Cosmetology license in Pennsylvania: cost, hours and steps
Pennsylvania tests cosmetologists with a single Pearson VUE exam at $93, and the state adds a $26 application fee.
Cosmetology license fees in Pennsylvania
$119
paid to the state and its exam and fingerprint vendors
| Application and license | $26 |
| Exams | $93 |
| Training: 1,250 school hours | about 42 weeks |
| Renewals in 5 years, every 2 years | 2 × $97 = $194 |
Cosmetologist license. Fees read on official pages, October 20, 2026.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| State application fee (PALS) | $26 |
| Theory/Procedural Skills exam (Pearson VUE, single combined computer exam) | $93 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the totals are built · Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology · read October 20, 2026
Pennsylvania's first cosmetologist license costs $119: a $26 application fee to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology through the PALS system and $93 to Pearson VUE for the exam. The board's licensure snapshot presents the two together as one $119 figure. Instead of separate written and practical tests, Pennsylvania uses one combined computer exam on theory and procedural skills, and the $93 applies to first attempts and retakes alike. That makes Pennsylvania 5th cheapest of the 15 states priced here (median $163). Training is 1,250 hours at a licensed school, which the board says takes at least 8 months in a day program or 15 months at night, or 2,000 hours in a board-approved apprenticeship. The license renews every two years for $97, with no continuing education requirement.
One exam covering theory and skills
Pearson VUE's Pennsylvania handbook lists a single theory and procedural skills exam at $93, "first time or retakes." There is no hands-on practical with a mannequin; procedural skills are tested on the computer. For the applicant this means one booking and one fee per attempt, so a second attempt simply adds another $93.
Pennsylvania exam cost by number of attempts
Cosmetology exam fees in Pennsylvania
$186
| First attempt | $93 |
| Each retake adds | $93 |
| All first-license fees | $212 |
The application and a background check
The application fee is $26, in effect since November 10, 2022 according to the Pearson VUE handbook. Applicants who have lived, worked or gone to school in Pennsylvania in the past five years need a Pennsylvania State Police criminal history check; its fee was not read on an official page and is not included in the total here.
School pace or an apprenticeship
A licensed school must certify 1,250 hours. The board sets a floor on calendar time too: at least 8 months for a day program, 15 months for evening study. At 30 hours a week the hours alone take about 42 weeks. The apprenticeship route asks for 2,000 hours under a board-approved program. Either way, applicants need a tenth-grade education or its equivalent, a requirement the board waives at age 35 and older; the minimum age is 16.
Pennsylvania cosmetology school at your weekly hours
Cosmetology training in Pennsylvania
42 weeks
| Required hours | 1,250 |
| Months at that pace | 9.6 |
| First-license fees | $119 |
Renewal without continuing education
The biennial renewal is $97, and Pennsylvania has no continuing education requirement for cosmetologists. Ten years of practice means 5 renewals and $485, which is more than the first license. Compare that with Ohio, where renewals carry required courses.
Coming from another state
Reciprocity requires an employment certification showing at least two years of licensed work in the other jurisdiction. Licensees whose training is substantially equivalent can also apply by endorsement under Act 41. The fee is $89. The cosmetology license guide lists the other single-exam and written-only states.
Every cosmetology fee in Pennsylvania, with its source
| Fee | Amount | In the total | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| State application fee (PALS) | $26 | counted | source |
| Theory/Procedural Skills exam (Pearson VUE, single combined computer exam) | $93 per attempt | counted | source |
| Renewal | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle | every 2 years |
| Fee | $97 |
| Continuing education | none |
| Required training | 1,250 school hours. 1,250 hours at a licensed school (min. 8 months day / 15 months night), or 2,000 hours in a board-approved apprenticeship; 10th grade education or equivalent (waived at age 35+). |