Washington State Board of Cosmetology

Washington does not use a stand-alone cosmetology board with independent authority; instead, the Department of Licensing's Cosmetology Program administers licensing directly, with input from the Cosmetology, Hair Design, Barbering, Esthetics, and Manicuring Advisory Board, which meets periodically and advises DOL on rules, exams, and training standards. The program licenses Cosmetologists, Barbers, Hair Designers, Estheticians, Master Estheticians, Manicurists, and Instructors, along with Salon/Shop, Mobile Unit, Personal Service, School, and Post-Secondary School establishment licenses.

DOL's Cosmetology Program does not maintain a public-facing walk-in office. Correspondence and payments are handled through two separate mailing addresses depending on the transaction: forms submitted with payment go to a PO Box in Seattle, while forms without payment and general mail go to a separate PO Box in Olympia, where the department's physical headquarters is also located for UPS and FedEx deliveries. Nearly all licensing activity — applying, renewing, updating contact information, and checking license status — is designed to be completed online through the department's SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account system at professions.dol.wa.gov.

Phone support for license applications, renewals, and updates runs Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM at 360-664-6626, with a separate line at 360-664-6651 for questions specific to cosmetology education and training programs. General questions can also be emailed to DOLCosmo@dol.wa.gov. As of May 1, 2026, Washington changed its cosmetology exam vendor to Prov, which now administers both the written and practical licensing exams.

Washington licenses seven personal disciplines — Cosmetology, Barbering, Hair Design, Esthetics, Master Esthetics, Manicuring, and Instructor work — each reachable through either a school-based training track or a longer apprenticeship track with its own minimum hour requirement. All personal and establishment licenses renew every two years, and Washington does not require continuing education hours to renew a cosmetology-related license.

Every Washington cosmetology-related license — Cosmetologist, Barber, Hair Designer, Esthetician, Master Esthetician, Manicurist, and Instructor — runs on a two-year renewal cycle. The renewal window opens 120 days before the license expires, giving licensees a generous head start compared to many other states.

Renewal is fastest through the department's online system: licensees log into their SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account, confirm their license number and contact information, answer legal background questions, and pay the renewal fee by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Licensees who prefer to renew by mail follow the instructions on their renewal notice, or complete the paper Cosmetologist, Hair Designer, Barber, Manicurist, Esthetician, or Master Esthetician License Renewal, Reinstatement, or Reciprocity Application and mail it with a check or money order to the Cosmetology Program's Seattle PO Box.

DOL does not require continuing education hours for renewal of any Washington cosmetology-related license. A licensee who misses the expiration date can still renew late by paying a late fee, but a license that has been expired for more than one year is canceled outright, and the former licensee must reapply from scratch — including retaking the state-approved written and practical exams through Prov.

Reinstating a canceled license (expired one year or less) requires submitting a reinstatement request online or by mail and paying the applicable licensing fee, along with passing both exams again before a new license is issued.

The Washington Department of Licensing investigates complaints against licensed cosmetologists, barbers, hair designers, estheticians, master estheticians, manicurists, instructors, salons, and schools, as well as reports of unlicensed practice. Complaints can be filed online, by email, or by mail, and every submission must include copies of supporting documents plus a detailed written account of what happened, including relevant dates, the people involved, and any steps already taken to resolve the issue.

Online complaints against a cosmetology licensee are filed through the department's professions complaint portal. Complaints can also be submitted by completing a Business and Professions Complaint form and emailing it to dolbpdcomplaints@dol.wa.gov, or mailing it to the Centralized Investigations and Audits Unit in Olympia. The complaint form requires the complainant's identifying information; Washington does not offer an anonymous online complaint option for cosmetology licensees.

Once a complaint is received, DOL first determines whether it has legal authority over the issue; if it does, an impartial investigator may contact the licensee for a response as part of a fact-finding review. If the department finds a violation, it can recommend disciplinary action ranging from a reprimand or fine to license suspension or revocation, and the accused licensee may request a hearing to dispute the outcome. DOL notifies the complainant of the final result by email or mail, though it cannot award the complainant money damages or resolve routine customer-service disputes that don't involve a licensing violation.