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Maryland Board of Cosmetologists

The offices of the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists are open and serving our customers through our online licensing resources, via e-mail and telephone, and by limited in-person appointments. Please note, walk-in assistance is not available. We can be reached using our contacts page for e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of individual staff members; or

Use Labor’s Central Scheduling System to meet with a representative from one of our boards or commissions. Please select the type of appointment you need from our list of available in-person services using the drop-down menu on the scheduler. You will receive an e-mail confirming the date and time of your appointment.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at our offices located at 1100 N. Eutaw Street, 5th Fl. Baltimore, Maryland 21201. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early before your scheduled appointment time.

Please be advised that testing for does not take place at State Board administrative offices. Making an appointment is NOT for exams, you will be directed to PSI. Once you've registered for your exam, go to PSIEXAMS.COM to create an account and schedule your examination. For any and all issues that may occur pertaining to PSI, (General Questions, Concerns, Test Scores, Application Processing, Scheduling Issues, etc) e-mail Cosmetology@psionline.com or Barber@psionline.com. You may also call 1-800-367-1565 or 855-898-0714.

Welcome to our home page. The Maryland Board of Cosmetologists qualifies and licenses individuals seeking licensure and issues permits to business entities through which cosmetology is practiced. The Board also establishes health and safety standards for the operation of beauty salons and trade schools. We regulate the practice of cosmetology under the provisions of Business Occupations and Professions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, Title 5 and the Code of Maryland Regulations, Title 9, Subtitle 22. We investigate complaints against licensees, as well as complaints related to unlicensed practice. The Board may issue a reprimand, suspend or revoke a license or permit, and/or impose a fine.

We encourage you to report, in writing, any unlicensed activities. We need your help to ensure professionalism in the fields of barbering and cosmetology.

The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 09.22.01.01 B (2) requires all licensees and registrants to affix a current picture to their licenses. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.

Please note: Business Occupations and Professions Article Section 5-605, Annotated Code of Maryland provides that you must be affiliated with a licensed salon or licensed barbershop to perform services.


News and Updates

Course Provider Application Now Open!

The Maryland Board of Cosmetologists is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications from Course Providers wishing to offer continuing education courses for cosmetologists, hair stylists, estheticians, and nail technicians. We will accept applications during this open enrollment period until April 22, 2024.

The courses can cover, but are not limited to, one of the following topics:

  • occupational health and safety
  • ethics and professional standards
  • cosmetology practice
  • product knowledge
  • sanitation
  • infectious and communicable disease control
  • business
  • Maryland laws and regulations

At this time, we will only accept applications from the following categories:

  • existing approved Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Private Career Schools
  • Maryland Colleges/ Universities including community colleges
  • Industry Textbook Publishers

The cost of the application is $250 which includes the evaluation of one course. Additional courses can be reviewed for a fee of $50 dollars per course.

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION

Limited Esthetician Do's & Don'ts

Greetings Cosmetologist and Limited Estheticians. The Board of Cosmetologists created a list of Do's and Don'ts that Cosmetologists and Limited Estheticians can perform with an unexpired license. A cosmetologist license authorizes the licensee to practice all aspects of beauty culture. A Limited Esthetician license authorizes the licensee to engage in providing esthetic services with contact to the skin limited to the beautification, cleansing, and embellishment of the skin during the application and removal of skin care products.

View Limited Esthetician Do's & Don'ts

Refer to our statutes which provide the definitions of both providing cosmetology and esthetic services in the State of Maryland.

Exam candidates:

The testing vendors that administer licensing exams for our boards and commissions are open and scheduling exams. Check the status of your testing center directly for updated scheduling and exam information. (Updated March 4, 2021)

Sanitation Guidelines For Salons and Barbershops in Response to COVID-19

PDF Licensing for Individual Licenses

The Maryland Boards of Barbers and Cosmetologists are pleased to announce an update to our license delivery system. Effective March 1, 2024, we will no longer issue paper INDIVIDUAL LICENSES in the mail. Instead, we will begin sending an email notification to you stating that a new or renewed license has been released and is ready to print. By following the link in that email, you will be directed to our licensing portal where you can download your PDF license. You will use your current login and password to access the portal.

Please note, your access to view and print the PDF license document will only be active for a total of 60 days. After 60 days, the PDF license document will expire and you will be unable to print the license from the portal unless you contact the board to re-activate your access. You will also need to contact the Board if you need to print a duplicate copy of your license. If you do not have an email address on file with us, your license will be mailed out to you within 7-10 business days after your application is approved.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at barbers.cos@maryland.gov or contact the team at 410-230-6190.

Reciprocity Instructions/Qualifications

You will need to contact the state or country where you received your original barber license and request for your license certification or your school transcripts to be emailed to Maryland. Once we receive your certification, it will be reviewed and we will notify you if you were approved or if we need additional information. Not all states include contact information on the certifications, feel free to email us at Barbers.cos@maryland.gov with your name and state to confirm receipt of the certification and directions about next steps. Do NOT apply for licensure until the Board has confirmed receipt and provided next steps.


*Please note: If coming from out of the country, we will need a copy of your original transcripts and if not in English, we will need the translated copy as well. A transcript is defined as a detailed document showing the clock hours and covered topics that you acquired at your barbering school, a certificate of completion (diploma) will NOT be accepted. Include your mailing address in your email for the qualification letter that will allow you to sit for the examination.

If you attended a Maryland Cosmetology School and it has since closed down since your training was completed, you may contact the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) at 410-767-3300 for a copy of your transcripts.

Below are the states that require Six (6) months of work experience with proof of A notarized letter from a former employer or a w-2 form.

  1. Alaska (Estheticians)
  2. Maine (Nail Technician)
  3. Massachusetts (Cosmetologist, Nail Technicians, and Estheticians)
  4. New Jersey (Cosmetologist)
  5. New York (Cosmetologist)
  6. Ohio (Nail Technicians)
  7. Oregon (Cosmetologist, Estheticians)
  8. Pennsylvania (Cosmetologist, Nail Technician, Esthetician) (If you took your examination in PA after 2014, you will have to take the Theory & Practical examination)
  9. Virginia (Nail Technicians)
Below are the states that DOES NOT qualify and will have to take the examinations in Maryland.

California
Connecticut
Hawaii
Florida
Illinois
Missouri (Cosmetologist do not qualify)
Nebraska

Apprentice/Sponsor Portal

We now allow you to report your apprentice's training hours online!

Entering training hours is simple. Under the Features menu (on the lefthand side of the screen for desktop computers), select Education/Apprenticeship. Once you are there, scroll down to the link that says Sponsor Certification for Apprenticeship Training.

Log in and follow the instructions within to submit your apprentice's training hours. If you do not already have a password set up, you can create one with the "Create My Password" button. The hours will be logged immediately, and you will receive an immediate confirmation that they have gone through.

Hairstylist License

Maryland now offers a limited hairstylist license for those who are interested in only performing hair services. Hair services are defined as arranging, bleaching, cleansing, coloring, curling, cutting, dressing, singeing, permanent waving or waving the hair, as well as performing any other similar procedure intended to beautify, clean or embellish the hair.

To become a hairstylist, applicants must be at least 17 years of age and have completed 9th grade or a GED®. Applicants must submit proof of completion of 1200 hours of training in a cosmetology school or 15 months as an apprentice hairstylist in a licensed beauty salon, and qualify by an examination given by the Board.

ADDITIONAL COSMETOLOGY UPDATES

Proposed Regulations Currently Open for Public Comment

None at this time.

To register your comments with the Board, send your letter to the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists, 1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 121, Baltimore, Maryland 21201; e-mail barbers.cos@maryland.gov; or fax 410-962-8483.

Contact the Board
Maryland Board of Cosmetologists
1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 121
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
410-230-6190
Fax: 410-962-8483
e-mail: barbers.cos@maryland.gov