Illinois Esthetician License Requirements

Illinois licenses estheticians through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). You need to complete an approved training program and pass a state exam before applying for your license.

1. Meet the eligibility requirements. You must be at least 16 years old and a high school graduate (or its equivalent), or beyond the age of compulsory school attendance.
2. Complete a 750-hour esthetics program. Train at a cosmetology or esthetics school approved by IDFPR to teach esthetics, over a period of at least 18 weeks and no more than 4 consecutive years. You must pass your school's final examination before moving on.
3. Register for the state exam. Illinois uses Continental Testing Services (CTS) as its designated testing provider. Register through the CTS online exam portal and pay the $175 exam fee.
4. Pass the combined written and practical exam. A passing grade is 75 on each section.
5. Apply for your license. Submit your application and transcripts through the IDFPR licensing portal along with the $30 license fee.

Illinois requires a 750-hour esthetics program under 68 Ill. Admin. Code § 1175.835, split across four subject areas:

• Basic Training (75 hours): History of skin care, personal hygiene and public health, professional ethics, sterilization and sanitation, an introduction to skin analysis and facial treatments, and eyelash extensions, tabs, and strips.
• Scientific Concepts (150 hours): Cells, metabolism, and body systems; bacteriology; physiology and histology of the skin; human anatomy; chemistry; and disorders of the skin.
• Practices and Procedures (500 hours): Non-therapeutic massage, skin nutrition and analysis, cleansing, mask therapy and facial treatments (with and without machines), electricity and apparatus, hair removal, professional makeup and eyelash application, and product knowledge.
• Business Practices (25 hours): The Act and its sanitary standards, management, OSHA chemical-use standards, and the Workers' Compensation Act.

A student may not perform services on the public until completing the 75-hour Basic Training block. Schools may offer up to 10% of the theory hours online in each subject area, but hands-on hours must be completed in person.

An optional internship program can substitute for up to 75 of the 750 hours. Students become eligible after completing 375 hours with at least an 80 average, may work a maximum of 8 hours a day, must spend one day a week at school, work unpaid under direct supervision of a licensed cosmetologist or esthetician (one student per supervisor), and are governed by a signed contract between the student, school, and supervisor.

Illinois exams are administered by the Division's designated testing service, Continental Testing Services (CTS), and combine theory and practical sections covering:

• Product chemistry
• Sanitary rules, regulations, and procedures
• Chemical service procedures
• Anatomy of the skin as it relates to licensed services
• The provisions and requirements of the Act
• Labor and compensation laws

Fees and Registration

The exam fee is $175, and as of October 1, 2026, it is offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Register through the CTS exam portal.

Passing Grade and Retakes

A passing grade of 75 is required on each section (or another state's passing grade, if applicable). After failing the exam three times, an applicant must complete additional remedial training at an approved school before being eligible to retest.

Illinois esthetician licenses expire every two years, on September 30 of odd-numbered years. You may renew during the month before your expiration date. The renewal fee is calculated at $25 per year of the license term, or $50 for the full two-year cycle.

Continuing Education

To renew, you must certify completion of at least 10 hours of continuing education from a Division-registered CE sponsor within the 2 years before your license expires.

How to Renew

Renew online through the IDFPR licensing portal. Allow 2–4 business days for your renewed license to post. If you miss the renewal window and the online portal no longer accepts your renewal, you'll need to request a reinstatement application; restoring a lapsed license costs $50 plus any unpaid renewal fees, capped at $200.

Illinois defines esthetics in 225 ILCS 410/3A-1. When performed for cosmetic or beautifying purposes — not to treat disease or a muscular or nervous disorder — a licensed Illinois esthetician may:

• Skin care services: Beautify, massage, cleanse, exfoliate, or stimulate the stratum corneum of the epidermis using cosmetic preparations, body treatments, body wraps, hydrotherapy, or an electrical or mechanical device, for skin care other than the scalp
• Makeup and hair services: Apply makeup or eyelashes, and chemically restructure, lighten, or color hair on the body other than the scalp
• Hair removal: Remove superfluous hair from the body

Illinois law explicitly excludes services provided by a cosmetologist or electrologist from the esthetics scope, and estheticians are prohibited from using techniques, products, or practices intended to affect the living layers of the skin. You may advise clients on what is cosmetically appealing, but you may not advise on appropriate medical treatment for skin diseases. You can verify any license through IDFPR's License Lookup tool.