This page provides information for Colorado license requirements including how to apply for a new license, renew an existing one, reactivate an expired license and Colorado 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 Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure.
Colorado Cosmetology License Verification
If you need to verify a license for a salon or person, then you can do so by visiting the Colorado 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.
If you have never held a license to practice as a barber, cosmetologist, esthetician, hairstylist or nail technician, you must apply for a license by examination. Exam applicants must apply and schedule their examinations with PSI. You may access the Candidate Handbook and reservation information at PSI Online or call 800-733-9267 for further information.
If you have ever held a Colorado license to practice as a barber, cosmetologist, esthetician, hairstylist or nail technician, you must apply for a license by reinstatement. If you currently hold an active license in good standing to practice as a barber, cosmetologist, esthetician, hairstylist or nail technician in another state or territory, you may apply for licensure by endorsement. You will need to:
- Complete the Application for License by Endorsement
- Submit the application fee
- Request that verification of licensure be sent directly to our office from all states in which you have ever been licensed to practice
- California licensees: Please be advised that verification of licensure from California may take up to three months to process. Please allow sufficient time for verification requests. Your application cannot be processed without official verification
Once they have received all of the above information, your application will be reviewed and you will be immediately notified as soon as the review is complete. If you meet the requirements for endorsement, you will be issued a license to practice in Colorado. If you do not meet the requirements, you will be required to take all or part of the Colorado written and practical examinations.
If you currently hold an active license in good standing to practice as a barber, cosmetologist, esthetician, hairstylist or nail technician in another country, you may apply for licensure by endorsement. You will need to:
- Complete the Application for License by Endorsement: Foreign-Trained Applicant
- Submit the application fee
- Request that verification of licensure be sent directly to our office from all jurisdictions in which you have been licensed to practice
- Have your training and experience reviewed by an approved credentialing agency to determine whether you meet the requirements for Colorado licensure, and have a final report sent directly to their office
Once they have received all of the above information, your application will be reviewed and you will be immediately notified as soon as the review is complete. If you meet the requirements for endorsement, you will be issued a license to practice in Colorado. If you do not meet the requirements, you will be required to take all or part of the Colorado written and practical examinations.
Colorado License Renewal Information
- All Barber, Esthetician, Hairstylist, and Nail Technician licenses expire on March 31 of even-numbered years
- All Cosmetologist licenses expire on April 30 of every year and are dependent upon the issuance date
- All Barber and Cosmetology Shop and Salon registrations expire on November 30 of odd-numbered years
- View your expiration date on your online account. Please note that renewals open approximately six weeks prior to the expiration date
- Barber/Cosmetology License by Examination: Apply Online through the PSI website
- Barber/Cosmetology - Reinstate an Expired License: Apply Online through DORA Online Services
California License Training Requirements
To be considered for licensure by examination, an applicant must submit a completed application form, all requested documentation, and the appropriate fee to the Director's examination vendor. To be eligible for licensure by examination, the applicant must provide proof of training as listed below.
An applicant for examination enrolling in school before February 28, 2018 must successfully complete an approved program, and furnish proof of minimum training for each license type:
Barber:Must complete a minimum of 50 credit hours or 1500 contact hours with the following minimum credit or contact hours:
| Subject | Credit Hours | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment of Hair & Scalp | 2 | 60 |
| Facial Massage & Treatments | 3 | 90 |
| Shaving | 3 | 90 |
| Haircutting | 9 | 270 |
| Hairstyling | 9 | 270 |
| Chemical Hair Services | 8 | 240 |
| Hair Coloring & Hair Tinting | 8 | 240 |
| Law, Rules & Regulations | 1 | 30 |
| Management, ethics, interpersonal skills & salesmanship | 1 | 30 |
| Disinfection, Cleaning & Safe work practices | 6 | 180 |
| Total | 50 | 1500 |
Must complete a minimum of 50 credit hours or 1500 contact hours with the following minimum credit or contact hours:
| Subject | Credit Hours | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scalp Care (Shampooing, rinsing & conditioning) | 1.3 | 50 |
| Hair Coloring or Hair Tinting & Bleaching | 6.6 | 200 |
| Haircutting | 6.5 | 200 |
| Hairstyling | 5.8 | 175 |
| Chemical Texture Services | 3.5 | 100 |
| Manicuring & Pedicuring | 5.8 | 175 |
| Application of Artificial Nails | 4.2 | 125 |
| Facials & Skin care | 5.8 | 175 |
| Facial Makeup | 1 | 25 |
| Hair Removal | 2.5 | 75 |
| Law, Rules & Regulations | 1 | 25 |
| Management, ethics, interpersonal skills & salesmanship | 1 | 25 |
| Disinfection, Cleaning & Safe work practices | 5 | 150 |
| Total | 50 | 1500 |
Must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours or 600 contact hours with the following minimum credit or contact hours:
| Subject | Credit Hours | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Facials & Skin Care | 7 | 210 |
| Facial Makeup | 1 | 30 |
| Hair Removal | 3 | 90 |
| Law, Rules & Regulations | 1 | 30 |
| Management, ethics, interpersonal skills & salesmanship | 1 | 20 |
| Disinfection, Cleaning & Safe work practices | 7 | 210 |
| Total | 20 | 600 |
Must complete a minimum of 40 credit hours or 1200 contact hours with the following minimum credit or contact hours:
| Subject | Credit Hours | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scalp Care (Shampooing, rinsing & conditioning) | 2 | 60 |
| Hair Coloring or Hair Tinting & Bleaching | 8 | 240 |
| Haircutting | 8 | 240 |
| Hairstyling | 7 | 210 |
| Chemical Texture Services | 4 | 120 |
| Law, Rules & Regulations | 1 | 30 |
| Management, ethics, interpersonal skills & salesmanship | 1 | 30 |
| Disinfection, Cleaning & Safe work practices | 9 | 270 |
| Total | 40 | 1200 |
Must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours or 600 contact hours with the following minimum credit or contact hours:
| Subject | Credit Hours | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Manicuring & Pedicuring | 7 | 210 |
| Application of Artificial Nails | 5 | 150 |
| Law, Rules & Regulations | 1 | 30 |
| Management, ethics, interpersonal skills & salesmanship | 1 | 30 |
| Disinfection, Cleaning & Safe work practices | 6 | 180 |
| Total | 20 | 600 |
An applicant for examination enrolling in school on or after February 28, 2018, must successfully complete an approved program, and furnish proof of minimum training for each license type:
Barber:50 credit hours or 1500 contact hours, covering at least the following course topics:
- Treatment of hair and scalp, facial massage and treatment
- Facial shaving
- Haircutting
- Hairstyling
- Permanent waving and chemical hair relaxing
- Hair coloring
- Laws and rules
- Management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship
- Disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices
- The number of hours devoted to each of these topics must be substantially equivalent to those provided in accredited schools approved by DPOS or CCCS
50 credit hours or 1500 contact hours, covering at least the following course topics:
- Shampooing, rinsing, and conditioning
- Hair coloring
- Haircutting
- Hairstyling
- Chemical texture services
- Manicuring and pedicuring
- Application of artificial nails
- Facials and skin care
- Facial makeup
- Hair removal
- Laws and rules
- Management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship
- Disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices
- The number of hours devoted to each of these topics must be substantially equivalent to those provided in accredited schools approved by DPOS or CCCS
20 credit hours or 600 contact hours, covering at least the following course topics:
- Facials and skin care
- Facial makeup
- Hair removal
- Laws and rules
- Management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship
- Disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices
- The number of hours devoted to each of these topics must be substantially equivalent to those provided in accredited schools approved by DPOS or CCCS
Hairstylist: 40 credit hours or 1200 contact hours, covering at least the following course topics:
- Shampooing, rinsing, and conditioning
- Hair coloring
- Hair cutting
- Hair styling
- Chemical texture services
- Laws and rules
- Management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship
- Disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices
- The number of hours devoted to each of these topics must be substantially equivalent to those provided in accredited schools approved by DPOS or CCCS
20 credit hours or 600 contact hours, covering at least the following course topics:
- Manicuring and pedicuring
- Application of artificial nails
- Laws and rules
- Management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship
- Disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices
- The number of hours devoted to each of these topics must be substantially equivalent to those provided in accredited schools approved by DPOS or CCCS
They recommend that you do not your application until you have met all of the requirements listed below. An incomplete application will cause a delay in processing. All applicants must:
- Submit payment of the required application fee via credit card. All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable
- Detail any practice as a Barber/Cosmetologist/Esthetician/Hairstylist/Nail Technician since your license has been expired
- Provide information regarding other similar licenses held
- Complete the Affidavit of Eligibility section within the application
- Upload name change documentation, if applicable
- Answer general and criminal history screening questions and upload supporting documentation
If your license expired more than 2 years and less than 5 years ago, you must do one of the following:
- Present an active license status from another state, territory or foreign country and have been actively practicing within the two years prior to submitting your application
- Provide proof of completing at least 16 hours of continuing education related to the practice for which you were previous licensed within the two years prior to submitting your application
- Attest to re-taking and passing the written examination used for original license. This option requires authorization to test by DORA
If your license expired more than 5 years ago, you must do one of the following:
- Present an active license status from another state, territory or foreign country and have been actively practicing within the two years prior to submitting your application
- Provide proof of completing at least 24 hours of continuing education related to the practice for which you were previous licensed within the two years prior to submitting your application
- Attest to re-taking and passing the written examination used for original license. This option requires authorization to test by DORA
State guidelines mandate that all applications expire one year from the date of submission. Failure to provide all required documents will result in your application expiring and will require you to file a new application with all new submitted documents and a new fee.
Shop and Salon Applications and FormsBelow is a list of links/documents for shop and salon establishment owners:
- Barber/Cosmetology - Original Business Registration (Apply Online)
- Barber/Cosmetology - Change of Business Ownership
- Barber/Cosmetology - Reinstate a Business Registration
- Barber/Cosmetology - Change Business Name or Address