West Virginia Esthetician License Requirements

West Virginia licenses estheticians as “aestheticians” through the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (WVBBC). You must complete 600 hours of training at a Board-approved school and pass the national NIC exam before you can apply for your license.

1. Contact a Board-approved school. Review the WVBBC’s list of approved schools and discuss financial aid or payment plans directly with the school.
2. Get a Certificate of Health. Have a licensed physician complete the required health certificate form.
3. Complete Student Registration. File the Student Registration Form with the Board before you begin training.
4. Complete 600 hours of aesthetician training at your approved school.
5. Apply for examination with Prov, Inc., the Board’s third-party exam administrator, at provexam.com.
6. Pass the written and practical NIC exams.
7. Submit your initial license application along with the $35 application fee to obtain your aesthetician license.

West Virginia requires 600 clock hours of training at a school approved by the WVBBC before you can sit for the licensing exam, under W. Va. Code § 30-27-3(b). This is fewer hours than West Virginia requires for a full cosmetology license (1,800 hours) or barbering (1,200 hours), reflecting the narrower scope of practice for aestheticians.

• Aesthetician: 600 hours
• Nail Technician: 400 hours
• Hair Stylist: 1,000 hours
• Barbering: 1,200 hours
• Cosmetology: 1,800 hours

Training must take place at a school on the Board’s approved list, and you must complete a Student Registration Form and provide a Certificate of Health from a licensed physician before beginning coursework.

West Virginia uses the national NIC written and practical examinations, administered on the Board’s behalf by Prov, Inc.

Registration

Register and schedule your exam online at provexam.com/register, or call or text Prov at (801) 733-4455. Written exams may be taken at a Prov testing center or remotely from a Mac, PC, or Chromebook that meets Prov’s remote-proctoring requirements.

Fees

The written exam costs $99 and the practical exam costs $129. These fees apply whether it is your first attempt or a retake — there is no discount for repeat testing.

Results

Official written and practical exam results are emailed within 24 hours of completing your test, and Prov reports results electronically to the Board.

West Virginia aesthetician licenses renew annually, with a due date of January 1st. The renewal fee is $35, the same as the initial application fee.

Continuing Education

West Virginia does not require continuing education. House Bill 2325, effective May 8, 2022, removed continuing education as a renewal requirement for barbers, cosmetologists, nail technicians, aestheticians, hair stylists, waxing specialists, and instructors.

How to Renew

Renew your individual license online through the WVBBC’s Renewals page, or mail a check or money order to PO Box 40235, Charleston, WV 25364. There is a grace period through the end of January; starting February 1st, a $10 late fee is added for each month your renewal is late, up to a maximum of $205 for individual licenses. You should receive your renewed license within 30 days if you renew during the November–January renewal window, or within 2–3 weeks at other times of year.

West Virginia defines “aesthetics” (also spelled “esthetics”) in W. Va. Code § 30-27-3(a). For compensation, and not for the treatment of disease, a licensed aesthetician may perform any of the following on the human body:

• Skin treatments: Cleansing, toning, effleurage and related massage movements, stimulating, exfoliating, or similar procedures on the skin of the body or scalp
• Product application: Applying cosmetics, makeup, oils, powders, clays, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, creams, or chemical preparations to the face, neck, back, shoulders, hands, elbows, and feet up to and including the knee, by hand or with a mechanical or electrical apparatus
• Grooming: Rubbing, cleansing, exercising, beautifying, or grooming those same areas
• Hair removal: Waxing and tweezing hair on the body, and lightening body hair (excluding the scalp)
• Body wraps: Wrapping the body in a body wrap
• Lashes and brows: Applying artificial eyelashes and eyebrows

W. Va. Code § 30-27-8 requires every applicant — including aestheticians — to be at least 18 years old, of good moral character, a U.S. citizen or eligible for employment in the U.S., and to hold a high school diploma or GED (or pass the federal ability-to-benefit test). You can confirm any practitioner’s license status through the Board’s Verify a License tool.