Colorado Esthetician License Requirements

Colorado licenses estheticians through the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure. Licensure requires completing an approved training program and passing PSI’s written and practical exams.

1. Complete 600 contact hours of training (or 20 credit hours) at a state-approved esthetics or cosmetology school, or through a U.S. Department of Labor–approved apprenticeship.
2. Confirm eligibility. You must be at least 16 years old.
3. Apply and schedule through PSI. Submit your application, proof of completed education, and the $32 application fee at psiexams.com.
4. Pass the practical exam, then the written exam. Colorado requires the practical exam to be completed before you can pay for and schedule the written exam.
5. Receive your license. Once PSI confirms your passing scores and your application fee is paid, the Director issues your esthetician license, valid for two years.

Colorado requires 600 contact hours (or 20 credit hours) of esthetics training at a state-approved school, under C.R.S. § 12-105-111(3)(c). Training covers topics tested on the licensing exam, including:

• Safety and infection control: disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices
• Skin care and facials: workstation preparation and basic facial technique
• Hair removal: eyebrow waxing and tweezing
• Makeup application and client consultation
• Laws and rules governing the practice of esthetics in Colorado

Colorado also allows an applicant to substitute foreign work experience for contact hours, at a ratio of three months of work experience for every 100 contact hours — except for the hours required for disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices or the review of laws and rules, which cannot be substituted. A limited apprenticeship pathway is also available through U.S. Department of Labor–approved programs.

Colorado uses the National-Interstate Council (NIC) practical and written examinations, administered by PSI Services.

Practical Exam

The practical exam covers workstation preparation, a basic facial, eyebrow waxing and tweezing, makeup application, and end-of-day clean-up. You have 95 minutes to complete it and must score at least 70% to pass. The current fee is $69. You must pass the practical exam before you can schedule the written exam.

Written Exam

The written exam has 75 scored questions covering safety and infection control, client consultation, skin care, makeup, hair removal, and advanced treatments. It must be completed in 90 minutes, and the current fee is $62.

Application Fee

In addition to the exam fees paid to PSI, applicants submit a $32 application fee along with their documentation to become eligible for testing.

Colorado esthetician licenses renew every two years for a fee of $26. Colorado does not require continuing education for standard active renewal.

Grace Period and Lapsed Licenses

There is a 60-day grace period after your expiration date during which you may continue to provide services while completing your renewal. If your license lapses beyond that, you must complete a reinstatement application. Reinstating a license that has been expired between two and five years requires either verification of an active license from another state or proof of 16 hours of continuing education (or passing the written exam again); a license expired more than five years requires 24 hours of continuing education (or passing the written exam again).

How to Renew

Renew online through the DORA Online Services portal. Failure to receive an electronic renewal notice does not excuse you from the obligation to renew and pay the fee on time.

Colorado defines the licensed scope of practice for an “Esthetician” in C.R.S. § 12-105-104(8). A licensed Colorado esthetician may engage in, for purposes other than treating disease or physical ailments:

• Facials and makeup: Giving facials, applying makeup, giving skin care, or applying eyelashes involving physical contact
• Beautifying treatments: Beautifying the face, neck, arms, bust, or torso using cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams
• Massage and stimulation: Massaging, cleaning, or stimulating the face, neck, arms, bust, or torso by hand or with devices, apparatus, or appliances, using cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams
• Hair removal: Removing superfluous hair by depilatories, waxing, or tweezers

A license is generally required to provide any of these services in Colorado for compensation, though the Barber and Cosmetologist Act carves out narrow exemptions (for example, House Bill 26-1181 exempted makeup-only services and nail-polish-only application from licensure, effective August 12, 2026 — this does not remove the license requirement for the broader esthetics scope above). You can verify any practitioner through DORA’s Verify a License tool.