IN.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Indiana require continuing education to renew a cosmetology license?
- No. Indiana repealed its continuing education rule (820 IAC Article 6) and does not require CE for any individual beauty culture license. You only need to pay the $40 renewal fee and complete the online renewal application by your expiration date.
- How often do Indiana cosmetology licenses renew?
- Every four years. Indiana operates one of the longest renewal cycles in the country — under IC 25-8-4, individual beauty culture licenses expire four years after the initial expiration date set by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.
- How do I contact the Indiana State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners?
- Call (317) 234-3031 or email pla12@pla.IN.gov. The board offices are at 402 West Washington Street, Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204, inside the Indiana Government Center South building.
- How do I renew my Indiana beauty culture license online?
- Renew through MyLicense.IN.gov using your Access Indiana account. Sign in, select Renew License from the left menu, and pay the $40 fee by credit or debit card. Renewals open 90 days before expiration.
- How do I verify an Indiana cosmetology license?
- Use the free Search and Verify tool at mylicense.in.gov/EVerification/Search.aspx. The tool updates in real time and shows license status, expiration date, and any disciplinary history.
- How do I file a complaint against an Indiana beauty culture licensee?
- Complaints go to the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, not to the board. File online through the Attorney General's consumer complaint portal or call 1-800-382-5516. The Attorney General investigates and, if warranted, brings the case before the board.