Illinois lash and brow rules
Do you need a license to do lashes in Illinois?
Yes. Applying eyelashes is named in the cosmetology practice definition, so a cosmetologist license is required to do it. Below: lash lifts, tinting and brow lamination (not stated), waxing (license needed) and eyebrow threading (license needed), each answered from Illinois's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 23, 2026, with the state's own words.
- Lash extensions
- License needed
- Lifts and tints
- Not stated
- Waxing
- License needed
- Threading
- License needed
Licensed by IDFPR.The board's site Hours and fees for each licenseThe state's own words
Lash extensions
Do you need a license to do lash extensions in Illinois?
Yes. Applying eyelashes is named in the cosmetology practice definition, so a cosmetologist license is required to do it.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Cosmetologist
- License for this work alone
- None
Lash lifts, tinting and brow lamination
Do you need a license to do lash lifts, tinting or brow lamination in Illinois?
Not stated. Illinois's official pages we read do not say whether lash lifts, tinting and brow lamination need a license. Ask IDFPR before you offer them.
- License needed
- Not stated
Waxing
Do you need a license to do waxing in Illinois?
Yes. Waxing is named in the cosmetology practice definition, so a cosmetologist license is required to do it.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Cosmetologist
- License for this work alone
- None
Eyebrow threading
Do you need a license to do eyebrow threading in Illinois?
Yes. Threading is named in both the cosmetology and esthetician definitions, so a cosmetologist or esthetician license covers it.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Cosmetologist, Esthetician
- License for this work alone
- None
Good to know
What else Illinois asks of lash and brow artists
- Practicing as a cosmetologist, esthetician, or other listed profession without a license is unlawful.
- A salon or barber shop must hold an IDFPR certificate of registration to operate.
- A licensed cosmetologist may practice esthetics without a separate esthetician license.
Sources
What Illinois's official pages say
Each answer above, in the words of Illinois's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 23, 2026. Rules change: confirm with IDFPR before you start offering a service.
- Lash extensions
“applying make-up or eyelashes to any person”
witnessslips.ilga.gov - Waxing
“removing superfluous hair from the body of any person by the use of depilatories, waxing, threading, or tweezers”
witnessslips.ilga.gov - Eyebrow threading
“removing superfluous hair from the body of any person by the use of depilatories, waxing, threading, or tweezers”
witnessslips.ilga.gov “grooming, threading, or similar work on the face, neck, arms, and hands or body in a superficial mode”
ilga.gov - Also good to know
“It is unlawful for any person to practice, or to hold oneself out to be a cosmetologist, esthetician, nail technician, hair braider, or barber without a license”
ilga.gov - Also good to know
“shall own or operate a cosmetology, esthetics, hair braiding, or nail technology salon or barber shop”
witnessslips.ilga.gov - Also good to know
“a person licensed as a cosmetologist may hold oneself out as an esthetician and may engage in the practice of esthetics”
ilga.gov
Questions
Illinois lash and brow licenses, answered
Do you need a license to do lash extensions in Illinois?
Do you need a license to do lash lifts, tinting or brow lamination in Illinois?
Do you need a license to do waxing in Illinois?
Do you need a license to do eyebrow threading in Illinois?
What do you need to open a lash or brow studio in Illinois?
Plan the rest
Licensed and ready to book clients
- Hours, exams and fees for each Illinois license
- What Illinois requires to open a studio of your own
- What Illinois inspectors check in a salon or studio
- Microblading or permanent makeup in Illinois: the license it needs
- Can estheticians do microneedling, peels or laser in Illinois?
- Renting a room or a chair? Start from a booth rental agreement
Lash and brow rules in other states
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