Tennessee Esthetician License Requirements

Tennessee licenses aestheticians through the Cosmetology and Barber Examiners Board, part of the Department of Commerce and Insurance. You must complete a Board-approved training program and pass the national PSI exam before applying.

1. Complete your training. Finish at least 750 clock hours in the practice and theory of aesthetics at a licensed school of cosmetology. You must be at least 16 years old.
2. Register for the PSI exam. Once your school reports your completed hours, contact PSI at psiexams.com/test-takers/ or by phone at 855-340-3710 to schedule your written and practical exams.
3. Pass both exams. A passing score on both the written and practical NIC exams is required for licensure.
4. Apply for your license. Complete the “Initial Aesthetician Application” online at core.tn.gov and pay the $60 application fee.

Tennessee requires 750 clock hours of instruction at a licensed school of cosmetology under Board Rule 0440-01-.03. The curriculum is apportioned across three areas:

• General (150 hours): Sterilization, sanitation and bacteriology, professional ethics, personality, salesmanship, anatomy and physiology, and state law.
• Chemical (150 hours): Skin conditions and disorders, nutrition, aging factors, product ingredients and usage, waxing, and lash and brow tinting, plus OSHA and EPA requirements.
• Physical (450 hours): Massage movements and manipulations, masks and packs, facial treatments with and without machines, skin analysis and consultation, application of products and machines, color psychology, and make-up and corrective make-up.

Schools may also offer an apprenticeship curriculum allowing up to 50% of required hours to be earned under the direct, one-on-one supervision of a licensed professional, with the remaining 50% completed through classroom instruction. Supervised hours may not exceed 50% of the hours required in any single subcategory.

Tennessee uses the national NIC written and practical examinations, administered by PSI.

Eligibility and Registration

Your school must certify your completed training hours to the Board before you become eligible to test. Once eligible, contact PSI online at psiexams.com/test-takers/ or by phone at 855-340-3710 to schedule your exams.

Minimum Hour Requirement

Tennessee requires a minimum of 750 hours of aesthetics training, along with passing scores on both the theory and practical exams, before a license can be issued.

Tennessee aesthetician licenses expire every two years. You can renew online through your CORE account once you are within sixty (60) days of your expiration date. The renewal fee for individuals is $60.

Continuing Education

Tennessee does not require continuing education for aesthetician license renewal. (Only cosmetology instructors must complete 16 hours of approved CE to renew.)

Late Renewal and Reinstatement

Failure to renew by the expiration date results in a penalty fee, which is strictly enforced and never waived. Licenses expired more than three years become invalid; reinstatement requires retaking the licensing exams and completing the Application to Test form.

Work History in Lieu of Full Hours

If you completed fewer training hours than Tennessee requires, you may submit proof of work experience instead — either at least 1 of the last 3 years, or at least 2 of the last 5 years — documented with tax returns or an employer letter on company letterhead.

Tennessee defines aesthetics in Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-4-102(a)(1). A licensed Tennessee aesthetician may, for compensation, perform:

• Facial and body treatments: Massaging, cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exercising, beautifying, or similar work with hands or mechanical or electrical apparatus, or by the use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams
• Eyelash services: Placing or applying artificial eyelashes
• Skin care and hair removal: Giving facials, applying makeup, giving skin care, or removing superfluous hair by tweezing, depilatories, or waxing

You must practice in a licensed cosmetology shop and keep your license current to legally perform these services. You can verify any Tennessee practitioner through verify.tn.gov.