How to get a California cosmetology, barber, esthetician or manicurist license

Who qualifies for the exam

The Board's license requirements page lists the same basics for all four licenses: you must be at least 17 and have completed the 10th grade in California public schools or its equivalent. Then you need the training hours for your license, usually from a Board-approved school or a California apprenticeship program.

• Cosmetologist: 1,000 hours
• Barber: 1,000 hours
• Esthetician: 600 hours
• Manicurist (nail technician): 400 hours

Other routes: practice elsewhere, crossover and reciprocity

The Board also counts practice outside California, at 100 hours of credit for each 3 months of practice. A licensed barber can qualify for the cosmetologist exam with a crossover course, and a licensed cosmetologist can do the same for the barber exam. If you already hold a license in another state, read the Board's reciprocity application first. The application form says you may qualify for reciprocity, which has its own application and PSI handbook.

Apply to the Board

Apply online through BreEZe or mail the paper Application for Examination and Initial License Fee for your license. On the August 2025 forms the non-refundable fee is $125 for cosmetologist and barber, $115 for esthetician and $110 for manicurist. Attach your school's Proof of Training or your apprenticeship Certificate of Completion.

The form is also where you pick the exam language: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean or Simplified Chinese. If you need an interpreter or a reasonable accommodation, send that form with the application. The form warns that if you send it later, your exam may be scheduled without your request. The Board's FAQ says no one is admitted to the exam until all required hours are complete.

Approval and scheduling with PSI

After the Board approves your application, PSI sends you its candidate handbook. The Board's FAQ estimates about 6 weeks after approval for a first application, and says online applications are generally processed 2 to 4 weeks faster than mailed ones. You then book your own date, time and PSI test center online or by calling PSI at (877) 392-6422.

The April 2026 PSI bulletin lets you cancel or reschedule without losing the fee if PSI receives your notice 2 days before the exam date. A voicemail does not count. If you miss the appointment or arrive too late to be admitted, you lose the exam fee and have to apply to the Board again for re-examination.

Exam day and results

Bring a valid, unexpired government photo ID whose name matches the Board's record exactly, and arrive at least 30 minutes early. Each license has its own question count and time limit, listed in our exam guides. PSI scores the exam against a fixed passing standard, so you are not competing with the other candidates in the room.

If you pass, the PSI bulletin says you receive your photographic license on site, and the Board's FAQ says passing candidates are issued a license on the day of the exam. If you do not pass, the failure notice shows your score, a breakdown by content area and the number of correct answers needed to pass. Score information is not given over the phone.

If you need to retake it

The Board's FAQ says there is no limit on how many times you can retake the exam. You file an Application for Re-examination online or on paper; the August 2025 form lists a $75 non-refundable fee. The FAQ estimates the PSI handbook arrives about 3 weeks after a re-exam application is approved. Use the content-area breakdown on your failure notice to decide what to study before you book again.