Question: Do I have to be licensed to become a professional Makeup Artist?

Answer: In short, the answer is typically ‘no’. 

However, this is a gray area and can become confusing as you try to establish your business and yourself as a professional Makeup Artist. Below is a list for individual states and State Board of Cosmetology requirements links:

 

Alabama

 http://www.aboc.state.al.us/default.aspx

Alaska

https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofBarbersHairdressers.aspx

Arizona

https://boc.az.gov/

Arkansas

http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/hsLicensingRegulation/Cosmetology/Pages/default.aspx

California 

http://www.barbercosmo.ca.gov/

Colorado 

https://www.colorado.gov/dora/boards_programs

Connecticut 

http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3143&q=388878

Delaware 

http://www.dpr.delaware.gov/boards/cosmetology/

Florida 

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/Dbpr/pro/cosmo/index.html

Georgia 

http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/plb/16

Hawaii 

http://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/barber/

Idaho 

https://ibol.idaho.gov/IBOL/BoardPage.aspx?Bureau=COS

Illinois 

http://www.idfpr.com/profs/cosmo.asp

Indiana 

http://www.in.gov/pla/cosmo.htm

Iowa 

http://www.idph.iowa.gov/

Kansas 

http://www.kansas.gov/kboc/

Kentucky 

http://kbhc.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Louisiana 

http://www.lsbc.louisiana.gov/application_makeup.aspx

Maine

http://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/barbers/cosmetology.html

Maryland 

http://www.dllr.maryland.gov/license/cos/coslicreq.shtml

Massachusetts 

http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/dpl-boards/hd/

Michigan

http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-72600_72602_72731_72864—,00.html

Minnesota 

http://mn.gov/boards/cosmetologist-examiners/

Mississippi 

http://www.msbc.ms.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Missouri 

http://www.pr.mo.gov/cosbar.asp

Montana 

http://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/cos

Nebraska

http://www.boardofcosmetology.net/nebraska-state-board-of-cosmetology-cb27

Nevada 

http://cosmetology.nv.gov/

New Hampshire 

http://www.oplc.nh.gov/

New Jersey 

http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/cos

New Mexico

http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/barbers_and_cosmetologists.aspx

New York 

https://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/esthetics/esthetics.html

North Carolina 

http://www.nccosmeticarts.com/

North Dakota 

https://www.ndcosmetology.com/

Ohio 

http://www.cos.ohio.gov/

Oklahoma 

https://www.ok.gov/cosmo/index.html

Oregon 

http://www.oregon.gov/oha/hlo/Pages/index.aspx

Pennsylvania 

http://www.dos.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Rhode Island 

http://health.ri.gov/licenses/index.phpbeauty/

South Carolina 

http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/cosmetology/

South Dakota 

http://dlr.sd.gov/cosmetology/default.aspx

Tennessee

http://www.tn.gov/commerce/section/cosmetology-and-barber-examiners

Texas

https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/cosmet/cosmet.htm

Utah 

http://www.dopl.utah.gov/

Vermont

https://www.sec.state.vt.us/professional-regulation.aspx

Virginia

http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/BarberCosmo/#Education_and_Exams

Washington 

http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology/index.html

Washington DC 

 http://www.pearsonvue.com/dc/barbers_cosmo/

West Virginia 

http://www.wvbbc.org/

Wisconsin

http://dsps.wi.gov/Boards-Councils/Board-Pages/Cosmetology-Examining-Board-Main-Page/

Wyoming 

http://cosmetology.wy.gov/Index.aspx

This list is for references only.

To receive the most updated information we highly recommend that you contact your State Board directly as each state will have their own individual exemptions by their Cosmetology board.