Maryland State Board of Cosmetology

The Maryland Board of Cosmetologists qualifies and licenses individuals seeking licensure and issues permits to the business entities through which cosmetology is practiced. The board also sets health and safety standards for beauty salons and trade schools, and it regulates the practice of cosmetology under Title 5 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, and Title 9, Subtitle 22 of the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). It investigates complaints against licensees and against unlicensed practice, and it can issue a reprimand, suspend or revoke a license or permit, and impose a fine. Barbers are licensed separately by the Maryland State Board of Barbers, a distinct board.

The board's office is at 100 S. Charles Street, Tower I, Suite 9200, Baltimore, MD 21201. There is no walk-in service — in-person assistance is by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., scheduled through the Department of Labor's central scheduling system. General questions can be directed to 410-230-6190 or barbers.cos@maryland.gov, and the board also publishes direct lines for specific topics such as apprentice inquiries, reciprocity and license verification, and salon/shop permits.

Maryland licenses several personal disciplines: Cosmetologist, Senior Cosmetologist, Limited Hairstylist, Limited Esthetician, Limited Nail Technician, and Blow Dry Stylist, along with four apprentice categories (Cosmetologist, Hairstylist, Esthetician, and Nail Technician) that let candidates train under a sponsoring licensee instead of attending school. The board also issues Shop/Salon permits for the businesses where these services are performed. Personal licenses are issued and renewed on a two-year cycle.

Effective January 1, 2026, Maryland began requiring licensees to complete six hours of board-approved continuing education as a condition of renewal, and a one-hour domestic violence awareness training is now also required of both new applicants and renewing licensees. Every license must carry a current photograph, and licensees must be affiliated with a licensed salon or barbershop to perform services.

Maryland personal cosmetology licenses are issued and renewed on a two-year cycle. Full personal licenses — Cosmetologist, Senior Cosmetologist, Limited Hairstylist, Limited Esthetician, Limited Nail Technician, and Blow Dry Stylist — renew for $28. Apprentice licenses renew for $11. Shop and salon permits renew for $56. All fees are set by law and regulation and are nonrefundable.

The board automatically mails renewal information approximately 60 days before a license expires. If that notice doesn't arrive, or a licensee needs a paper application, they must call 410-230-6190 or email barbers.cos@maryland.gov at least 30 days before the expiration date. Renewals can also be completed through the board's online licensing system by logging in with a registration number and password. Effective March 1, 2024, the board stopped automatically mailing paper licenses — renewed licenses are delivered as a PDF by email to whatever address is on file, so licensees need printer access to produce a physical copy.

As of January 1, 2026, renewal also requires six hours of board-approved continuing education, split between required topics (health, safety, sanitation, and board laws/regulations) and elective topics, plus a one-time, one-hour domestic violence awareness training. Approved continuing education providers have been able to offer courses since June 1, 2024.

A license that has lapsed is automatically assessed a $28 reinstatement fee in addition to the renewal fee. Expired shop and salon permits can avoid a $150 new-inspection fee by applying for reinstatement, with both the renewal and reinstatement fee paid, within 45 days of expiration.

The Maryland Board of Cosmetologists investigates complaints against licensees and permitted salons involving licensing violations, sanitation and health violations, and violations of the laws and regulations governing cosmetology practice, including unlicensed activity. The board's jurisdiction does not extend to dissatisfaction with services, monetary disputes, refund requests, or claims for damages — those matters are referred to the Maryland Consumer Protection Division, the Better Business Bureau, or private legal counsel.

To file a complaint, a consumer completes and signs the board's Complaint Form — submissions must be typewritten, as handwritten complaints are not accepted — and attaches any supporting documentation or evidence. The completed form is emailed to barbers.cos@maryland.gov or mailed to the Board of Cosmetologists at 100 S. Charles Street, Tower I, Baltimore, MD 21201. The complaint must include the complainant's name, current address, and signature; anonymous complaints are not accepted. Once the board confirms the required information is complete, it sends an acknowledgment letter to the complainant, provides a copy to the licensee, and may open an investigation.

For disputes outside the board's jurisdiction, Maryland residents (or anyone involved in a transaction that occurred in Maryland) can contact the Maryland Consumer Protection Division at (410) 528-8662, or the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland at (410) 347-3990.