New Jersey Esthetician License Requirements

New Jersey licenses this profession as a skin care specialist through the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, part of the Division of Consumer Affairs.

1. Meet the basic eligibility requirements. You must be at least 17 years old and have completed high school or its equivalent.
2. Complete 600 hours of training. Finish a 600-hour skin care specialty course at a Board-approved school in New Jersey, another state, or a foreign country (out-of-state or foreign training must be substantially similar to New Jersey’s curriculum, in the Board’s judgment).
3. Apply for authorization to test. Submit your Application for Authorization to Sit for the Examination and for Licensure online, along with the $50 application/examination fee. You may practice under a temporary permit, valid once for 120 days, while awaiting your exam date.
4. Pass the Board’s examination. Schedule your NIC theory exam through Prometric for a $53 fee; confirm whether a practical exam is currently required, since New Jersey has been phasing practical testing back in after a pandemic-era suspension.
5. Receive your license. Once you pass, the Board issues your skin care specialty license, typically mailed within 10–15 business days of fee payment.

New Jersey requires 600 hours of training in a Board-approved skin care specialty course, with the curriculum hours set by N.J.A.C. 13:28-6.34:

• State Laws, Rules & Regulations and Administrative Shop Operations: 10 hours
• Professional Image, Hygiene & Related Practices: 2 hours
• Decontamination & Infection Control: 20 hours (15 classroom, 5 practical)
• Anatomy, Physiology & Nutrition: 40 hours
• Structure & Functions of Skin: 35 hours
• Superfluous Hair: 40 hours (10 classroom, 30 practical)
• Chemistry Related to Skin Care: 48 hours
• Electricity and Machines: 55 hours (15 classroom, 40 practical)
• Facial and Body Procedures: 200 hours (50 classroom, 150 practical)
• Make-up Techniques & Corrective (Post-Surgical) Make-up Techniques: 150 hours (50 classroom, 100 practical)

Across the full course, 275 hours are classroom and related instruction and 325 hours are hands-on practical training, totaling 600 hours.

New Jersey’s skin care specialist exam is developed by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) and administered by Prometric.

Theory (Written) Exam

The 120-minute exam has 115 items (105 scored), covering scientific concepts such as microbiology and infection control, alongside skin care practice knowledge. The Board charges a $50 application/examination-authorization fee, and Prometric charges a separate $53 written exam fee ($53 to retake). Schedule through isoqualitytesting.com or by calling 1-866-773-1114.

Practical Exam

Practical examinations were temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic under DCA Administrative Order 2020-16 and Waiver 2020-15. New Jersey has been reinstating practical testing for skin care specialists; check with the Board or Prometric for the current practical exam requirement, format, and fee before you schedule.

Temporary Permit

While waiting to be scheduled for your exam, you may practice under a temporary permit, which is valid for 120 days and may be issued only once.

New Jersey skin care specialist licenses renew on a 2-year (biennial) cycle under N.J.A.C. 13:28-1.1(i). The renewal fee is $90, per the Board’s fee schedule at N.J.A.C. 13:28-5.1.

Renewal Notice and Timing

The Board sends a renewal notice at least 60 days before your license expires. Submit your renewal application and fee before your expiration date.

Late Renewal and Reinstatement

If you renew within 30 days of expiration, you owe the $90 renewal fee plus a $30 late fee. If you miss that 30-day window, your license is suspended without a hearing, and reinstatement requires all delinquent renewal fees plus a $50 reinstatement fee and an affidavit of employment covering the suspension period. If your license has been suspended for more than 5 years, you must retake and pass the licensing exam.

Inactive Status

You may apply for inactive status for an entire biennial period if you won’t be practicing; resuming active practice requires paying the renewal fee for the current biennial period.

Continuing Education

New Jersey does not require continuing education hours to renew a skin care specialist license.

New Jersey defines the skin care specialty license scope in N.J.A.C. 13:28-1.1(a)4. A licensed skin care specialist may:

• Cosmetic application: Apply cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, creams, or makeup to the scalp, face, or neck
• Massage and stimulation: Massage, cleanse, or stimulate the face, neck, or upper chest and upper back, with or without cosmetic preparations, by hand or with mechanical or electrical appliances
• Hair removal: Remove superfluous hair from the face, neck, arms, legs, or abdomen using depilatories, waxing, or tweezers — but not electrolysis

The skin care specialty license is distinct from New Jersey’s cosmetology and hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, manicuring, and hair braiding licenses, each of which carries its own defined scope under the same regulation. Electrolysis is explicitly excluded from the skin care specialty scope. You can verify any license through the License Verification tool.