Elective CE hours are the flexible portion of the barbering and cosmetology requirement: 2 of the 4 hours for licensees who have held their license under 15 years. (At 15+ years the electives are waived, leaving only the sanitation and human trafficking hours.)
Electives must come from the TDLR-approved topic list in 16 TAC §83.25(h), drawn largely from the §83.202 curriculum standards. The list includes:
- Anatomy and physiology; diseases and disorders of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails
- Chemistry — haircoloring, chemical waving, and relaxing
- Hair care theory, including cutting, styling, weaving and extensions, and chemical textures
- Skin care, hair removal and waxing, nail care, and makeup application
- Tools, equipment, and electricity as it relates to cosmetology equipment
- Business skills, establishment management, customer service, and professional ethics
- Texas barbering and cosmetology law and rules
- Mental health awareness — newly added to the approved list
- Additional sanitation beyond the 1-hour minimum
One rule to know: the same course can never be repeated for credit (16 TAC §83.25(e)) — your hours must come from a course you have not already been credited for. Because approvals carry a new course number each year, your provider's current course is a different course from last year's.
What it means for your renewal
You do not assemble electives piecemeal. A TDLR-approved 4-hour course packages the sanitation hour, the human trafficking hour, and 2 hours of approved elective content together — ours covers the full requirement for $22.95 with no final exam.
Authority: 16 TAC §§83.25(h), 83.202