TDLR's 2025 CE restructuring created an experience-based tier, now in 16 TAC §83.25(k): held your license 15+ years? You may only need 2 hours of CE per renewal instead of 4.
What the reduced tier looks like:
- 1 hour of sanitation — still required
- 1 hour of human trafficking prevention — still required
- 2 elective hours — waived
The two mandatory hours never go away, no matter how long you have been licensed. The reduction only removes the electives.
One trap for dual-license holders: if you hold both a barber and a cosmetology license, you only qualify for the 2-hour tier when both licenses meet the 15-year mark. If one is newer, you still complete the full 4 hours — even though CE for one license cross-credits to the other.
The tier took effect for licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025, alongside the rest of the 2025 CE restructuring, and applies to every practitioner type in the Barbering and Cosmetology program — operators, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, eyelash extension specialists, and hair weaving specialists alike.
What it means for your renewal
If you are well past the 15-year mark, your CE requirement just got shorter. The threshold is how long you have held the license, not how long you have worked in the trade — verify your original issuance date with a TDLR license search before assuming you qualify.
And if you hold two licenses of different ages, budget for the full 4 hours until both cross 15 years.
Authority: 16 TAC §83.25(k)