Cosmetology license in Florida: cost, hours and steps
A Florida cosmetologist license costs $90 in fees set by rule 61G5-24.002, after 1,200 hours of school.
Cosmetology license fees in Florida
$90
paid to the state and its exam and fingerprint vendors
| Application and license | $40 |
| Exams | $50 |
| Training: 1,200 school hours | about 40 weeks |
| Renewals in 5 years, every 2 years | 2 × $40 = $80 |
Cosmetologist license. Fees read on official pages, October 20, 2026.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original cosmetologist licensure fee | $40 |
| Examination fee, Department portion | $1 |
| Examination fee, testing-service portion (Pearson VUE) | $50 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the totals are built · Florida Board of Cosmetology (DBPR) · read October 20, 2026
Florida's cosmetology fees are fixed in the Florida Administrative Code, and a first license costs $90: an examination fee of $50 and an original licensure fee of $40. The exam fee is split by rule, $49.50 going to the professional testing service (Pearson VUE) and $0.50 to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. That puts Florida 4th cheapest of the 15 states priced here, well under the median of $163. The statute requires at least 1,200 hours of training, about 40 weeks at 30 hours a week, though a student may sit for the exam after 1,000 school hours. The catch is that a candidate who fails must finish all 1,200 hours before retaking it. The license renews every two years for $40, with 10 hours of continuing education each cycle.
Fees written into the rule
Florida's board does not publish its prices only on a web page; they sit in rule 61G5-24.002 of the Florida Administrative Code. The rule sets the examination fee for licensure as a cosmetologist at $50, of which $49.50 is payable to the testing service, and the fee for original licensure at $40. The rule lists a single examination fee for cosmetologists, with no separate practical charge, and this page counts it once per attempt.
The licensing site of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation was not readable for this page, so the amounts come from the rule text itself. Any DBPR surcharge that may apply on top was not verified and is not counted.
Florida cosmetology exam fees by number of attempts
Cosmetology exam fees in Florida
$100
| First attempt | $50 |
| Each retake adds | $50 |
| All first-license fees | $140 |
Testing before graduation, and the retake rule
Section 477.019 of the Florida Statutes sets the 1,200-hour minimum but lets a student apply for the exam once 1,000 school hours are done. That can shave weeks off the path to a license for a student who passes. A student who fails cannot simply rebook: the remaining hours must be completed first, so the retake comes after graduation. Weigh that before testing early. The age floor is 16, or a high school diploma.
Florida school hours converted to weeks
Cosmetology training in Florida
40 weeks
| Required hours | 1,200 |
| Months at that pace | 9.2 |
| First-license fees | $90 |
Renewing every two years
Biennial renewal costs $40 under rule 61G5-24.008, and rule 61G5-32.001 requires a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education each biennium. Over six years that means 3 renewals, $120 and 30 hours of courses. No other state priced here that states a continuing education figure asks for more hours per cycle; Maryland and Texas ask for fewer hours.
Licensed elsewhere
Florida offers licensure by endorsement to cosmetologists who already hold a license in another state, with a $50 endorsement application fee set by the same rule. The cosmetology license comparison shows how Florida's total sits against other states.
Every cosmetology fee in Florida, with its source
| Fee | Amount | In the total | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original cosmetologist licensure fee | $40 | counted | source |
| Examination fee, Department portion | $0.50 per attempt | counted | source |
| Examination fee, testing-service portion (Pearson VUE) | $49.50 per attempt | counted | source |
| Renewal | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle | every 2 years |
| Fee | $40 |
| Continuing education | 10 hours per cycle |
| Required training | 1,200 school hours. Minimum 1,200 hours (s. 477.019(2)(c), F.S.); may sit for the exam after 1,000 school hours, but must complete the full 1,200 before a retake. |