This page provides information for Delaware license requirements including how to apply for a new license, renew an existing one, reactivate an expired license and Delaware license reciprocity for when you need to transfer a license to this state or out of state. If available, we provide other useful information such as cosmetology school hours requirements, how to apply for additional license for professions like manicurists, nail technicians, instructors etc. If you did not find the answer you were looking for on this page or if you have questions or issues pertaining to cosmetology, then we recommend you contact the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering.

Delaware Cosmetology License Verification

If you need to verify a license for a salon or person, then you can do so by visiting the Delaware Board of Cosmetology license verification website. From there you can search for the person or business and see if there are any disciplinary actions on record. This will allow you to make an informed decision about the person and or business providing your service.

Delaware Renewal for all Licenses

Licenses expire every two years as follows. Licenses that expire on March 31 of each even year (e.g., 2018, 2020) are:

  • Barber and Master Barber
  • Nail Technician
  • Aesthetician
  • Electrologist
  • All types of Instructors

Cosmetologist licenses expire on October 31 of each even year. Establishment (shop/salon), Mobile Salon, and School registrations expire on June 30 of each odd year (e.g., 2017, 2019). Several weeks before the permit expiration date, a renewal notice will be sent to the email address on the record. This notice will explain how to access the online renewal application. To complete the online renewal application, you must use a credit card to pay your renewal fee. Please keep your contact information in their records up-to-date so that notices they send will reach you. To check and update your contact information online, click Change Contact Information.

Renewing Lapsed Delaware Licenses

If you do not renew your license or registration before the expiration date, the license or registration will lapse. If you hold a license as a Cosmetologist, Barber, Master Barber, Instructor, Nail Technician, Aesthetician or Electrologist, it is illegal to practice in Delaware while your license is lapsed. To resume practicing in Delaware, you may submit a late renewal application up to one year after the expiration date. In addition to the renewal fee, you must pay a late fee. Even though you can file a late renewal application, it is illegal to practice until the license is actually renewed. The late period is not a grace period.

If you fail to renew your license by the end of the late period, your license will terminate. If you wish to resume practicing in Delaware after your license has terminated, you must file a reinstatement application and pay additional late fees. If you let the license lapse for more than four years, you must also meet additional reinstatement requirements. If you hold a shop/salon or school registration, it is illegal to operate the shop/salon or school while the registration is lapsed.

To resume operating the shop/salon or school, you may submit a late renewal application up to 45 days after the expiration date. In addition to the renewal fee, you must pay a late fee. Even though you can file a late renewal application, it is illegal to operate a shop/salon or school in Delaware until the registration is actually renewed. The late period is not a grace period.

If you fail to renew the registration by the end of the 45-day late period, your registration will terminate. If you wish to resume operating the shop/salon or school in Delaware after the registration has terminated, you must reapply for a new registration.

When to Apply for Reinstatement

This application is for reinstating the following types of lapsed licenses:

  • Cosmetologist
  • Barber or Master Barber
  • Aesthetician
  • Electrologist
  • Nail Technician
  • All Instructor types

Do not use this application for lapsed Cosmetology/Barbering Establishment or School registration. If you fail to renew the registration by the end of the late period, you must reapply for registration. If you do not renew your license before the expiration date, your license lapses. It is illegal to practice in Delaware while your license is lapsed. To resume practicing, you must first renew or reinstate your license, depending on how long it has been lapsed. If you don’t know how long your license has been lapsed, look it up at Search & Verify a Professional License before filing this application.

If your license has been lapsed less than one year, you may renew it by submitting a renewal application. You must pay a late fee. Do not file this reinstatement application form in this situation. If your license has been lapsed for more than one year, you must apply for reinstatement. The requirements you must meet to reinstate your license depend on how long the license has been lapsed, as shown in the table below:

If you file this application Then follow the instructions in BOTH sections below Example
More than one year but less than four years after the expiration date on your license
  • Requirements for All Reinstatement Applicants
  • Additional Requirement for Licenses Lapsed Between One and Four Years

Your license expired 3/2015. It is now 5/2017. You must:

  • File this reinstatement application because you can no longer apply to renew it online
  • Enclose the reinstatement fee for a license that has been lapsed between one and four years
Four or more years after the expiration date on your license
  • Requirements for All Reinstatement Applicants
  • Additional Requirements for Licenses Lapsed Four or More Years

Your license expired 3/2012. It is now 5/2017. You must:

  • File this reinstatement application because you can no longer apply to renew it online
  • Enclose the reinstatement fee for a license that has been lapsed over four years
  • Select a reinstatement method under Additional Requirements for Licenses Lapsed Four or More Years and meet the requirements for that method

Remember that it is illegal to resume practicing in Delaware until a reinstated license is issued to you.

Requirements for All Reinstatement Applicants Additional Requirement for Licenses Lapsed Between One and Four Years

Enclose the non-refundable processing fee by check or money order made payable to State of Delaware. Select the fee for your license type from the column headed Reinstatement Between 1-4 Years After Lapse.

Additional Requirements for Licenses Lapsed Four or More Years

Enclose the non-refundable processing fee by check or money order made payable to State of Delaware. Select the fee for your license type from the column headed Reinstatement Over 4 Years After Lapse. Choose one of these four reinstatement methods and complete the requirements for the method you choose. If you are applying to reinstate an Instructor license, you must choose from methods 2–4.

Apprenticeship:

When you choose this method, the reinstatement application is also an application for an Apprentice license. You must be approved for the Apprentice license before you begin working as an apprentice. The apprenticeship hours required are:

  • Cosmetologist, Master Barber or Barber: 1000
  • Electrologist or Aesthetician: 200
  • Nail Technician: 85

At the end of your apprenticeship, your supervisor must complete and submit a Verification of Completion of Apprenticeship form to the Board.

Classroom Hours:

The classroom hours required are:

  • Cosmetologist, Master Barber or Barber: 500
  • Electrologist or Aesthetician: 100
  • Nail Technician: 45

When you complete the hours, the school must submit a certification of satisfactory performance to the Board.

Examination:

You must re-take the practical portion of your professional board examination. If you choose this method, the Board office will send you the exam registration form and candidate information.

Reciprocity:

You may choose this method if you:

  • Hold a current license in good standing in another state, the District of Columbia, or US territory and
  • Have been continuously employed in your profession for at least one year immediately before you request reinstatement

If you apply by this method, arrange for the Board office to receive the following documents:

  • You should use the Verification of Licensure for Reciprocity Applications form at the end of this application to request the verification. If you are reinstating a Delaware Master Barber, the verification from the jurisdiction where you hold a current, equivalent license must reflect that you are allowed to perform chemical processing
  • Request your employer in a jurisdiction where you are currently licensed to submit a notarized statement certifying that you continuously practiced in the field for which you seeking Delaware licensure for at least one year before filing this reinstatement application. The employer must send the letter directly to the Board office

When to File a Delaware Shop/Salon Application

You are required to obtain a professional license from the Division of Professional Regulation for each location where you are operating a shop or salon. File an application when any of the following situations occurs:

  • You are opening a new shop or salon
  • The ownership of an existing shop or salon is changing (regardless of whether the name is changing)
  • An existing shop or salon is changing its name (regardless of whether the owner is changing)
  • An existing shop or salon is moving to another location

If the new salon/shop is in a mobile unit, file the Application for Registration of a Mobile Salon or Shop. In addition to the professional license, you must obtain a business license from the Division of Revenue for each salon or shop you operate. To apply, visit revenue.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8778. You may also be required to obtain a town/city business license for a shop or salon operating in its jurisdiction. Contact the town or city for more information.

Requirements for All Shop/Salon Applications

All persons providing professional services in the shop/salon must hold the appropriate professional license. All shops and salons operating in Delaware must comply with the Division of Public Health's Rules and Regulations on sanitation.

What Happens After You Apply

To ensure consideration of your license application at the next Board meeting, the Board office must receive all of the items above no later than 4:30pm ten full working days before the Board's meeting date. The Board meets on the last Monday of each month at 9am except for August and December. After the meeting, you will be notified in writing of the Board's decision. If approved, the license will be enclosed. No inspection of the premises takes place before the shop/salon opens.

Hours of Education needed for a Licensure

The amount of professional/technical training you need depends on which kind of license you're applying for:

Type Hours
The amount of professional/technical training Cosmetologist, Master Barber or Barber 1500
Nail Technician 300
Electrologist 300
Aesthetician 600
Cosmetologist or Barber Instructor 500 hours hours of teacher training or
two years experience as an active, licensed, practicing cosmetologist or barber plus at least 250 hours of teacher training in cosmetology or barbering
Nail Technician Instructor 500 hours of teacher training or
two years experience as an active, licensed, practicing nail technician plus at least 250 hours of teacher training in nail technology
Electrologist Instructor 500 hours of teacher training or
two years experience as an active, licensed, practicing electrologist plus at least 50 hours of teacher training in electrology
Aesthetician Instructor 500 hours or
two years experience as an active, licensed practicing aesthetician plus at least 250 hours of instructions in aesthetics
Apprenticeship Hours Required to get a License
Type Hours
Cosmetologist or Barber 3000
Nail Technician 600
Electrologist 600
Aesthetician 1200

Selecting a Shop/Salon and Supervisor

Before applying for an apprenticeship, you must find a sponsor to supervise your apprenticeship. The supervisor must hold a current Delaware license as a Cosmetologist, Master Barber, Barber, Nail Technician, Electrologist or Aesthetician. In addition, the supervisor must be qualified to supervise an apprentice as follows:

  • A Cosmetologist, Master Barber, Barber, Nail Technician, Electrologist or Aesthetician may supervise an Apprenticeship in their own type of licensure. For example, a Cosmetologist may supervise a Cosmetologist Apprentice
  • A Master Barber may also supervise a Barber Apprentice
  • A Cosmetologist may also supervise a Nail Technician Apprentice or Aesthetician Apprentice
  • A Cosmetology Instructor may supervise a Barber or Master Barber Apprentice only if the Cosmetology Instructor has completed 35 hours of training in shaving

A supervisor is permitted to supervise no more than two apprentices at a time. The shop/salon selected must hold a current professional Cosmetology/Barbering Establishment license. It must employ at least one person licensed in the profession in which the apprentice is being trained. A shop owner cannot work as an apprentice in his/her own shop.

Choosing Master Barber vs. Barber

The application asks you to choose Master Barber or Barber. In Delaware, a Master Barber is allowed to perform chemical processing but a Barber is not.

Filing the Application for Apprenticeship

Submit completed, signed and notarized Application for Apprenticeship. The apprentice applicant, shop/salon owner and person who will supervise the apprentice's training must all sign the application form. Enclose the processing fee by check or money order made payable to State of Delaware.

Submit proof that you have a high school education equivalent to completing at least the 10th grade. Arrange for the Board office to receive one of the following as proof of your high school education. If you went to high school in the US or a US territory, arrange for the Board office to receive your GED certificate or an official high school transcript:

  • The high school must send the transcripts directly to the Board office
  • If your document is not in English, you must arrange for the Board office to receive a translation

If you went to school outside the US or its territories, arrange for the Board office to receive a credential evaluation to determine if your education is equivalent to Delaware's requirement. Agencies that provide credentialing and translation services are listed on www.naces.org. If you have never been issued a US Social Security Number, submit a Request for Exemption from Social Security Number Requirement.

Documenting Apprenticeship Hours

The supervisor and apprentice should maintain records of the hours accrued on the Verification of Apprenticeship Hours form at the end of the application.

Type Hours Period
Cosmetologist 3000 18 months – 36 months
Master Barber 3000 18 months – 36 months
Barber 3000 18 months – 36 months
Nail Technician 600 6 weeks – 12 months
Electrologist 600 15 weeks – 12 months
Aesthetician 1200 30 weeks – 24 months

If the apprentice leaves the supervision of the sponsor approved for the internship before the apprenticeship ends, the supervisor must submit the Verification of Apprenticeship Hours form to show the hours accrued under his/her supervision. If the apprentice is unable to complete the required hours within the required timeframe, submit a request for extension to the Board in writing before the apprenticeship ends. Include a statement explaining why the apprenticeship was not completed. The Board will not accept requests submitted after the apprenticeship ends.

Applying for Licensure and Registering for the Examination

When the apprenticeship hours are completed:

  • To show the hours accrued, the supervisor submits the Verification of Apprenticeship Hours form to the Board office
  • The apprentice contacts Professional Credential Services, Inc. (PCS), the testing service, to complete the application and register for the exam. The apprentice must file the application/registration must be filed no later than 60 days before the examination date. For information about applying and registering, see Examinations

Direct all questions about the examination to Professional Credential Services, Inc.

Difference Between a Barber License and a Master Barber License

The difference is what the law allows each to do. A Barber can shave or trim beards, cut or dress hair, give facial or scalp massages, and treat beards or scalps with preparations made for this purpose. A Master Barber can provide the same services as a Barber, but he or she can also embellish, clean or beautify human hair by arranging, dressing, curling, permanent waving, cutting singeing, braiding, pressing, chemically bleaching or coloring, chemically straightening, or similar work.