Oregon Esthetician License Requirements

Oregon licenses estheticians through the Board of Cosmetology, part of the Oregon Health Licensing Office (HLO) — not a standalone cosmetology board. Most applicants qualify by graduating from an Oregon school and passing HLO's in-person written exams.

1. Complete Oregon's esthetics curriculum. Graduate from a Board-approved Oregon school with 444 hours of esthetics training (including 220 practical operations), plus 20 hours of Oregon Laws and Rules and 20 hours of Career Development.
2. Pass your school's practical exam. Your school administers and grades the practical exam and reports your passing score directly to HLO, where it stays valid for five years.
3. Apply and schedule your written exams. Submit the Cosmetology Practitioner Certification Application and pay the $30 application fee, then sit for the written Esthetics exam and the Oregon Laws and Rules exam at HLO's office in Salem — both walk-in, Monday–Friday mornings.
4. Pass both written exams. Each costs $45 (charged again for every retake) and must be completed within two years of your application date.
5. Pay your certification fee. After passing, pay $35 for your original esthetics certification. Applicants receive their Oregon certification the same day they pass.

If you're already licensed in another state or country, or trained outside Oregon without an active license, HLO offers reciprocity and non-credentialed pathways that can waive some or all of the school requirement above.

Oregon requires graduation from a Board-approved school under one of its three qualification pathways for esthetics certification:

• Pathway One — Oregon school graduate: Complete 444 hours of esthetics training (220 of which must be practical operations), plus 20 hours of Oregon Laws and Rules and 20 hours of Career Development. Training can also be completed through a competency-based (rather than clock-hour) school.
• Pathway Two — Reciprocity: If you hold an active, disciplinary-action-free authorization in another state, territory, or country, HLO may waive some or all of the Pathway One training once your home-state license is verified directly by that state's board.
• Pathway Three — Non-credentialed: If you trained outside Oregon and don't hold an active license elsewhere, an Oregon school can review your documentation (transcripts, expired licenses, apprenticeship or military training records) and conduct a skills assessment and practical evaluation in place of Pathway One's coursework.

All three pathways still require passing HLO's written Esthetics exam and Oregon Laws and Rules exam.

Oregon administers its own written exams in-house at the Health Licensing Office in Salem rather than contracting with a national testing vendor like PSI or Pearson VUE.

Written Exams

You must pass a Board-approved written Esthetics exam and a separate Oregon Laws and Rules exam, both within two years of your application date. Each costs $45, charged again for every retake until you pass. Exams are conducted on a walk-in basis Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with 90 minutes allowed per exam — applicants testing in multiple fields of practice should arrive early to finish by 4 p.m. Exams are also available in Spanish and Vietnamese, and extra time is available for applicants testing in a second language.

Practical Exam

Unlike the written exams, Oregon's practical exam is administered and graded by your Board-approved school, not by HLO. Your school submits your passing score directly to HLO, where it remains valid for five years.

What to Bring

Bring two forms of acceptable original identification, at least one photographic, with names matching each other and your application (or court documentation of a name change).

Oregon esthetics certifications are valid for two years. The renewal fee is $65 per field of practice, paid through HLO's online renewal system. A delinquency fee of $50 per year applies if you renew late, for up to three years in expired status.

Bloodborne Pathogens Training

Oregon does not require numeric continuing education hours, but as of July 1, 2025, all cosmetology certification holders renewing a field of practice — including esthetics — must complete and maintain current bloodborne pathogens (BBP) training. BBP training is available online or in person and is valid for one year; you attest to having current training during renewal without needing to submit documentation at that time.

How to Renew

Renew online through the HLO renewal portal. You can look up your license status anytime using the HLO License Inquiry tool.

Oregon defines "esthetics" in Oregon Revised Statutes § 690.005(6). A licensed Oregon esthetician may perform, for the purpose of keeping the skin of the body or face healthy and attractive (not for medical diagnosis or treatment of disease or physical or mental ailments):

• Skin treatments: Using hands or mechanical or electric apparatuses, appliances, or devices for cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exfoliating, or applying lotions or creams
• Temporary hair removal: Using lotion, cream, an appliance, wax, thread, sugar, tweezers, dermaplaning, a depilatory, or other means
• Makeup artistry
• Eyebrow and eyelash services
• Facial and body treatments and wrapping

Estheticians use their hands or mechanical/electrical apparatuses for cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exfoliating, or applying lotions or creams, and for temporary hair removal, makeup artistry, and facial or body waxing and wrapping. A separate Board of Certified Advanced Estheticians, created in 2015, oversees advanced nonablative esthetics; an active Board of Cosmetology esthetics certification is a prerequisite to becoming a certified advanced esthetician. You can verify any Oregon license through the HLO License Inquiry tool.