Cosmetology license in Louisiana: cost, hours and steps
Louisiana tests cosmetologists three times, a national theory exam plus a state written and a state practical, for $133 in exam fees.
Cosmetology license fees in Louisiana
$168
paid to the state and its exam and fingerprint vendors
| Application and license | $35 |
| Exams | $133 |
| Training: 1,500 school hours | about 50 weeks |
| Renewal fee | not on the pages read |
Cosmetologist license. Fees read on official pages, October 20, 2026.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Theory (written) national exam (NIC via IQT) | $83 |
| State written exam | $25 |
| Practical exam | $25 |
| Initial license (cosmetologist fee raised to $35 effective 2025-08-01) | $35 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the totals are built · Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology · read October 20, 2026
A first Louisiana cosmetologist license costs $168 in fees when every exam is passed at the first sitting. The Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology lists three exams: the national theory exam (the NIC test, delivered through IQT) at $83, its own state written exam at $25 and a practical at $25. The cosmetologist license fee was raised to $35 on August 1, 2025. Louisiana ranks 9th cheapest of the 15 states priced here, against a median of $163. To qualify you complete 1,500 hours in an approved cosmetology school's cosmetologist curriculum, about 50 weeks at 30 hours a week, and the school requests your exam date; the board usually sets it 7 to 10 days after receiving the request. The renewal fee and cycle were not confirmed on the board pages read, so this page does not count renewals.
Three tests, three prices
Where most boards give one written and one practical exam, Louisiana splits the written side in two. Candidates take the national theory exam, the NIC test administered through IQT, priced at $83 on the board's student page. The same page lists a state written exam at $25 and a practical at $25. Each is charged per attempt, so a candidate who passes the national test but fails the state written one pays only $25 to try that part again.
| Exam | Fee per attempt |
|---|---|
| National theory (NIC via IQT) | $83 |
| State written | $25 |
| Practical | $25 |
| All three | $133 |
Louisiana exam total if you resit every part
Cosmetology exam fees in Louisiana
$266
| First attempt | $133 |
| Each retake adds | $133 |
| All first-license fees | $301 |
The school books the exam
In Louisiana the request for an exam date comes from the school, not from the student. The board usually schedules the exam 7 to 10 days after it receives that request, and results go back to the school within about two weeks. Stay in touch with your school after the last hour: it is the school, not the board, that will pass the result on to you first.
The license fee and what is still unclear
A board notice raised the cosmetologist fee to $35 effective August 1, 2025. The notice is a scanned image and does not say whether that figure is the initial fee, the renewal fee or both; this page counts it once, as the initial license. The renewal amount and cycle were not confirmed on the pages read, and the board's continuing education pages concern instructors only. Check with the board before your license comes up for renewal.
Louisiana school hours as weeks
Cosmetology training in Louisiana
50 weeks
| Required hours | 1,500 |
| Months at that pace | 11.5 |
| First-license fees | $168 |
Out-of-state cosmetologists
Louisiana recognizes cosmetologist licenses from the other states, with some exceptions, through a reciprocity application and the fees that go with it. The record read for this site does not list which states are excepted, so a cosmetologist moving from another state should confirm with the board that the home license qualifies before giving notice at a salon. How Louisiana's three-exam route compares with neighboring requirements is on the cosmetology license page; Texas next door asks for fewer school hours.
Every cosmetology fee in Louisiana, with its source
| Fee | Amount | In the total | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theory (written) national exam (NIC via IQT) | $83 per attempt | counted | source |
| State written exam | $25 per attempt | counted | source |
| Practical exam | $25 per attempt | counted | source |
| Initial license (cosmetologist fee raised to $35 effective 2025-08-01) | $35 | counted | source |
| Renewal | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle | not read on an official page |
| Fee | not read on an official page |
| Continuing education | not read on an official page |
| Required training | 1,500 school hours. 1500 hours in an approved cosmetology school's cosmetologist curriculum plus passage of State Board examinations. |