The apprenticeship licensing program is only available for those over 16 years old who have completed 10th grade. It also requires 220 hours of classroom instruction. The program lasts two years of full-time work for a total of 3,200 hours.

They are via the California Apprenticeship Program and let you make money as you train. Apprenticeship ProgramĬalifornia also offers an apprenticeship program that is an alternative to the 1,600 hours. To take the exams, you must have completed 10th grade and be at least 17 years old.Ĭonveniently, California does not require any continuing education for cosmetologists, so you don’t have to worry about additional training. There are two exams, one of which is practical and one of which is written. We already mentioned that you need to complete 1,600 hours of training before getting your license, which is a requirement to appear on a California cosmetology license lookup.

How Do I Become a Licensed Cosmetologist in California? So, this means you may have to wait up to 18 weeks after submitting your exam application until you actually take the exam. Your exam date will be between 25 and 60 days in the future. It will take up to 10 weeks to get an exam date if you apply by mail and up to six if you apply online. To put this in perspective, if you complete 40 hours a week, 1,600 hours would take 40 weeks, which is about nine to 10 months.Ĭonveniently, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has a list of approved schools on its website.Īfter completing the hours, you will have to submit an application to take the exams. Before you can take the State Board examination, you must have completed 1,600 hours. You can only appear on the California cosmetology license lookup after you are licensed. The amount of time it takes to get your license depends on how long it takes you to complete the required hours. How Long Does It Take to Get a Cosmetology License in California? This is important, as an unlicensed cosmetologist can put the health of your hair and your overall health at risk or may simply provide lower-quality services. Thinking of becoming a cosmetologist and wondering what the requirements are? Or do you want to see if someone is a licensed cosmetologist? The California State Board of Cosmetology license lookup offers the simplest way to check if someone is licensed.

Cosmetology license verification ca