Arkansas beauty licenses

Arkansas cosmetology license requirements

Q: How do you get a nail technician license in Arkansas?

Arkansas calls it a Manicurist license, issued by the Arkansas Department of Health. It takes 600 hours of training, written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test, $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60) in state fees. It renews every 2 years, $50.

Q: How do you get an esthetician license in Arkansas?

Arkansas calls it an Aesthetician license, issued by the Arkansas Department of Health. It takes 600 hours of training, written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test, $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60) in state fees. It renews every 2 years, $50.

Q: How do you get a barber license in Arkansas?

Arkansas calls it a Registered Barber license, issued by the Arkansas State Board of Barber Examiners. It takes 1,500 hours of training, practical demonstration plus a written and oral test, $125 (examination for a certificate to practice as a registered barber $75 plus issuance of a certificate to practice as a registered barber $50) in state fees. It renews every year, $50.

To work as a cosmetologist in Arkansas you need a Cosmetologist license from the Arkansas Department of Health. It takes 1,500 hours of school and $125 in state fees. Exams: written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test. Barbers, nail technicians and estheticians each need a license of their own, below. Every figure is quoted from the state's official pages, read on October 23, 2026.

Cosmetology hours: 1,500
Barber hours: 1,500
Nail tech hours: 600
Esthetics hours: 600

Licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Cosmetologist

Arkansas cosmetology license

License: Cosmetologist
Issued by: The Arkansas Department of Health
Training: 1,500 hoursArkansas law admits a cosmetologist to the exam after 1,200 hours of training but requires schools to run a term of at least 1,500 hours, the figure the Department lists. About 10 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
Exams: Written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test
Who can apply: 16 years old; two years of high school or equivalent
State fees, first license: $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60)
Renewal: Every 2 years, $50
Continuing education: Not stated

Arkansas's 1,500 hours are the same as the 1,500 hours of the middle state.

Barber

Arkansas barber license

Arkansas calls it the Registered Barber license.

License: Registered Barber
Issued by: The Arkansas State Board of Barber Examiners
Training: 1,500 hoursAbout 10 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
Exams: Practical demonstration plus a written and oral test
Who can apply: Not stated
State fees, first license: $125 (examination for a certificate to practice as a registered barber $75 plus issuance of a certificate to practice as a registered barber $50)
Renewal: Every year, $50
Continuing education: Not stated

Arkansas's 1,500 hours are more than the 1,250 hours of the middle state.

Nail technician

Arkansas nail technician license

Arkansas calls it the Manicurist license.

License: Manicurist
Issued by: The Arkansas Department of Health
Training: 600 hoursArkansas law admits a manicurist to the exam after 480 hours of training; the Department lists 600 hours as the minimum. About 4 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
Exams: Written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test
Who can apply: 16 years old; two years of high school or equivalent
State fees, first license: $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60)
Renewal: Every 2 years, $50
Continuing education: Not stated

Arkansas's 600 hours are more than the 350 hours of the middle state.

Esthetician

Arkansas esthetician license

Arkansas calls it the Aesthetician license.

License: Aesthetician
Issued by: The Arkansas Department of Health
Training: 600 hoursArkansas law admits an aesthetician to the exam after 480 hours of training; the Department lists 600 hours as the minimum. About 4 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
Exams: Written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test
Who can apply: 16 years old; two years of high school or equivalent
State fees, first license: $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60)
Renewal: Every 2 years, $50
Continuing education: Not stated

Arkansas's 600 hours are the same as the 600 hours of the middle state.

Doing lashes, lifts, waxing or threading? See which license Arkansas requires for each. Microblading or permanent makeup? See what Arkansas requires for it. Microneedling, peels, dermaplaning or lasers? See what an esthetician may do in Arkansas.

Moving here

Licensed in another state?

By reciprocity (cosmetology): a current valid license from another state, at least 18 years old, a comparable exam passed, and an Arkansas law exam.

Good to know in Arkansas

Barber applications and renewals are handled by the State Board of Barber Examiners, online at www.arbarber.com, not by the Cosmetology Section.
For cosmetology, the practical exam is scheduled through an Arkansas cosmetology school; the written exam is applied for separately.
Barbers must display their license adjacent to or near their workstation.

Sources

What Arkansas's official pages say

Each figure above, in the words of the state's own pages, rules or statutes, read on October 23, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the board before you enroll or apply.

Cosmetologist: license: “shall admit to examination for a license as a cosmetologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or instructor”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Cosmetologist: training hours: “1500 hours for cosmetologist”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“For a cosmetologist, training of at least one thousand two hundred (1,200) hours”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“Each school shall maintain a school term of not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) hours”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Cosmetologist: exams: “Examinations for license as cosmetologists and all other branches of cosmetology shall include a written core and law test and a practical test”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Cosmetologist: who can apply: “Is not less than sixteen (16) years of age”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“Has completed two (2) years of high school in the public schools of this state or”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Cosmetologist: fees: “$65 – Practical/$60 – Written”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“$65 – Practical/$60 – Written”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Cosmetologist: renewal: “$50.00 biennially”
sos.arkansas.gov
“Licenses of cosmetologists, instructors, electrologists, aestheticians, and manicurists shall expire on the licensee's birthday on a biennial basis.”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Barber: license: “REGISTERED BARBER”
arkleg.state.ar.us
Barber: issued by: “ARKANSAS STATE BOARD OF BARBER EXAMINERS”
labor.arkansas.gov
Barber: training hours: “Students must complete one thousand five hundred (1,500) hours of training”
labor.arkansas.gov
Barber: exams: “Examinations shall include both a practical demonstration and a written and oral test”
labor.arkansas.gov
Barber: fees: “(4) For the examination for a certificate to practice as a registered barber, seventy-five dollars ($75.00), and for the issuance of a certificate to practice as a registered barber, fifty dollars ($50.00);”
labor.arkansas.gov
Barber: renewal: “Every registered barber or teacher manager instructor shall annually between July 1st and September 1st renew his or her license by paying”
labor.arkansas.gov
“(5) For annual renewal of the certificate to practice as a registered barber and for its issuance, fifty dollars ($50.00);”
labor.arkansas.gov
Nail technician: license: “shall admit to examination for a license as a cosmetologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or instructor”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Nail technician: training hours: “600 hours for manicurist”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“For a manicurist, training of at least four hundred eighty (480) hours”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Nail technician: exams: “Examinations for license as cosmetologists and all other branches of cosmetology shall include a written core and law test and a practical test”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Nail technician: who can apply: “Is not less than sixteen (16) years of age”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“Has completed two (2) years of high school in the public schools of this state or”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Nail technician: fees: “$65 – Practical/$60 – Written”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“$65 – Practical/$60 – Written”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Nail technician: renewal: “$50.00 biennially”
sos.arkansas.gov
“Licenses of cosmetologists, instructors, electrologists, aestheticians, and manicurists shall expire on the licensee's birthday on a biennial basis.”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Esthetician: license: “shall admit to examination for a license as a cosmetologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or instructor”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Esthetician: training hours: “600 hours for aesthetician”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“For an aesthetician, training of at least four hundred eighty (480) hours”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Esthetician: exams: “Examinations for license as cosmetologists and all other branches of cosmetology shall include a written core and law test and a practical test”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Esthetician: who can apply: “Is not less than sixteen (16) years of age”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“Has completed two (2) years of high school in the public schools of this state or”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Esthetician: fees: “$65 – Practical/$60 – Written”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“$65 – Practical/$60 – Written”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Esthetician: renewal: “$50.00 biennially”
sos.arkansas.gov
“Licenses of cosmetologists, instructors, electrologists, aestheticians, and manicurists shall expire on the licensee's birthday on a biennial basis.”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Licensed in another state: “is not less than eighteen (18) years of age”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“(4) That the applicant passes an Arkansas law examination under this chapter.”
healthy.arkansas.gov
“$50 one-time fee”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Also good to know: “All applications and renewals must be made online at www.arbarber.com.”
labor.arkansas.gov
Also good to know: “You can contact an Arkansas Cosmetology School to apply for the practical examination.”
healthy.arkansas.gov
Also good to know: “YOU MUST DISPLAY YOUR LICENSE ADJACENT TO OR NEAR YOUR WORKSTATION.”
labor.arkansas.gov

Questions

Arkansas beauty licenses, answered

How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Arkansas?

1,500 hours of training for a Cosmetologist license. About 10 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate). Arkansas's 1,500 hours are the same as the 1,500 hours of the middle state.

How much does a cosmetology license cost in Arkansas?

The state's fees for a first Cosmetologist license are $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60), and it renews every 2 years, $50. School tuition is the much larger cost, and testing companies may charge their own exam fees.

How do you renew a cosmetology license in Arkansas?

The Cosmetologist license renews every 2 years for $50. The pages we read do not state a continuing education requirement. Renew with the Arkansas Department of Health before the license expires.

How do you get a nail technician license in Arkansas?

Arkansas calls it a Manicurist license, issued by the Arkansas Department of Health. It takes 600 hours of training, written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test, $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60) in state fees. It renews every 2 years, $50.

How do you get an esthetician license in Arkansas?

Arkansas calls it an Aesthetician license, issued by the Arkansas Department of Health. It takes 600 hours of training, written core and Arkansas law tests, plus a practical test, $125 (practical examination $65 plus written examination $60) in state fees. It renews every 2 years, $50.

How do you get a barber license in Arkansas?

Arkansas calls it a Registered Barber license, issued by the Arkansas State Board of Barber Examiners. It takes 1,500 hours of training, practical demonstration plus a written and oral test, $125 (examination for a certificate to practice as a registered barber $75 plus issuance of a certificate to practice as a registered barber $50) in state fees. It renews every year, $50.

Can you transfer a cosmetology license from another state to Arkansas?

By reciprocity (cosmetology): a current valid license from another state, at least 18 years old, a comparable exam passed, and an Arkansas law exam. The fee is $50. Apply with the Arkansas Department of Health.

Do you need a separate license to open a salon in Arkansas?

Usually, yes: the business needs its own establishment license on top of each person's license. See what Arkansas requires to open a salon, with its fees, inspection and booth rental rules.

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