Kansas State Board of Cosmetology

The Kansas Board of Cosmetology licenses and regulates individuals and facilities practicing cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology (manicuring), and electrology, along with the instructors, apprentices, salons, and schools tied to those professions. The board also licenses body art practitioners (tattoo artists and body piercers) and tanning facilities, giving it authority over a broad slate of personal-service industries statewide.

The board relocated its office in 2024 and is now based at 2420 NW Button Rd, Topeka, KS 66618. Staff review applications and renewals in the order received, and the board asks applicants to allow roughly 10 to 15 business days for processing before checking on a submission's status. Most licensing transactions — applications, renewals, and complaints — are handled by mail, email, or the board's online portal rather than in person.

Phone support runs Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM, at (785) 296-3155, with a fax line at (785) 296-3002 and a general inbox at KBOC@ks.gov. Because the board fields a high volume of calls and emails, it asks licensees not to submit duplicate inquiries while a request is pending. The board's staff is organized into licensing, accounting, compliance, and a team of regional field inspectors who conduct salon and school inspections.

Kansas licenses four personal-service disciplines under its cosmetology statutes — Cosmetologist, Esthetician, Nail Technician (Manicurist), and Electrologist — each with its own training-hour minimum, plus Instructor licenses, apprentice and temporary-permit credentials, Establishment (salon) licenses, and School licenses. Personal licenses renew on a biennial (two-year) cycle, and instead of continuing-education hours, Kansas requires licensees to pass a written renewal exam on state law, sanitation, and safety topics with each renewal.

Kansas cosmetology-related licenses run on a two-year (biennial) cycle set by state law. Rather than continuing-education credit hours, renewal requires the licensee to pass a written renewal exam — covering Kansas cosmetology law, sanitation, and safety practices — with a score of 75% or better.

Renewals can be filed online through the board's licensing portal at kboc.kansas.gov, or by mail or email using the paper renewal form for the applicable license type (Cosmetologist, Esthetician, Manicurist, or Electrologist). The form cannot be submitted more than six weeks before the license's expiration date. Applicants complete the renewal exam questions on the form itself, answer a felony-disclosure question, sign the attestation, and submit the nonrefundable renewal fee by credit card, check, or money order.

A renewal submitted on or before the expiration date costs $50. A renewal filed after the license has expired, but within six months, costs $75. A license that has lapsed for more than six months requires reinstatement rather than simple renewal, which carries a $125 fee and, under state law, an additional $100 nonrefundable renewal-penalty fee. It is unlawful to provide licensed services in Kansas on an expired license. The board asks that renewal applicants allow 10 business days to receive the new license, and to notify the board if nothing has arrived within 90 days, or a $25 duplicate-license fee may apply.

Establishment (salon) and school licenses follow similar but separate fee schedules. Salon licenses renew for $50 on time or $80 if the renewal is postmarked within 60 days after expiration; a salon whose license lapses more than 60 days past expiration must close until it is renewed. School licenses renew for $75 on time or $105 if submitted within 30 days after expiration.

The Kansas Board of Cosmetology investigates complaints against licensed cosmetologists, estheticians, nail technicians, electrologists, instructors, salons, schools, body art practitioners and facilities, tanning facilities, and unlicensed individuals or businesses operating without required licensure. The board reviews issues such as health and sanitation violations, unlicensed practice, and fraudulent or deceptive advertising. It does not handle fee or price disputes, general customer-service complaints, or dissatisfaction with the quality of a service — those are treated as civil matters outside the board's authority, and the board cannot award monetary damages or provide legal advice.

Complaints must be filed using the board's complaint form, which can be downloaded from the board's website or requested by phone or email. The completed, signed form — along with any supporting documents — is submitted by mail, email, or fax to the board office; complaints are not accepted over the phone or without the written form. Kansas allows anonymous complaints, but the board notes that anonymous filings are harder to investigate: if it cannot obtain documentation or proof of the allegations, it may not be able to pursue the complaint, so filings with detailed supporting information are handled more effectively.

After a complaint is received, the board first determines whether the allegations fall within its jurisdiction. Complaints that qualify are investigated, and the person who is the subject of the complaint may be contacted for additional information. Depending on the findings, a matter may be closed with no action, or the board may pursue discipline, in which case the respondent has the right to request a hearing. Resolution times vary depending on the complexity of the case.