Renew Your Texas Esthetician License: CE Requirements & Steps

If you hold a Texas esthetician license, you are licensed under the TDLR Barbering and Cosmetology program — the same program that covers cosmetology operators, barbers, manicurists, eyelash extension specialists, and hair weaving specialists. Your CE requirement, renewal process, and TDLR portal experience are identical to every other license sub-type in this program.

Many estheticians search for renewal information specific to their license type, and the most important thing to know is this: you take the same 4-hour CE course as all cosmetology and barber license holders. (Not licensed yet? Our Texas esthetician license guide covers training hours, exams, and costs.) There is no separate esthetician-only CE. The course covers sanitation, human trafficking prevention, and elective topics — including skin care and diseases relevant to esthetician practice.

This guide covers everything you need to renew your esthetician license in Texas in 2026: CE requirements, the rules updated by the September 2025 CE rule change (16 TAC §83.25), step-by-step TDLR instructions, fees, and what to do if your license has expired. Need to get started now? Our TDLR-approved 4-hour course is $22.95 with no final exam.

Under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1603, all individual practitioner licenses in the Barbering and Cosmetology program share the same CE structure. The original separate barber (Chapter 1601) and cosmetology (Chapter 1602) statutes were repealed and consolidated via HB 1560 (effective September 1, 2021).

This means estheticians, cosmetologists, barbers, manicurists, and all specialty license holders take the same course. Here is what the course covers and why it matters to estheticians:

• Sanitation (1 hour): Directly relevant to esthetician practice — covers disinfection of tools and implements used in skin treatments, disease prevention for skin conditions, facility sanitation standards, and chemical safety with products used in esthetics.
• Human trafficking prevention (1 hour): Required for all cosmetology license holders. Estheticians, like other beauty professionals, are positioned to recognize signs of trafficking through repeated client contact in private treatment rooms.
• Elective topics (2 hours): The approved topic list includes skin care and related theory, diseases and disorders of the skin, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and professional ethics — all core esthetician knowledge areas.

If you hold multiple licenses (for example, both esthetician and manicurist, or the esthetician/manicurist combo), completing one 4-hour course satisfies the CE requirement for all of them. Each license must still be renewed separately with its own $50 TDLR fee.

Your CE requirement depends on how long you have been licensed. Under TDLR's 2025 CE rule change (16 TAC §83.25), which applies to licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025, TDLR created a two-tier system:

Category	CE Hours	Mandatory Topics	Elective Topics
Licensed less than 15 years	4 hours every 2 years	1 hr sanitation + 1 hr human trafficking	2 hours from approved list
Licensed 15+ years	2 hours every 2 years	1 hr sanitation + 1 hr human trafficking	Waived

Key rules:

• One CE credit hour = 50 minutes of actual instruction time
• The same course cannot be repeated for credit (each approval year's course is a new approved course)
• CE must be completed before submitting your renewal application
• Keep your certificate for at least 2 years — TDLR can request records in an inspection or investigation
• There is no final exam — credit follows completion of the approved course and its required checks

The esthetician continuing education Texas requirement is identical to the cosmetology operator requirement. Whether you received 750 hours of initial esthetician training or 1,000 hours as a cosmetology operator, the CE obligation is the same.

Here is exactly how to renew your Texas esthetician license:

1. Complete 4 hours of CE at OnlineTexasCE.com (TDLR-approved Provider #2273). Cost: $22.95. Self-paced, mobile-friendly, available 24/7. No final exam.
2. Download and save your certificate. Keep it for at least 2 years. We report your completion to TDLR for you, but TDLR can still ask you for proof if it inspects or investigates your records.
3. Go to TDLR Online Services at tdlr.texas.gov and log in.
4. Select your esthetician license from your license list.
5. Click "Renew" and follow the prompts.
6. Attest to CE completion. You will confirm that you have finished the required hours.
7. Pay the $50 renewal fee via credit card or electronic check.
8. Receive your confirmation. TDLR emails your confirmation once the renewal is processed.

As a TDLR-approved provider, we report your CE completion directly to TDLR within 24 hours of when you finish the course. The entire process — CE course and TDLR renewal — can be completed from your phone without leaving your spa or treatment room.

Your esthetician license expires every 2 years on the anniversary of your issuance date. TDLR sends a reminder email about 60 days before expiration.

On-time renewal costs:

• CE course: $22.95
• TDLR renewal fee: $50
• Total: $72.95 every 2 years

If you miss your deadline, costs increase and legal risk begins:

Status	TDLR Fee	Legal Risk
On time	$50	None
Expired 90 days or less	$75 (1.5x)	Class B violation if practicing ($1,000-$3,500 fine)
More than 90 days but less than 18 months expired	$100 (2x)	Class B violation if practicing
18 months to less than 3 years expired	$100 (2x) + executive director approval	Class B violation if practicing
3 years or more expired	Cannot renew	Must meet current new-applicant requirements, which may include any applicable examinations

Penalties for practicing on an expired esthetician license are significant: fines from $1,000 to $3,500 per violation, potential license suspension of up to one year, and the risk of being reported by clients, employers, or competing professionals. Penalties are assessed per violation — each service you provide on an expired license counts separately.

The 3-year cutoff is particularly important. If your license has been expired for more than 3 years, you cannot renew it through the normal process. You must reapply and meet the current requirements for new applicants, which may include current training requirements (750 hours for estheticians) and any applicable examinations (FY2025 overall cosmetology exam pass rate: 66.48%).

Getting your Texas esthetician CE done is fast, affordable, and entirely online:

• Course: 4-Hour Texas Cosmetology & Barber CE (covers all sub-types including estheticians)
• Provider: OnlineTexasCE.com — TDLR-approved Provider #2273
• Price: $22.95
• Format: 100% online, self-paced, available 24/7
• Device: Phone, tablet, or computer — start on one, finish on another
• Final exam: None — short in-lesson knowledge or attendance checks only
• Certificate: Instant upon completion
• TDLR reporting: Reported directly to TDLR within 24 hours

The course content is designed for all cosmetology and barber license holders, but includes topics directly relevant to esthetician practice: skin disease prevention, sanitation protocols for esthetician tools and equipment, chemical safety with skin care products, and professional ethics in a treatment-room setting.

At $72.95 total every 2 years, maintaining your esthetician license is affordable. Compare that to the minimum $1,000 fine for working on an expired license, or the prospect of meeting current new-applicant requirements — 750 training hours plus any applicable examinations — if your license lapses beyond 3 years. The choice is clear: complete your CE today and renew before your deadline.