What is the cost if I am Renewing my License Late?
If your license has expired then you will owe a $10 late fee as well as your renewal fees. Renewal fees if you have missed one renewal cycle:
Apprentice: $30 - $10 renewal fee + $10 processing fee + $10 late Fee
Cosmetologist: $59 - $39 renewal fee + $10 processing fee + $10 late Fee
Estheticians: $30 - $10 renewal fee + $10 processing fee + $10 late Fee
Manicurist: $30 - $10 renewal fee + $10 processing fee + $10 late Fee
All Teachers: $30 - $10 renewal fee + $10 processing fee + $10 late Fee
If you have been expired for more than one renewal cycle you will owe a renewal fee and late payment for each renewal cycle that you have missed plus a processing fee.
If you have more questions about your late renewal please, contact us.

What methods of payment are accepted by the Board?
Visa (online or in office/ processing time within 2 weeks)
MasterCard (online or in office/ processing time within 2 weeks)
Money Order (mailed in or in office/ processing time within 2 weeks)
Certified Checks (mailed in or in office/ processing time within 2 weeks)
Personal Check (mailed in or in office/ processing time 4-6 weeks)

WE DO NOT ACCEPT cash or payments over the phone.

I am unable to renew online, what should I do?
There are a few reasons why a license cannot be renewed online:
If you are a first time licensee then you cannot renew online, payments must be mailed.
If your license has been expired for more than one renewal cycle.
If we do not have your social security number on file. Please contact our office.
If you have not completed your Continuing education hours or the hours have not been posted yet. The CE hours required for your license must be posted in order to renew online. Course Providers are responsible for recording the CE hours in the NC Cosmetic Arts Database within 10 days of the class date. If you have questions about why the hours have not posted, please contact the Course Provider.
Out of State Continuing Education is reviewed & entered by the Continuing Education department here at the Board. If you have questions or concerns then please contact our CE Administrator for more details.
You have already renewed your license. If you have already renewed then you will not be able to renew again until the next renewal cycle. If you are attempting to get another copy of your license then you will need to request a duplicate.

I only owe a $10 late fee, can I pay that online?
No. Unfortunately late fees must be paid either by coming into the office or by mail. At this time our database is not set-up to receive late payments online.

How many continuing education Hours do I need?
Apprentice: 0 continuing education hours
Cosmetologist: 8 continuing education hours per year
Cosmetologists renew every 3 years, and 8 hours of continuing education (CE) is due per year in order to renew the license. Cosmetologist may complete a total of 12 CE hours online but the other 12 must be completed by physically attending classes. At no time can all 24 hours of CE be completed online.
Estheticians: 8 continuing education hours per year
Estheticians renew every year, and 8 hours of continuing education (CE) are due per year in order to renew the license. Estheticians may complete a total of 4 CE hours online but the other 4 must be completed by physically attending classes. At no time can all 8 hours of CE be completed online.
Manicurist: 8 continuing education hours per year
Manicuristsrenew every year, and 8 hours of continuing education (CE) is due per year in order to renew the license. Manicurist may complete a total of 4 CE hours online but the other 4 must be completed by physically attending classes. At no time can all 8 hours of CE be completed online.
All Teachers: 8 continuing education hours per year
Teachers renew every 2 years, and 8 hours of continuing education (CE) is due per year in order to renew the license. Teachers are allowed to do a total of 8 CE hours online but the other 8 must be completed by physically attending classes. At no time can all 16 hours of CE be completed online.

To find a listing of Continuing Education Hours (online & by city) please view our CE Class Listing.
**Please note that internet courses and correspondence courses are both considered online courses. Any course with a city listed as its location is a course that you will physically attend.**
In order to receive credit for your hours please give the course provider your correct license number.
First time licenses may have some of the continuing education waived the first renewal cycle.
No credit will be given for duplicated continuing education classes completed within the same renewal cycle.
Excess hours cannot be carried over to the next renewal cycle.

I have an Esthetician and Manicurist license, what are my continuing education requirements?

I have a license and teacher license, what are my continuing education requirements?
Cosmetology & Teacher: 8 continuing education (CE) hours per year - a total of 24 CE hours to renew both licenses. For your teacher’s license you will need at least 16 CE hours to renew, 8 of which may be done online/correspondence the other 8 must be done in a classroom type setting. These hours will be credited towards your cosmetologist license. You will then need an additional 8 CE hours (4 online/correspondence and 4 in class) to renew your cosmetologist license.

Estheticians & Teacher: 8 continuing education (CE) hours per year - a total of 16 CE hours to renew both licenses. For your teacher’s license you will need at least 16 CE hours to renew, 8 of which may be done online/correspondence the other 8 must be done in a classroom type setting. Only 8 of these hours will be credited towards your esthetician’s license.
NOTE: Teacher specific classes cannot be credit towards your esthetics license.

Manicurist & Manicurist Teacher: 8 continuing education (CE) hours per year - a total of 16 CE hours to renew both licenses. For your teacher’s license you will need at least 16 CE hours to renew, 8 of which may be done online/correspondence the other 8 must be done in a classroom type setting. Only 8 of these hours will be credited towards your manicurist’s license.
NOTE: Teacher specific classes cannot be credit towards your manicurist license.

Can I complete Continuing Education classes in another state?
Yes. To earn credit for courses taken outside North Carolina the Out Of State Credit Form must be used and submitted within 30 day of the course date.

Can I check to see how many CE hours I have online? Yes, if you have your license number and the last four digits of your social security number then you can check the status of your hours anytime. ***Please note that if you are missing hours then you must contact the CE Provider. If Out of State CE has not been posted please contact the Board’s CE Administrator.

This is my First time renewing, what are my requirements? If this is your first time renewing your North Carolina license please remember you will not be able to renew online at this time. All first time licensees must mail in their payment to the board for processing. As a reminder all licenses are subject to renewal prior to the expiration date written on the license.

Continuing Education (CE) Due & Renewal Amount:
Cosmetologist: Owe $49 which must be postmarked dated between 7/1/2010 – 10/1/2010 to avoid a late fee. If your payment is postmarked after 10/1/2010 an additional $10 late fee is due.
Licensed between October 1, 2007- September 30, 2008 16 CE hours
Licensed between October 1, 2008- September 30, 2009 8 CE hours
Licensed between October 1, 2009- September 30, 2010 0 CE hours
Estheticians:
Licensed after October 1, 2009 0 CE
Licensed before September 30, 2009 8CE
Owe $20 which must be postmarked dated between 7/1/2010 – 10/1/2010 to avoid a late fee. If your payment is postmarked after 10/1/2010 an additional $10 late fee is due.
Manicurist:
Licensed after October 1, 2010 0 CE
Licensed before September 30, 2010 8CE
Owe $20 which must be postmarked dated between 7/1/2010 – 10/1/2010 to avoid a late fee. If your payment is postmarked after 10/1/2010 an additional $10 late fee is due.
All Teachers:
Owe $20 which must be postmarked dated between 7/1/2010 – 10/1/2010 to avoid a late fee. If your payment is postmarked after 10/1/2010 an additional $10 late fee is due.
Licensed between October 1, 2008- September 30, 2009 owe 8 CE hours
Licensed between October 1, 2009- September 30, 2010 owe 0 CE hours

How do I request Duplicate copy of my License?
Before you request a duplicate please make sure that your license is current.
Online Request Fee $11: ($1 fee + $10 processing)
Only one duplicate license may be requested online per year.
To request online you will need your license number and the last 4 digits of your social security number. We accept Visa or MasterCard for online payments. We do not accept payments over the phone.

What is the difference between Re-activation & Renewal?
Re-activation is the process of changing your license status from Inactive to Active. If you placed your license on Inactive status in the past then please login for the re-activation process. Remember this is for individuals who placed their license on inactive status, not individuals who let their license expire.

What is Inactive Status?
Inactive status is for those individuals who are not currently working in the cosmetology industry or who are no longer living in North Carolina and wish to renew their license without completing continuing education. It is your responsibility to pay your renewal fee when it is due. **Inactive Status must be requested by the individual either by mailing in the Inactive Request form or by submitting the request online. Inactive status cannot be verbally requested. **

How do I place my license on Inactive Status? You must have a current license in order to place you license on inactive status. If your license has expired inactive status cannot be granted. There is no fee for placing your license on inactive status. Once you are inactive the only requirement you will have is to pay your renewal fee when it is due. There are two ways to request inactive status By mail with the Inactive Request form or you may request inactive status online.

How do I Re-activate an Inactive License?
Continuing Education: 8 hours of continuing education (CE) is due per year in order to renew the license. If you have been inactive for 3 years or longer the maximum CE required is 24 hours (can complete 12 online & 12 classroom or all 24 in a classroom)
Fees: You must pay a $10 Re-activation fee. This can be mailed in along with a Re-activation Form or you may pay online. Any overdue fees must also be paid.

What is Exempt Status & how do I qualify for Exempt Status?

How do I change my name?
Name Change due to Marriage/Divorce:
You will need to fill out a Name Change Request form and mail or fax it to us with a copy of an appropriate document. (A Marriage Certificate is NOT an approved document) There is NO CHARGE for a name change. The name will be updated in the Board’s database but you will not receive a new license with the new name. If you desire a new license that reflects your name change then you will have to request a duplicate license./p>

Name Change by Court Order: You will need to fill out a Name Change Request form and send it in with a copy of the Court Order. There is NO CHARGE for a name change. Name will be updated in the Board’s database but you will not receive a new license with the new name. If you desire a new license that reflects your name change then you will have to request a duplicate license./p>

How can I change my mailing/email address? To change your address you can either print off the Address Change form and mail it to our office, or you can login to your records and click on View Info/Change Address.