Mississippi Esthetician License Requirements

Mississippi licenses estheticians through the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. You qualify by completing esthetics training and passing the Board's written examination — Mississippi does not currently require a hands-on practical skills exam.

1. Meet the baseline requirements. Be at least 16 years old and have completed the 10th grade at minimum, documented by a transcript, diploma, GED certificate, or college transcript.
2. Complete your training. Finish at least 600 hours at a licensed Mississippi esthetics school with a passing grade of 70 or higher, or complete 1,200 hours of apprenticeship training.
3. Apply to test. Submit the Application to Test for Practitioner License with two forms of ID, proof of 10th grade completion, your certified training transcript, and the $25 non-refundable application fee.
4. Pass the written exam. Once approved, schedule and pass the written theory exam with a scaled score of at least 70.
5. Submit your license application and fee. Pay the $50 practitioner license fee to receive your esthetician license.

Mississippi requires at least 600 hours of esthetics training at a licensed school under Board Rule 5.1, with a passing grade of 70 or higher in the course of study. As an alternative, you may complete 1,200 hours of apprenticeship training under a licensed practitioner.

Esthetics training covers the practices defined in Miss. Code Ann. § 73-7-3, including facial and neck massage, eyebrow arching and epilation, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, waxing, and stimulating, cleaning, or beautifying the skin using hands, mechanical or electrical apparatus, or cosmetic preparations. Mississippi does not require your training program to include diagnosing, treating, or providing therapy for dermatological conditions, as these fall outside the scope of esthetics entirely.

Mississippi requires a single written theory examination administered directly by the Board, based on NIC-aligned exam content for esthetics. As of a 2026 rule change, Mississippi no longer requires a separate hands-on practical skills exam for practitioner licensure.

Registration

You must first submit the Application to Test for Practitioner License along with your $25 non-refundable application fee, two forms of ID, proof of 10th grade completion, and your certified training transcript. Once the Board approves your application, schedule your exam at ms.gov/msbc/exam-registration. Study aids, including the NIC Theory Exam Study Aid for Esthetics and the Theory Examination Manual, are available on the Board's Examination page.

Passing Score and Retakes

A scaled score of at least 70 is required to pass. A passing score remains valid toward licensure for up to 3 years. If you fail, you must wait at least 14 days before retesting, and you may retake the exam up to 3 times. After a third failed attempt, you must complete remedial training — at least 10% but no more than 15% of your program's theory hours — before the Board will let you test again.

Mississippi esthetician licenses renew every 2 years (biennially). The renewal fee is $50, and Mississippi does not require continuing education for practitioner license renewal — the Board's CE requirement applies only to instructor licensees.

How to Renew

Renew online through the Practitioner Licensing System, or submit the Practitioner Renewal form by mail with your passport-style photo taken within the past 90 days. If your license has been expired for at least 60 days but no more than 3 years, you must pay a delinquent renewal fee in addition to the standard renewal fee. If your license has lapsed for 3 years or more, you must retake and pass the written examination to renew.

Senior Licensure

Licensees who are 70 years of age or older and in good standing are not required to pay a renewal fee, though a renewal form must still be submitted biennially.

Mississippi defines the practice of esthetics in Miss. Code Ann. § 73-7-3. A licensed Mississippi esthetician may perform any one or a combination of the following services for compensation:

• Facial and neck treatments: Massaging the face or neck
• Eyebrow and eyelash services: Arching eyebrows — including trimming, tweezing, waxing, threading, or any other method of epilation — and tinting eyelashes or eyebrows
• Hair removal: Waxing
• Skin stimulation and beautifying: Stimulating, cleaning, or beautifying the face, neck, arms, or legs by hand or with the aid of mechanical or electrical apparatus, or with a cosmetic preparation

Mississippi law is explicit that esthetics does not include diagnosing, treating, or providing therapy for any dermatological condition. Practitioners whose services are limited only to makeup artistry, threading, or applying and removing eyelash extensions — or a combination of no more than three of those services — are exempt from licensure entirely. Estheticians must work in a Board-registered salon or barber shop.