Individual and Salon Licensing

About 8 of every 30 questions on a Minnesota State Exam practice exam come from this topic.

Sources checked November 14, 2026

What to know

A first-time applicant must be at least 17, document 1,550 training hours for a cosmetologist, 600 for an esthetician, 350 for a nail technician or 14 for an eyelash technician, and submit passing general theory, written practical and Minnesota laws and rules results no more than one year old. Out-of-state applicants need a certification of licensure no more than 90 days old sent directly by each state where they were licensed, and an applicant with fewer than the required hours needs at least three years of active licensure in another state or a Minnesota school transfer certificate; the statute's nonresident licenses are not issued for managers or instructors. Individual licenses run on a three-year cycle and expire on the last day of the licensee's birth month, and no one may practice after expiration until the renewed license is issued. Practitioners and salon managers renewing a license need eight CE hours in the three years before renewal (one hour of laws and rules, three of health, safety and infection control, and four of professional practice), while eyelash technicians need only the four core hours. A salon license is required for each physical location, is never transferred on a move, sale or change of business structure, and after a move, a change of business structure, or a sale while the license is unexpired, the salon has 60 days to become licensed and must close if no license is issued by day 61. Salon licenses expire on the last day of the month of initial licensure, and a salon that has not filed a complete renewal within six months of expiration must apply for a new license. Home salons need a permanent floor-to-ceiling partition with any connecting door kept closed, mobile salons are licensed to one specific vehicle, and a suite-style salon holds either one license for all suites or one license per suite. A salon in a nursing home must be licensed once it serves anyone other than homebound residents, and a homebound service permit runs on a three-year cycle and is not valid unless the practitioner license is active.

Where it comes from

• Minn. R. 2105.0145
• Minn. R. 2105.0183
• Minn. Stat. § 155A.27
• Minn. R. 2105.0200
• Minn. Stat. § 155A.271
• Minn. Stat. § 155A.29
• Minn. R. 2105.0322
• Minn. R. 2105.0330
• Minn. R. 2105.0393
• Minn. R. 2105.0395
• Minn. R. 2105.0397
• Minn. R. 2105.0410
• Minn. R. 2105.0520

Try a practice question

Ready for a full run? The Minnesota Cosmetology State Exam Practice Test is 30 questions in 60 minutes, scored at 75%. For the official exam's details, see Minnesota Cosmetology State Exam Requirements.