Indiana Esthetician License Requirements

Indiana licenses estheticians through the State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, part of the Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). You can qualify through school training, a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, or reciprocity, then must pass the PSI written exam.

1. Meet the preliminary requirement. You must have completed a 10th grade education or equivalent.
2. Complete your training. Finish at least 700 hours at an Indiana-approved beauty culture school, or complete a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program.
3. Pass the PSI written exam. Register through the PSI Examination portal once your school certifies your hours are complete.
4. Apply online. Submit your application through MyLicense with the $40 non-refundable application fee, your Beauty Culture Education Certification form, and your examination pass notice.
5. Receive your license. Once approved, your license is issued and can be verified through the PLA’s online E-Verification search.

Indiana requires 700 hours of education at an approved Indiana beauty culture school to qualify for an esthetician license.

• School path: Complete 700 hours at an Indiana-approved beauty culture school; your school completes a Beauty Culture Education Certification Form confirming your hours.
• Apprenticeship path: Complete a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program and provide your apprentice number and certificate of completion.
• Reciprocity/substantially-equal path: Applicants licensed in another jurisdiction may qualify if that jurisdiction imposes substantially equal requirements. If not, one year of licensed esthetics practice can count as 100 hours of education toward the 700-hour requirement, for applicants who completed at least 400 hours of education and whose exam jurisdiction required at least 70% passing scores.

Indiana requires a written examination administered by PSI.

Registration

Once your education or apprenticeship hours are certified, register for the exam through the PSI Examination Bulletin. Upload your examination pass notice as part of your license application.

Deadline

If you graduated before the exam became part of the standard graduation process (July 1, 2013) and missed the 3-year testing deadline, you must apply for a waiver before you can test.

Indiana esthetician licenses are valid for 2 years. The PLA mails or emails a renewal notice about 90 days before your expiration date. Renew online through MyLicense for a $40 renewal fee.

Continuing Education

Indiana does not require continuing education to renew an esthetician license.

Reinstatement

If your license lapses, the reinstatement fee is $80 (the $40 renewal fee plus the $40 application fee):

• Expired less than 3 years: Pay the $80 reinstatement fee; no additional training required.
• Expired 3–5 years: Pay the $80 fee and complete Board-approved remediation and additional training.
• Expired 5 or more years: Pay the $80 fee and retake and pass the written licensing exam within one year of your reinstatement application.

Indiana defines the esthetician scope of practice in IC § 25-8-2-9.5. A licensed Indiana esthetician engages solely in one or more of the following practices, for compensation:

• Facials and make-up: Giving facials, applying make-up, and giving skin care
• Body treatments: Beautifying, massaging, or cleaning the body with cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams
• Hair removal: Removing superfluous hair from the body by depilatories, waxing, or tweezers

The statute does not cover these acts when performed to treat an illness or disease, by a student at a compliant beauty culture school, or without compensation. Verify any practitioner through the PLA’s E-Verification search.