Delaware Cosmetology License Requirements

To obtain a Delaware cosmetologist license, applicants must complete 1,500 hours of approved training, apply through Prometric, pass both the NIC written theory and NIC practical examinations, and complete a license application through DELPROS. All licensing is overseen by the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, which operates under the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR). The following steps outline the licensure-by-examination process for a cosmetologist:

1. Complete your education requirement. Enroll in and complete 1,500 hours of training at a school licensed by the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Alternatively, you may complete a 3,000-hour apprenticeship program under a board-approved apprentice teacher in a licensed Delaware shop (apprenticeship must be completed in no less than 18 and no more than 36 months). Out-of-state training must be verified directly from the originating school or state board.
2. Apply through Prometric's candidate management system. New applicants apply online at smttest.com. Create a new login to access the Prometric/SMT Candidate Management application. Follow the instructions for completing the examination application, available on the board's License by Examination page.
3. Mail your high school transcript directly to Prometric. Your high school (or GED equivalent) transcript must be mailed in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing school to: Prometric, c/o NIC Delaware Cosmetology Processing, 6211 Greenleigh Ave Ste 400, Middle River, MD 21220. Transcripts submitted by the applicant are not accepted.
4. Receive your Authorization to Test (ATT). Once Prometric has reviewed and approved your application and documentation, both Prometric/IQTtesting and the DPR office will notify you by email that you are authorized to test. Do not attempt to register with IQTtesting before receiving this notification — premature registration attempts may delay your exam registration.
5. Schedule and pass the NIC written theory examination. Register at iqttesting.com using the credentials provided in your ATT email. Delaware uses the NIC 2022 version examination (for all tests scheduled on or after August 1, 2024). Review the Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB) on the NIC website for content outlines and sample questions.
6. Schedule and pass the NIC practical examination. Delaware requires both the written and practical NIC examinations. Practical exams are held at the Hilton Wilmington Christiana, 100 Continental Drive, Newark, DE 19713. Practical exam dates are listed on the board's website and are subject to change. The cosmetology practical includes core domains 1–10, section 14 (Basic Facial), and section 18 (Manicure and Polish Application).
7. Obtain your license through DELPROS. After passing both examinations, your Delaware cosmetologist license is issued. Manage your license, submit renewals, and update contact information through DELPROS.

Temporary permit: If you are eligible for admission to the examinations, you may request a temporary permit ($40) allowing you to practice under supervision while awaiting exam results. The permit is valid for 30 days past the next available exam date. If you fail an exam, you may extend the permit only by registering for the next available date. Temporary permits are valid for a maximum of two years from the original application date.

The Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering sets minimum training hour requirements for each license type under 24 Del. Admin. Code § 5100. Training may be completed in a board-licensed cosmetology school or through a board-approved apprenticeship program in a licensed Delaware shop. Delaware offers apprenticeship pathways across all five of its regulated practice areas — an unusually comprehensive apprenticeship system among state cosmetology boards.

School Training Hours by License Type

• Cosmetologist and Master Barber: 1,500 classroom hours in a board-licensed school
• Barber: 1,250 classroom hours in a board-licensed barber school
• Aesthetician: 600 classroom hours (300 hours for applicants who began school before June 26, 2010)
• Nail Technician: 300 classroom hours (125 hours for applicants who began school before June 26, 2010)
• Electrologist: 300 classroom hours

Apprenticeship Training Hours by License Type

• Cosmetologist and Master Barber: 3,000 apprenticeship hours, completed in no less than 18 months and no more than 36 months
• Barber: 3,000 apprenticeship hours, with the same time constraints
• Aesthetician: 1,200 apprenticeship hours, completed in no less than 30 weeks and no more than 24 months
• Nail Technician: 600 apprenticeship hours, completed in no less than 15 weeks and no more than 12 months
• Electrologist: 600 apprenticeship hours, completed in no less than 15 weeks and no more than 12 months

Apprenticeship Requirements

Apprenticeship hours may only be accumulated in a board-licensed shop (not a mobile salon) and only after the apprentice license has been issued. The apprentice teacher must hold an active Delaware license in good standing with at least 36 months of licensed experience. An apprentice teacher may supervise no more than three apprentices at one time. Apprentices must submit quarterly hour documentation to the board on board-approved forms signed by the apprentice teacher.

Out-of-State Training

Applicants who completed training outside Delaware must have the originating state board or school send official training documentation directly to the DPR office. Documentation submitted by the applicant is not accepted. If out-of-state hours are less than Delaware's requirement, the deficit must be made up at a licensed Delaware school or through a board-approved apprenticeship before applying.

Hour Transfer Rules

Up to 250 hours earned as a nail technician student may be transferred and applied toward a cosmetology school curriculum (1,500 hours). Up to 500 hours earned as an aesthetician apprentice may be transferred to a cosmetology apprenticeship program (3,000 hours). An apprentice cosmetologist or barber may also transfer up to 1,800 apprenticeship hours to a cosmetology school program at a rate of 2 apprenticeship hours per 1 school hour, provided a minimum of 600 school hours are completed.

Delaware requires both a written theory examination and a practical examination for cosmetologist, barber, master barber, aesthetician, nail technician, and electrologist applicants. Both examinations are developed and administered by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) and delivered through Prometric. Beginning August 1, 2024, Delaware uses the NIC 2022 version of all examinations.

Application Process

1. Apply through the Prometric/SMT Candidate Management System at smttest.com. Create a new login to access the online examination application.
2. Have your high school transcript (or GED documentation) mailed in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing school to: Prometric, c/o NIC Delaware Cosmetology Processing, 6211 Greenleigh Ave Ste 400, Middle River, MD 21220.
3. Once Prometric approves your application, you will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) by email from Prometric/IQTtesting. Do not attempt to register for the written exam before receiving the ATT.
4. Register for the NIC written theory examination through IQTtesting.com using the credentials in your ATT email.
5. Schedule the NIC practical examination separately. Practical exam dates for Delaware are listed on the board's examination page.

Written Examination

The NIC written theory examination is a computer-based test covering theory content specific to the license type being sought. Content outlines and sample questions are provided in the Candidate Information Bulletins (CIBs) on the NIC website. Candidates should review the 2022 version CIB for their license type. For questions about the application or written examination, contact Prometric at 1-866-773-1114, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. Practice testing is available through the NIC at nictesting.org/exam-resources.

Practical Examination

Practical exams are held at the Hilton Wilmington Christiana, 100 Continental Drive, Newark, DE 19713. Exam dates are published on the board's website and are subject to change. For the cosmetology practical specifically, Delaware requires the NIC core domains sections 1 through 10, plus section 14 (Basic Facial) and section 18 (Manicure and Polish Application).

Temporary Permit While Awaiting Exams

Eligible applicants may obtain a temporary permit ($40) allowing supervised practice while awaiting examination. The permit is valid for 30 days past the next available exam date. If you fail an exam, you may extend the permit by registering for the next available date. Temporary permits expire if you do not pass both examinations within two years of the original application date — after that you must wait one year, then reapply and meet all requirements including repeating all educational requirements.

Delaware cosmetology and barbering licenses are renewed on a biennial (two-year) cycle. Delaware uses different expiration dates depending on license type: cosmetologist licenses follow a different cycle from other individual licenses, and business licenses (establishments, mobile salons, schools) follow a third cycle. All renewals are processed through DELPROS (Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services) at delpros.delaware.gov.

Renewal Expiration Dates

• Cosmetologist: October 31 of each even-numbered year (e.g., 2024, 2026, 2028)
• Barber, Master Barber, Nail Technician, Aesthetician, Electrologist, and all Instructor types: March 31 of each even-numbered year
• Cosmetology/Barbering Establishment, Mobile Salon, and School: June 30 of each odd-numbered year (e.g., 2025, 2027)

Renewal Fee

The renewal fee amount is communicated to licensees at the time of renewal via the email address on file. The fee is not posted publicly in advance. All processing fees are non-refundable.

How to Renew

A few months before your expiration date, DPR sends a renewal notice to the email address registered in your DELPROS account. Log in to DELPROS, answer the renewal questions, and pay with a credit or debit card. It is critical to keep your email address current in DELPROS — if a notice goes undelivered due to an outdated address, this does not excuse late renewal or unlicensed practice.

Continuing Education Requirements

Delaware does not require continuing education for cosmetologist, barber, aesthetician, nail technician, or electrologist license renewals. The board's rules and regulations (24 Del. Admin. Code § 5100) contain no CE requirement for individual practitioner licenses. This makes Delaware one of the fewer states that imposes no CE obligation on its cosmetology licensees at renewal.

Late Renewals — Individual Licenses

Practicing with an expired license is illegal in Delaware. Individual licensees may submit a late renewal application for up to five years after the license expiration date through DELPROS. A late fee equal to 50% of the renewal fee applies in addition to the standard renewal fee. Even after submitting a late renewal application, the licensee must not resume practicing until the license is confirmed as renewed to active status by email. The late period is not a grace period.

Late Renewals — Establishment Licenses

Operating a shop, salon, or school with an expired establishment license is illegal. Establishment licensees have a much shorter late window: up to 45 days after the expiration date. After 45 days, the establishment license terminates and the owner must reapply as a new applicant through DELPROS. The late fee is 50% of the renewal fee.

Reinstatement After Termination

If an individual license terminates (i.e., has been expired more than five years or was not renewed within the late period), the licensee must apply for reinstatement through DELPROS and pay the reinstatement fee — which includes a practical examination fee. Alternatively, if the license expired more than five years ago and the applicant holds a current license in another jurisdiction with at least one continuous year of practice there in the past five years, they may reapply by reciprocity instead of reinstatement.

The Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering licenses individual practitioners, instructors, and business entities across five regulated practice areas. Delaware's licensing structure is broader than many states, including electrology within the cosmetology regulatory framework and recognizing mobile salons as a distinct licensed category.

Cosmetologist

Authorizes the full range of cosmetology services: haircutting, styling, coloring, chemical treatments, skin care, and nail services. Requires 1,500 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours. License expires October 31 of even-numbered years.

Master Barber

Authorizes all barbering services including shaving and chemical services. Requires 1,500 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours — same as the cosmetologist. License expires March 31 of even-numbered years.

Barber

Authorizes barbering services. Requires 1,250 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours. License expires March 31 of even-numbered years.

Aesthetician

Authorizes skin care services including facial treatments, makeup application, and hair removal. Requires 600 school hours or 1,200 apprenticeship hours. License expires March 31 of even-numbered years.

Nail Technician

Authorizes manicuring, pedicuring, and artificial nail services. Requires 300 school hours or 600 apprenticeship hours. License expires March 31 of even-numbered years.

Electrologist

Authorizes permanent hair removal by electrolysis. Requires 300 school hours or 600 apprenticeship hours. Delaware is one of the few states that licenses electrologists under its cosmetology regulatory authority. License expires March 31 of even-numbered years.

Instructor

Required to teach in any board-licensed school. Must hold a current Delaware license in the subject area being taught. A provisional pathway allows a licensed practitioner employed by a vocational or accredited school to obtain a temporary instructor permit while completing 500 hours of supervised teaching (or 250 hours plus two years of full-time licensed experience) and passing the instructor examination. Instructor licenses expire March 31 of even-numbered years.

Cosmetology/Barbering Establishment (Shop or Salon)

Required for any fixed location where board-regulated services are performed for compensation. Application fee: $128. Expires June 30 of odd-numbered years — a different cycle from individual licenses.

Mobile Salon

A licensed cosmetology shop in a self-contained, transportable facility. Must maintain a permanent business address for records and correspondence, display the salon name and license number on at least two exterior sides in 5-inch lettering, and may not perform services in a moving vehicle. Application fee: $128. Expires June 30 of odd-numbered years.

School

Any institution offering board-regulated training programs must hold a school license. Schools must follow an approved curriculum (Milady, Pivot Point, or board-approved equivalent) and maintain required equipment. Application fee: $128. Expires June 30 of odd-numbered years.