Montana Esthetician License Requirements

Montana licenses estheticians through the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists. You qualify by completing esthetics training and passing both the NIC written and practical exams administered by Prov, Inc.

1. Meet the baseline requirements. Be at least 18 years old and have graduated high school or its equivalent, under MCA 37-31-304.
2. Complete your training. Finish a 650-hour esthetics course at a licensed Montana school.
3. Apply to the Board. Submit your online application with proof of your training and the $80 application fee. Staff will contact you by email within 10 business days if anything else is needed.
4. Register for and pass your exams. Once approved, register with Prov at provexam.com/register and pass both the written ($80) and practical ($179) NIC Esthetician exams with a scaled score of at least 75.

Montana requires a 650-hour esthetics course from a licensed school under MCA 37-31-304 and ARM 24.121.604. This training covers skin care of the body, including the use of safety-approved electrical appliances and professional-grade chemical compounds, and prepares students for both the theory and hands-on portions of the NIC Esthetician exam administered by Prov.

Montana requires both a written and a hands-on practical exam from the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC), administered by Prov, Inc. under ARM 24.121.611.

Registration

The Board must approve you to test before you can register with Prov. Once approved, register at provexam.com/register or call/text (801) 733-4455.

Testing Format and Fees

The written exam costs $80 and can be taken at one of Prov's Montana testing centers or remotely from home using the Examroom.ai proctoring system. The practical exam costs $179 and is administered remotely via Examroom.ai, or in person. Both require a scaled passing score of at least 75.

Retakes

Failed exams can be retaken as often as necessary and the fee applies each time. After 3 failed attempts at the same exam, you must wait 60 days before your next retest.

Montana esthetician licenses renew every 2 years. The renewal fee is $80, and Montana does not require continuing education to renew a standard esthetician license.

Renewal Window

Regular renewal for individual licenses runs from January 2 through March 1. You can renew late online for an additional 45 days, through April 15, after which your license lapses.

How to Renew

Renew online through the ePOL system. All fees are non-refundable.

Montana defines "esthetics" in MCA § 37-31-101(14) as skin care of the body, including but not limited to hot compresses or the use of safety-approved electrical appliances or chemical compounds formulated for professional application only, and the temporary removal of superfluous hair by means of lotions, creams, or mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances on another person.

Under ARM 24.121.301(13), all Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists licensees — including estheticians — are limited to noninvasive procedures: superficial work confined to the nonliving cells of the epidermis, specifically the stratum corneum layer, where living cells beneath the stratum corneum are never altered, cut, or scarred. Montana estheticians may not perform medical esthetics or work within a healthcare practice's licensed area; any work inside a medical spa's clinical space falls outside the esthetician scope of practice entirely. You can verify any practitioner through the Board's Licensee Lookup System.