A Texas esthetician license takes 750 hours of training at a TDLR-licensed school, a written exam, and a practical exam. Once licensed, you renew every 2 years for $50 with 4 hours of TDLR-approved continuing education. The license is issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under the same unified Barbering and Cosmetology program that covers cosmetology operators and barbers — which matters more than you might think, because it means estheticians share the same fees, the same renewal cycle, and even the same CE course.
What Can You Do With a Texas Esthetician License?
The esthetician license authorizes skin care services: facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, hair removal (waxing, threading, sugaring), and makeup application. Licensed estheticians work in day spas, medical aesthetics offices, salons, and salon suites. It is a specialty license — narrower than the full cosmetology operator license, but faster to earn.
Esthetician vs. Cosmetology Operator: What's the Difference?
The short version: scope and school time.
- Esthetician — 750 training hours. Skin care services only.
- Cosmetology operator — 1,000 training hours. The full cosmetology license.
Everything else is identical. Both licenses live under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1603, both renew every 2 years for $50, and both carry the exact same continuing education obligation — satisfied by the same 4-hour course. If you are deciding between the two, the question is simply whether you want hair and nail services in your scope; the full comparison of every license type is in our Texas cosmetology license guide.
How Many Hours Does a Texas Esthetician License Take?
750 hours of initial training at a TDLR-licensed school. If you also want to do nails, the esthetician/manicurist combination license takes roughly 800 hours — far less than completing the 750-hour esthetician and 600-hour manicurist programs separately. Since September 1, 2023, Texas has also removed the high school diploma/GED requirement for cosmetology operator applicants, part of a broader simplification of entry requirements in the program.
What Does a Texas Esthetician License Cost?
The TDLR fees are flat and predictable:
- Initial application: $50 — the same fee for every practitioner type in the program
- On-time renewal: $50 every 2 years
- Late renewal: $75 (expired 90 days or less) or $100 (expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months; from 18 months to less than 3 years the $100 fee also requires TDLR executive-director approval)
Beyond TDLR's fees, budget for school tuition and exam fees, plus — once you are licensed — a continuing education course each renewal cycle.
What Are the Esthetician Exams Like?
Two exams, both with a 70% passing score, administered by PSI Services: a written exam and a practical exam. They are not a formality — across the whole barbering and cosmetology program, FY2025 saw 77,520 exams administered with a 66.48% overall pass rate, and 8,544 of those were esthetician written exams. Plan real study time.
How Do You Renew a Texas Esthetician License?
Your license expires every 2 years on the anniversary of its issue date — TDLR emails a reminder about 60 days out. Complete your CE first, then renew online through TDLR Online Services and pay the $50 fee, attesting that your hours are done. Your approved provider reports the completion to TDLR for you — keep your completion certificate for two years as your own record, since TDLR retains general authority to inspect or investigate licensee records. We walk through every click in our esthetician license renewal guide.
Stepping away from the treatment room for a while — maternity leave, a career detour, a move? The program offers an inactive status option so you do not have to let 750 hours of training lapse: there is no fee to go inactive, though you still renew on schedule and cannot practice until you reactivate (a $25 non-refundable fee, with CE completed first).
What CE Do Texas Estheticians Need?
Under TDLR's 2025 rule change (16 TAC §83.25), which applies to licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025:
- Licensed less than 15 years: 4 hours — 1 hour of sanitation, 1 hour of human trafficking prevention, 2 hours of electives
- Licensed 15+ years: 2 hours — the two mandatory hours only
Estheticians take the same 4-hour course as cosmetology operators and barbers — there is no separate esthetician-only CE. The elective content includes skin care theory, skin diseases and disorders, and chemical safety, all directly relevant to esthetics practice. See the esthetician CE course page for what our course covers; as TDLR-approved Provider #2273, we report your completion electronically within 24 hours.
What If Your Esthetician License Expires?
Expired less than 3 years? You can still renew — $75 if expired 90 days or less, $100 if expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months, and $100 plus TDLR executive-director approval from 18 months to less than 3 years. Past the 3-year cutoff, you can no longer renew and must meet the current requirements for a new applicant, which may include any applicable examinations. You also cannot work while expired: practicing on an expired license is a Class B violation with fines from $1,000 to $3,500 per violation, assessed per service performed.
Can You Transfer an Out-of-State Esthetician License?
Texas is actively expanding reciprocity: HB 11 (2025) directs TDLR to maximize occupational license reciprocity agreements with other states, with rules due by January 1, 2026. Because the process depends on where you are currently licensed, check the out-of-state applicant instructions on TDLR's Barbering and Cosmetology page before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.01Is there a combined esthetician/manicurist license in Texas?
Yes. TDLR issues an esthetician/manicurist combination license requiring roughly 800 training hours — less than the 1,350 the two separate licenses would take. It renews every 2 years with the same $50 fee and the same CE requirement as the standalone licenses.
Q.02Do estheticians take the same CE course as cosmetologists?
Yes. Estheticians, cosmetology operators, barbers, manicurists, and all other license types under the TDLR Barbering and Cosmetology program take the same TDLR-approved 4-hour CE course. There is no separate esthetician-specific CE course.
Q.03How do I verify a Texas esthetician license?
TDLR licenses are public records. Use a free TDLR license search to confirm a license number, check its status, and see the expiration date — useful before hiring, renting a booth, or booking with a new provider.
Q.04Can I pause my esthetician license if I stop working?
Yes. The Barbering and Cosmetology program offers inactive status: no fee to go inactive, but you cannot practice and you must still renew on schedule. Reactivation costs a $25 non-refundable fee, and your CE must be complete before you reactivate.
Q.05Is there a test in the esthetician CE course?
There is no final exam — just short in-lesson knowledge or attendance checks, depending on the approved course design. Credit is awarded once you complete the approved course and its required instruction and participation checks, and your certificate is issued. The written and practical exams only apply to initial licensing, not to CE.
Q.06How often does a Texas esthetician license renew?
Every 2 years, on the anniversary of the date the license was issued. The on-time renewal fee is $50, and your continuing education must be finished before you submit the renewal.
Need to confirm a license number or expiration date? Use the free TDLR license search.
Last updated July 22, 2026