Kansas beauty licenses
Kansas cosmetology license requirements
To work as a cosmetologist in Kansas you need a Cosmetologist license from the Kansas Board of Cosmetology. It takes 1,500 hours of school and $60 in state fees. Exams: written test and practical Board exams. 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 22, 2026.
- Cosmetology hours
- 1,500
- Barber hours
- 1,200
- Esthetics hours
- 1,000
Licensed by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology.How to apply License lookup The state's own words
Cosmetologist
Kansas cosmetology license
- License
- Cosmetologist
- Issued by
- The Kansas Board of Cosmetology
- Training
- 1,500 hours1,500 clock hours in a licensed school; a school may count credit hours instead. About 10 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
- Exams
- Written test and practical Board exams
- Who can apply
- 17 years old, high school diploma or equivalent
- State fees, first license
- $60
- Renewal
- Every 2 years, $50
- Continuing education
- Not stated
Kansas's 1,500 hours are the same as the 1,500 hours of the middle state.
Barber
Kansas barber license
- License
- Barber
- Issued by
- The Kansas Board of Barbering
- Training
- 1,200 hours1,200 to 1,500 hours at a licensed barber school. About 8 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
- Exams
- National written theory exam, practical exam, and Kansas rules and regulations exam
- Who can apply
- 16 years old, high school diploma or equivalent
- State fees, first license
- $80
- Renewal
- Every year, $80
- Continuing education
- Not stated
Kansas's 1,200 hours are fewer than the 1,250 hours of the middle state.
Nail technician
Kansas nail technician license
Kansas calls it the Manicurist license.
- License
- Manicurist
- Issued by
- The Kansas Board of Cosmetology
- Training
- 350 hours350 clock hours in a licensed school of cosmetology or nail technology; the board's profession name is Nail Technician. About 2 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
- Exams
- Written theory and practical Board exams
- Who can apply
- 17 years old, high school diploma or equivalent
- State fees, first license
- $60
- Renewal
- Every 2 years, $50
- Continuing education
- Not stated
Kansas's 350 hours are the same as the 350 hours of the middle state.
Esthetician
Kansas esthetician license
- License
- Esthetician
- Issued by
- The Kansas Board of Cosmetology
- Training
- 1,000 hours1,000 clock hours in a licensed school; a school may count credit hours instead. About 7 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate, not a state rule).
- Exams
- Written test at 1,000 hours of training; practical test may be given before licensure
- Who can apply
- 17 years old, high school diploma or equivalent
- State fees, first license
- $60
- Renewal
- Every 2 years, $50
- Continuing education
- Not stated
Kansas's 1,000 hours are more than the 600 hours of the middle state, tied for the most of any state.
Doing lashes, lifts, waxing or threading? See which license Kansas requires for each. Microblading or permanent makeup? See what Kansas requires for it. Microneedling, peels, dermaplaning or lasers? See what an esthetician may do in Kansas.
Moving here
Licensed in another state?
A license holder from another state applies on the board's out-of-state form; with an active license and full training hours (1,500 for cosmetology, 1,000 for esthetics) they take a 20-question open-book exam, and otherwise must take Board exams.
Good to know in Kansas
- A temporary permit ($15, optional) lets you practice cosmetology until the next regular board exam.
- Practitioner licenses renew every two years and require a passed written renewal exam plus the renewal fee.
- Barber applicants must pass the NIC written theory exam before they can take the Kansas barber practical exam.
Sources
What Kansas's official pages say
Each figure above, in the words of the state's own pages, rules or statutes, read on October 22, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the board before you enroll or apply.
- Cosmetologist: license
“"Cosmetologist" means any person, other than a manicurist or esthetician, who practices the profession of cosmetology for compensation.”
ksrevisor.gov - Cosmetologist: training hours
“The course of instruction and practice shall require not less than 1,500 clock hours, or a licensed school may elect to base the course of instruction and practice on credit hours.”
ksrevisor.gov - Cosmetologist: exams
“The examinations shall include a written test administered at the completion of 1,000 hours of training.”
ksrevisor.gov “must get additional hours and must take Board exams (written and practical).”
kansas.gov - Cosmetologist: who can apply
“Be at least 17 years of age;”
ksrevisor.gov “be a graduate of an accredited high school, or equivalent thereof.”
ksrevisor.gov - Cosmetologist: fees
“Non-refundable $60 application fee (check, money order, or credit card accepted);”
kansas.gov “The fee for a temporary permit is an additional $15.”
kansas.gov - Cosmetologist: renewal
“each such license shall be renewable on a biennial basis”
ksrevisor.gov “$50 – renewals postmarked or submitted online before midnight on the expiration date”
kansas.gov “Cosmetologist license application fee, for two years”
ksrevisor.gov - Barber: license
“How many hours of barbering education does the State of Kansas require to become a licensed barber?”
kbob.kansas.gov - Barber: issued by
“The Kansas Board of Barbering was established by the Kansas Legislature on February 27, 1913 as the State Board of Examination and Inspection for Barbers.”
kbob.kansas.gov - Barber: training hours
“No less than 1,200 and no more than 1,500 hours.”
kbob.kansas.gov “a course of instruction of not less than 1,200 hours and not more than 1,500 hours”
ksrevisor.gov - Barber: exams
“To pass the Kansas Barber License Examination, a minimum score of 80% must be attained on each of the three portions of the exam.”
kbob.kansas.gov - Barber: who can apply
“Is at least 16 years of age and of good moral character and temperate habits;”
ksrevisor.gov “has graduated from a high school accredited by the appropriate accrediting agency or has otherwise obtained the equivalent of a high school education;”
ksrevisor.gov - Barber: fees
“Issuance of license to practice barbering ..............80”
kbob.kansas.gov - Barber: renewal
“Renewal of license to practice barbering ..............80”
kbob.kansas.gov “shall annually renew the license and pay the required fee.”
ksrevisor.gov “shall annually renew the license and pay the required fee.”
ksrevisor.gov - Nail technician: license
“"Manicurist" means any person who, for compensation practices the profession of cosmetology only to the extent of:”
ksrevisor.gov - Nail technician: training hours
“The course of instruction and practice shall require not less than 350 clock hours, or a licensed school may elect to base the course of instruction and practice on credit hours.”
ksrevisor.gov - Nail technician: exams
“Must have 350 hours and must take written Board exams (theory and practical).”
kansas.gov - Nail technician: who can apply
“Be at least 17 years of age;”
ksrevisor.gov “be a graduate of an accredited high school, or equivalent thereof.”
ksrevisor.gov - Nail technician: fees
“Non-refundable $60 application fee (check, money order, or credit card accepted);”
kansas.gov “The fee for a temporary permit is an additional $15.”
kansas.gov - Nail technician: renewal
“Cosmetologist, Esthetician, Manicurist, and Electrologist”
kansas.gov “$50 – renewals postmarked or submitted online before midnight on the expiration date”
kansas.gov “Manicurist license application fee, for two years”
ksrevisor.gov - Esthetician: license
“"Esthetician" means any person who, for compensation practices the profession of cosmetology only to the following extent:”
ksrevisor.gov - Esthetician: training hours
“On and after July 1, 2009, the course of instruction and practice shall require not less than 1,000 clock hours, or a licensed school may elect to base the course of instruction and practice on credit hours.”
ksrevisor.gov - Esthetician: exams
“The examinations shall include a written test administered at the completion of 1,000 hours of training.”
ksrevisor.gov “A practical test may be administered prior to licensure.”
ksrevisor.gov - Esthetician: who can apply
“Be at least 17 years of age;”
ksrevisor.gov “be a graduate of an accredited high school, or equivalent thereof.”
ksrevisor.gov - Esthetician: fees
“Non-refundable $60 application fee (check, money order, or credit card accepted);”
kansas.gov “The fee for a temporary permit is an additional $15.”
kansas.gov - Esthetician: renewal
“$50 – renewals postmarked or submitted online before midnight on the expiration date”
kansas.gov “Esthetician license application fee, for two years”
ksrevisor.gov - Licensed in another state
“Submit the $75 non-refundable fee by credit card, check, or money order”
kansas.gov “1,500 + Active license in another state = 20 question open book exam.”
kansas.gov - Also good to know
“may be issued a temporary permit by the board to practice cosmetology until the next regular examination”
ksrevisor.gov - Also good to know
“the filing of a successfully completed written renewal examination”
ksrevisor.gov - Also good to know
“To be elegible for the barber practical examination, you must have passed the NIC barber theory written examination first.”
kbob.kansas.gov
Questions
Kansas beauty licenses, answered
How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Kansas?
1,500 hours of training for a Cosmetologist license. About 10 months of full-time school at 35 hours a week (our estimate). Kansas's 1,500 hours are the same as the 1,500 hours of the middle state.
How much does a cosmetology license cost in Kansas?
The state's fees for a first Cosmetologist license are $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 Kansas?
The Cosmetologist license renews every 2 years for $50. The pages we read do not state a continuing education requirement. Renew with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology before the license expires.
How do you get a nail technician license in Kansas?
Kansas calls it a Manicurist license, issued by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology. It takes 350 hours of training, written theory and practical Board exams, $60 in state fees. It renews every 2 years, $50.
How do you get an esthetician license in Kansas?
Kansas calls it an Esthetician license, issued by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology. It takes 1,000 hours of training, written test at 1,000 hours of training; practical test may be given before licensure, $60 in state fees. It renews every 2 years, $50.
How do you get a barber license in Kansas?
Kansas calls it a Barber license, issued by the Kansas Board of Barbering. It takes 1,200 hours of training, national written theory exam, practical exam, and Kansas rules and regulations exam, $80 in state fees. It renews every year, $80.
Can you transfer a cosmetology license from another state to Kansas?
A license holder from another state applies on the board's out-of-state form; with an active license and full training hours (1,500 for cosmetology, 1,000 for esthetics) they take a 20-question open-book exam, and otherwise must take Board exams. The fee is $75. Apply with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology.
Do you need a separate license to open a salon in Kansas?
Usually, yes: the business needs its own establishment license on top of each person's license. See what Kansas requires to open a salon, with its fees, inspection and booth rental rules.
Once you are licensed
Working for yourself, or opening a salon
- What Kansas requires to open a salon of your own
- Every step to opening a salon in Kansas, as a checklist
- Commission or booth rent? Compare what you would take home
- Renting a chair? Start from a booth rental agreement
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