Texas Esthetician License Requirements

Texas licenses estheticians through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — not a cosmetology board. You must complete training at a TDLR-licensed school, pass a written and practical exam, and apply online.

1. Complete your training. Finish a 750-hour Esthetician course at a barbering/cosmetology school licensed in Texas. You’ll receive a student permit while enrolled. Combination programs are also available: an 800-hour Manicurist/Esthetician course, or a 750-hour Esthetician course plus a 300-hour Hair Weaving Specialist course.
2. Become exam eligible. Once your school reports your completed hours, allow 24–48 hours for TDLR to generate your eligibility with PSI, which will email registration instructions.
3. Pass the written and practical exams. Both are required for licensure.
4. Apply online. After passing both exams, apply at tdlr.texas.gov/App_Online and pay the non-refundable $50 application fee. You must be at least 17 years old.

Texas requires 750 hours of instruction at a barbering/cosmetology school licensed in Texas before you can sit for the licensing exam.

Combination Specialist Licenses

An Esthetician license can be combined with a Manicurist or Hair Weaving Specialist license:

• Manicurist/Esthetician: An 800-hour combined course, or a 750-hour Esthetician course plus a 600-hour Manicurist course
• Hair Weaving Specialist/Esthetician: An 800-hour combined course, or a 750-hour Esthetician course plus a 300-hour Hair Weaving Specialist course

If you trained outside Texas, see TDLR’s equivalence pathway for out-of-state training instead of the standard school-hours route.

Texas requires both a written and practical licensing exam, administered by TDLR’s third-party vendor, PSI.

Eligibility

You become exam eligible after your school reports your completed program hours to TDLR. Allow 24–48 hours for your eligibility to be received by PSI, who will then send you an email with instructions for registering and scheduling your exam at test-takers.psiexams.com/tdlr/test.

Candidate Information Bulletin

Review the Esthetician Candidate Information Bulletin (available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean) for the passing score, number of questions, time allotted, and PSI’s identification policy.

A Texas Esthetician license is valid for two years from the date of issue. The on-time renewal fee is $50; late renewal within 18 months of expiration costs $75, and renewal 18 months to 3 years after expiration costs $100. Licenses expired more than 3 years cannot be renewed — you must meet all requirements for an initial license again.

Continuing Education

You must complete 4 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education every two years to renew, including 1 hour of sanitation and 1 hour of human trafficking awareness, plus 2 elective hours from an approved list (Texas Barbering and Cosmetology law and rules, additional sanitation, or mental health awareness). If you have held a Texas license for at least 15 years, you only need the 2 required hours (sanitation and human trafficking awareness) — the 2 elective hours are waived.

How to Renew

Renew online at tdlr.texas.gov/App_Online.

Texas defines the practice of cosmetology — which includes esthetics — in Tex. Occ. Code § 1603.0011(a). Under 16 TAC § 83.10(13), an Esthetician is licensed to perform the services in subsections (a)(3)–(6) and (c):

• Facial and skin treatments: Cleansing, stimulating, or massaging a person’s scalp, face, neck, shoulders, or arms by hand or with a device, apparatus, or appliance, with or without a cosmetic preparation, antiseptic, tonic, lotion, or cream
• Beautifying treatments: Beautifying a person’s face, neck, shoulders, or arms using a cosmetic preparation, antiseptic, tonic, lotion, powder, oil, clay, cream, or appliance
• Facials: Administering facial treatments
• Hair removal: Removing superfluous hair using depilatories, preparations or chemicals, tweezers, or other devices or appliances
• Eyelash extensions: Applying semipermanent, thread-like extensions composed of single fibers to a person’s eyelashes

You can verify any Texas practitioner through TDLR’s License Search.