New Hampshire Esthetician License Requirements

New Hampshire licenses estheticians through the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), under the Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics. You can qualify through school training or an approved apprenticeship, then pass the NIC Esthetics exam through Prov.

1. Complete your training. Finish at least 600 hours of esthetics training at an OPLC-approved school, or complete a board-approved apprenticeship, which may be substituted for school hours.
2. Register with Prov. Create an account at provexam.com to schedule your NIC Esthetics written exam ($88, remote or in-person) and practical exam ($99, at Prov’s Concord testing center).
3. Pass both exams. New Hampshire requires you to pass both the written and practical portions before you can be licensed.
4. Submit your application. File the paper Universal Application for Initial Licensure along with the Initial Application for Licensure form and the $82 application fee to OPLC, 7 Eagle Square, Concord, NH.
5. Receive your license. OPLC processes applications in the order received (allow 10–14 business days) and emails your license to the address on file.

New Hampshire requires a minimum of 600 hours of training at a school approved by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, under RSA 313-A:13. In addition to the hours requirement, applicants must satisfy the general personal-license qualifications in RSA 313-A:11, I(a), (b), and (e): being of good professional character, having completed high school or its equivalent, and paying the required fee.

An apprenticeship approved by the board may be substituted for school training. Under an apprenticeship, hours are tracked on an Apprenticeship Hour Sheet and reported to OPLC monthly, by the 15th of the following month.

New Hampshire also allows partial credit toward the 600-hour requirement: a licensed cosmetologist or barber may receive credit for equivalent training completed in a cosmetology or barber program, certified by the school, and a licensed massage therapist may receive credit for massage therapy training the board deems equivalent.

New Hampshire uses the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) Esthetics exam, administered by Prov, Inc. under contract with OPLC. You must pass both a written and a practical exam to be licensed.

Written Exam

Register and schedule at provexam.com or by phone at (801) 733-4455. The written exam may be taken remotely on a Mac, PC, or Chromebook (tablets are not supported), or at any Prov testing center. The fee is $88, whether it’s your first attempt or a retake.

Practical Exam

The practical exam is administered only at Prov’s Testing Center in Concord, NH, for a $99 fee.

Scheduling

Contact Prov directly to schedule testing once you have met your school or apprenticeship hour requirements; OPLC does not have access to the Prov scheduling platform and cannot assist with test bookings.

New Hampshire esthetician licenses run on a 2-year cycle under RSA 313-A:20, which ties expiration to the schedule set in RSA 310:8. The renewal fee is $82, the same as the initial application fee.

Renewal Notice and Timing

OPLC emails a courtesy renewal notice 60 days before your license expires. You cannot renew more than 60 days ahead of your expiration date, so watch for the notice from nh.licenses@doit.nh.gov.

Expired Licenses

If your license has been expired for less than one year, complete the reinstatement application and pay the $82 reinstatement fee. If it has been expired for one year or more, you must file a full initial application as a new applicant.

How to Renew

Renew online through the NH online licensing portal.

New Hampshire defines esthetics in RSA 313-A:1, VIII. A licensed New Hampshire esthetician may:

• Facial services: Give facials, apply makeup, provide therapeutic skin care treatments, remove superfluous hair, or apply eyelashes
• Beautifying treatments: Beautify the face, neck, arms, and shoulders using cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams
• Massage and stimulation: Massage, cleanse, or stimulate the face, neck, arms, and shoulders by hand or with devices, apparatus, or appliances, using cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams
• Manicure and pedicure services: Provide pedicure and manicure services, including therapeutic skin and nail care treatments for the feet and hands, trimming, filing, and polishing nails

New Hampshire licenses barbering, cosmetology, and esthetics under a single board, so estheticians practice within the definition above rather than the broader cosmetology definition in RSA 313-A:1, VI. You can verify any practitioner through the OPLC’s License Lookup tool.