All 50 states and DC, from each state's own rules

Esthetician scope of practice, state by state

What a licensed esthetician may do changes at the state line. Microneedling is outside the license in 18 states and allowed only with conditions in 18 states; Botox and fillers are off limits to estheticians in 30 states. Pick your state for its license, its advanced license if it has one, and a verdict on five treatments, each in the state's own words.

Read from the official sources on October 27, 2026. How we checked ยท Download every state (CSV)

States where microneedling is not in the license
18 of 51
States where Botox and fillers are not in the license
30 of 51
States with an advanced or master license
9

Pick your state

What can an esthetician do in your state?

The license, any master or advanced license, and a verdict on microneedling, chemical peels, dermaplaning, laser and IPL, and Botox or fillers, each answered with the state's own words.

Across the states

What the rules have in common

  • Microneedling is the dividing line. For estheticians it is allowed with conditions in 18 states, not allowed in 18 states and not settled by the official pages in 15 states. Where it is allowed, the condition is usually an advanced license, extra training, a needle-depth limit or a physician's supervision.
  • Dermaplaning is usually within the license. It is allowed in 10 states, allowed with conditions in 17 states, not allowed in 6 states and not settled by the official pages in 18 states.
  • Chemical peels come with strength limits. They are allowed in 1 state, allowed with conditions in 40 states, not allowed in 2 states and not settled by the official pages in 8 states; the conditions are mostly limits on peel strength or depth, kept to the outer layer of the skin.
  • Lasers and IPL are mostly medical. They are allowed with conditions in 21 states, not allowed in 20 states and not settled by the official pages in 10 states; where an esthetician may use them, it is usually under a physician's delegation or with a separate certification.
  • Botox and fillers are medical work. Injections are allowed with conditions in 6 states, not allowed in 30 states and not settled by the official pages in 15 states; where an esthetician may give them at all, it is only under a physician's delegation or supervision.
  • 9 states issue an advanced license. DC, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington have a master, advanced or medical esthetician license or certification beyond the basic one, which is where the deeper treatments usually sit.

Every state compared

Five treatments, state by state

"With conditions" means the official pages allow it only with an advanced license, extra training, a physician's supervision or a depth or strength limit; each state's page names the condition. "Not stated" means the pages we read did not settle it.

Esthetician scope of practice by state
StateMicroneedlingPeelsDermaplaningLaser, IPLBotox, fillersAdvanced license
AlabamaNot allowedWith conditionsNot statedWith conditionsNot allowedNone named
AlaskaNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNone named
ArizonaWith conditionsWith conditionsAllowedWith conditionsNot statedNone named
ArkansasWith conditionsWith conditionsNot statedWith conditionsNot statedNone named
CaliforniaNot allowedWith conditionsAllowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
ColoradoNot statedWith conditionsNot statedWith conditionsWith conditionsNone named
ConnecticutNot allowedWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
DelawareNot allowedWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNone named
District of ColumbiaNot allowedWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedEsthetician Master/Advanced
FloridaNot allowedNot statedWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNone named
GeorgiaNot statedNot statedNot statedWith conditionsNot allowedNone named
HawaiiNot statedWith conditionsNot statedNot statedNot statedNone named
IdahoNot statedWith conditionsNot statedNot allowedWith conditionsNone named
IllinoisWith conditionsWith conditionsAllowedWith conditionsWith conditionsNone named
IndianaWith conditionsNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNone named
IowaWith conditionsWith conditionsNot statedWith conditionsWith conditionsNone named
KansasNot statedWith conditionsWith conditionsNot statedNot statedNone named
KentuckyNot allowedWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedWith conditionsNone named
LouisianaNot allowedWith conditionsAllowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
MaineNot statedWith conditionsNot statedWith conditionsNot statedNone named
MarylandWith conditionsWith conditionsAllowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
MassachusettsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedNone named
MichiganNot statedWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot statedNone named
MinnesotaWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedAdvanced Practice Esthetician
MississippiNot statedWith conditionsNot statedNot statedNot allowedNone named
MissouriNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNone named
MontanaNot statedWith conditionsNot statedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
NebraskaWith conditionsWith conditionsAllowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
NevadaWith conditionsWith conditionsAllowedWith conditionsNot allowedAdvanced Esthetician
New HampshireNot allowedWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNot statedNone named
New JerseyNot statedNot statedNot statedNot allowedNot statedNone named
New MexicoNot allowedNot allowedNot statedWith conditionsNot allowedNone named
New YorkNot allowedNot allowedAllowedNot statedNot allowedNone named
North CarolinaWith conditionsWith conditionsAllowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
North DakotaWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedWith conditionsNot allowedAdvanced Esthetician
OhioNot allowedWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedAdvanced license to practice esthetics
OklahomaNot allowedWith conditionsNot statedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
OregonWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedCertified Advanced Esthetician
PennsylvaniaNot allowedNot statedNot allowedNot statedNot allowedNone named
Rhode IslandWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNone named
South CarolinaWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNone named
South DakotaNot allowedWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNot allowedNone named
TennesseeWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot statedNot statedNone named
TexasNot allowedWith conditionsNot allowedWith conditionsNot allowedNone named
UtahWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedMaster esthetics license
VermontNot statedAllowedWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNone named
VirginiaNot allowedWith conditionsAllowedWith conditionsNot statedMaster Esthetician
WashingtonNot statedWith conditionsNot statedWith conditionsNot allowedMaster esthetician
West VirginiaNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNone named
WisconsinWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsWith conditionsNot statedNone named
WyomingNot allowedWith conditionsWith conditionsNot allowedNot allowedNone named

Method

How we checked each state

  • Official sources only. For each state we read its esthetics or cosmetology statute and rules (the definition of esthetics and what it excludes, peel and device limits, advanced licenses), the board's statements on specific treatments, and the medical board's rules on lasers and injections. Schools, associations, training companies and other guides were not used as sources.
  • Every answer carries the state's own words. Each verdict is stored with the official page it came from and a verbatim quote, and a script confirmed that every quote appears on its page before the page was published. Each state's page shows those quotes.
  • Four verdicts. Allowed: within the basic license. With conditions: only with an advanced license, extra training, a physician's supervision or a depth or strength limit. Not allowed: outside the license, or regulated as medicine. Not stated: the pages we read did not settle it.
  • Not legal advice. These are the states' own rules as published on October 27, 2026. Boards interpret their rules and change them: confirm with your board before you offer a treatment.

Questions

Esthetician scope of practice, answered

Can estheticians do microneedling?
It depends on the state. Microneedling is allowed with conditions in 18 states, not allowed in 18 states and not settled by the official pages in 15 states on the official pages we read. Pick your state above for its rule and the board's own words.
Can estheticians do Botox or fillers?
Not on the license alone. In 30 states the official pages put injections outside the esthetician's license, and in 6 states an esthetician may give them only under a physician's delegation or supervision. In 15 states the pages we read do not address it directly; ask the board and the medical board before you assume otherwise.
Can estheticians do dermaplaning?
In most states, yes: dermaplaning is allowed in 10 states, allowed with conditions in 17 states, not allowed in 6 states and not settled by the official pages in 18 states.
Can estheticians do laser hair removal?
Usually only under medical rules: laser and IPL treatments are allowed with conditions in 21 states, not allowed in 20 states and not settled by the official pages in 10 states. Where an esthetician may use them, it is typically under a physician's delegation or with a separate certification.
What can a master esthetician do?
DC, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington issue a master, advanced or medical esthetician license or certification. It usually adds deeper peels, some devices and, in a few states, microneedling or lasers. Each state's page says what its advanced license adds.
Where do these answers come from?
From each state's own esthetics statute and rules, its board's statements, and its medical board's rules on lasers and injections, read on October 27, 2026, never from schools, associations or training companies. Each answer carries the official page and the state's own words, and a script confirmed each quote is on that page. Rules change: confirm with your board before you offer a treatment.

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Esthetician Scope of Practice by State (2026) | SalonAI