Delaware Cosmetology License Lookup

Delaware gives you two routes, and the second one is better than most states offer.

1. DELPROS, for a single check

1. Open DELPROS at delpros.delaware.gov.
2. Use the public license search — you do not need an account to verify someone else’s license. The login is for licensees managing their own record.
3. Search by name or license number.

2. The open dataset, for anything more

Delaware publishes its full professional licensing file as open data, refreshed daily. It describes the dataset as covering individuals who “have applied for, currently hold or previously held a professional or occupational license issued by the State of Delaware”.

That is genuinely useful. You can filter, sort and export — and the file carries fields DELPROS does not surface as neatly, including a disciplinary action column and both the issue and expiration dates.

If you are checking several licensees, compiling a list of salons in an area, or want to confirm something without clicking through a form, the dataset is the route.

What the records contain

Delaware’s license records carry: name, license number, license type, city, state, ZIP, country, issue date, expiration date, disciplinary action and license status.

Both dates being present is worth noting — the issue date is a cross-check on how long someone has actually held a Delaware license, and few states surface it.

Delaware license types

Delaware issues an unusually structured set, with a Temporary Permit and an Apprentice grade for almost every discipline:

• Cosmetologist — the full license, by far the largest group at around 10,800 records.
• Aesthetician — note the spelling. Around 2,300.
• Nail Technician — around 2,500.
• Barber and Master Barber — two tiers.
• Electrologist — rare in Delaware, fewer than 50 records.
• Instructor credentials for cosmetology, aesthetics, barbering and nail technology, each with a Temporary variant.

Temporary permits and apprentices are common

Over a thousand Cosmetologist Temporary Permits and a similar number of Cosmetologist Apprentices are on file. If you are verifying someone who recently qualified or recently moved to Delaware, one of those is what you are most likely to find — both are real credentials, but time-limited or supervised rather than full licenses.

Military registration

Delaware issues a Cosmetology and Barbering Military Registration. Only a handful exist, but if you are a military spouse or service member the category is there.

An expired license is the most common record in Delaware. There are around 13,300 expired cosmetology-related records against 8,300 active ones.

So a match proves nothing on its own

Because the dataset covers people who “currently hold or previously held” a license, finding someone tells you they exist in Delaware’s records — not that they may work today. Read the status. This is the same trap as Colorado, and the opposite of Texas or Maryland where only active licenses appear at all.

Delaware's twelve status values

• Active — the license is live.
• Expired — lapsed and not renewed. The most common status in the file.
• Delinquent — overdue rather than fully lapsed.
• Closed, Terminated, Withdrawn, Deceased — the record was closed for the stated reason.
• Suspended and Revoked — the holder may not work.
• Probation — may work, under conditions.
• Denied — the application was refused.
• Non-Disciplinary Suspension — see below.

Non-Disciplinary Suspension is worth understanding

Almost no other state distinguishes this. A suspension can be administrative — a paperwork or compliance matter — rather than a finding against how someone practices. Delaware separates the two explicitly.

That cuts both ways. If you see it, do not assume misconduct: the label exists precisely to say this was not disciplinary. But the license is still suspended, so the holder may not work under it.

Disciplinary action is a field

The records carry a disciplinary action column, so you are not hunting a separate enforcement list the way you would in Arizona or Maryland. Read it alongside the status.

Delaware licenses establishments as a Cosmetology/Barbering Establishment — a single combined category covering salons and barber shops, with around 3,000 on file.

Mobile salons are licensed

Delaware issues a separate Mobile Salon/Shop license, so a mobile operator is properly credentialed and findable rather than sitting in a grey area. If a mobile stylist does not appear under a fixed establishment, that is where to look.

Schools

Training providers hold a Cosmetology/Barbering School license — only around 40 exist statewide, which makes the list short enough to check properly. Verify it before enrolling: hours completed at a provider without a current Delaware license will not count toward licensure.

Delaware also registers apprenticeships separately through an Apprenticeship Registration. If you are taking the apprentice route rather than school, that registration is what makes your hours count — confirm both it and the salon are in order before you start.

Using the open data for establishments

This is where the dataset earns its place. Because you can filter by license type and city, you can list every licensed establishment in a Delaware town in one query rather than searching names one at a time — and export the result. Very few states allow that without a separate bulk-data request.