Kansas Esthetician License Requirements

Kansas licenses estheticians through the Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC). You must complete a Board-licensed esthetics program, pass two written exams through National Testing Network, and submit a practitioner application to the Board.

1. Complete 1,000 hours of esthetics training. Enroll in a Board-licensed school of cosmetology or esthetics and complete the required curriculum. Part-time students have up to 18 months from enrollment to finish.
2. Get referred for your exams. Within 80 hours of finishing your program, your school (or the Board, for apprentices) refers you online at cosmetologykansas.com and issues you a temporary login. You must be at least 17 years old.
3. Pass the written theory and written practical exams. Schedule both 2-hour, computer-administered exams through National Testing Network. Each costs $75, and you need a score of 75 or higher on each to pass.
4. Submit your practitioner application to KBOC. After passing both exams, log back into your account, print the Practitioner Application, and mail it to the Board with the $60 application fee and any required documentation.

Kansas requires at least 1,000 clock hours of esthetics training at a Board-licensed school, under K.S.A. 65-1903(F). Schools may instead use an equivalent credit-hour conversion approved by a recognized accrediting body. Programs must cover the core areas of education defined by the Board and address practices for all major ethnic groups.

• Full-time and part-time paths: Schools must accommodate part-time students who work, attend secondary school, or have a religious basis for limited attendance. Part-time students must finish within 18 months of enrolling.
• Hours reporting: Your school reports all completed curriculum hours to KBOC through the cosmetologykansas.com portal before you can sit for your exams.

Before July 1, 2009, Kansas required only 650 hours for esthetics; the 1,000-hour requirement applies to anyone who completed training on or after that date.

Kansas contracts with National Testing Network to administer esthetician licensing exams through the cosmetologykansas.com portal. You must pass two separate written exams — there is no hands-on practical demonstration.

Written Theory Exam

2 hours, computer administered, $75 fee. Covers laws, rules, health/sanitation, and safety topics from Kansas cosmetology statutes and standard esthetics textbooks (Milady and Pivot Point curricula).

Written Practical Exam

2 hours, computer administered, $75 fee. Tests knowledge of practical service procedures rather than a live skills demonstration.

Passing and Retakes

A passing score is 75 on each exam. If you score below 75 on either exam, you must retake that entire exam; you can sign up to retest at any time by paying the $75 fee again. Results post to your online account within 5 business days. Exam fees are non-refundable, and appeals of exam administration issues must be filed with National Testing Network in writing within 15 days of your results.

Kansas esthetician licenses renew every two years on a schedule set by Board rule. The renewal fee is $50, and a delinquent renewal filed within six months of expiration adds a $25 fee. If your license has been expired more than six months, you must file for reinstatement, pass the renewal exam again, and pay a $100 nonrefundable renewal penalty fee in addition to the delinquent renewal fee.

No Continuing Education — A Renewal Exam Instead

Kansas does not require continuing education hours. Instead, K.S.A. 65-1904 requires every renewal applicant to pass a written renewal examination covering the laws, health and sanitation rules, and safety standards for the esthetics profession.

How to Renew

Renew online through the KBOC licensing portal (kboc.kansas.gov), or by email/mail using a paper renewal form. The Board sends expiration notice at least 30 days before your license lapses. Allow at least 15 business days for processing, and contact the Board if you have not received your renewed license within 90 days.

Kansas defines the esthetician scope of practice in K.S.A. 65-1901(e). A licensed Kansas esthetician may, for compensation, practice cosmetology only to the following extent:

• Eyebrow and eyelash services, plus cleansing, stimulating, or performing any other noninvasive beautifying process on any skin surface by hand or with mechanical or electrical appliances (other than electric needles), for esthetic rather than medical purposes
• Temporary hair removal from the face or any part of the body by hand or with mechanical or electrical appliances other than electric needles
• Using cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, lotions, and creams while performing the services above

Kansas law explicitly excludes electric-needle hair removal (reserved for licensed electrologists) and medical-device services ordered by a physician outside the physician’s own location. Estheticians must hold a valid KBOC license, and no person may teach or practice esthetics in a school, salon, or clinic that does not itself hold a valid Board license. You can verify any license through the Board’s verification portal.