Cosmetology license in New York: cost, hours and steps
New York charges $70 for a first cosmetology license, the lowest total of any state priced here, and gives its own written and practical exams.
Cosmetology license fees in New York
$70
paid to the state and its exam and fingerprint vendors
| Application and license | $40 |
| Exams | $30 |
| Training: 1,000 school hours | about 34 weeks |
| Renewals in 5 years, every 4 years | 1 × $40 = $40 |
Cosmetology license. Fees read on official pages, October 20, 2026.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial application (license) | $40 |
| State written exam | $15 |
| State practical exam | $15 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the totals are built · New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services · read October 20, 2026
A New York cosmetology license costs $70 in state fees: a $40 initial application, $15 for the written exam and $15 for the practical exam. All three are paid to the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, which runs the exams itself, so there is no testing-company charge on top. No other state among the 15 priced here comes in lower; the median is $163. To qualify you complete a 1,000-hour approved course of study, about 34 weeks at 30 hours a week, and applicants educated in New York also take a one-hour course on domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. The minimum age is 17. The license term is four years, and renewal costs $40. Passed exam results stay valid for five years, which gives a candidate time to finish the application.
Paid to the state, not a vendor
The Department of State lists three amounts for a new cosmetologist: the $40 initial application fee, a $15 written exam fee and a $15 practical exam fee. Because the department administers both exams, these are the whole bill; no fingerprint or background fee appears in the fees read for this license. A failed exam is rebooked at the same $15, so failing a part here costs less than almost anywhere else.
New York exam fees across several attempts
Cosmetology exam fees in New York
$90
| First attempt | $30 |
| Each retake adds | $30 |
| All first-license fees | $130 |
Hours and the extra one-hour course
The education requirement is a 1,000-hour approved course of study. Students who train in New York add a one-hour domestic violence and sexual assault awareness course on top of the course hours. Five years of legal equivalent experience can stand in for both the schooling and the exams; the record read for this site does not detail how that experience must be documented, so ask the department before relying on it.
New York cosmetology course length in weeks
Cosmetology training in New York
34 weeks
| Required hours | 1,000 |
| Months at that pace | 7.7 |
| First-license fees | $70 |
Five years to use a passing score, four years per license
Passing results remain valid for five years, so a candidate who passes the written exam early in school has room to finish the course and the practical. Once issued, the license runs four years, twice the usual cycle, and renews for $40. Over twelve years that is 3 renewals and $120. The department's page names no continuing education requirement; this page does not assume one either way.
Licensed in another state
License holders from certain other jurisdictions may obtain a New York license by endorsement or reciprocity, with an original certification from their licensing state. Out-of-state schooling may be waived when it is equivalent, but the New York exams must still be passed, so budget at least the $30 for the two exams. See how other states treat incoming licensees on the cosmetology license hub, or compare with Pennsylvania, which asks for more hours.
Every cosmetology fee in New York, with its source
| Fee | Amount | In the total | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial application (license) | $40 | counted | source |
| State written exam | $15 per attempt | counted | source |
| State practical exam | $15 per attempt | counted | source |
| Renewal | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle | every 4 years |
| Fee | $40 |
| Continuing education | not read on an official page |
| Required training | 1,000 school hours. 1,000-hour approved course of study, plus a 1-hour domestic violence and sexual assault awareness course for NY-educated applicants. Five years of legal equivalent experience can substitute for schooling and exams. |