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State of Illinois Licensing Requirements
Section 1175.400  Licensure by Examination – Cosmetology

a)         Eligibility.  Each applicant must meet the following requirements (see Section 3-2 or 3-3 of the Act) prior to filing an application for the cosmetologist examination:  


1)         Be at least 16 years of age;  


2)         Be a high school graduate or its equivalent or be beyond the age of compulsory school attendance;  

3)         Either:  

A)        Pursuant to Section 3-2 of the Act, graduate from a cosmetology school approved by the Division that meets the requirements set forth in Subpart E; or  

B)        Pursuant to Section 3-3 of the Act, graduate from a barber school approved by the Division that meets the requirements set forth in Subpart C.  


b)         Application.  Each applicant shall file an application for examination, on forms provided by the Division.  The application shall include:  

1)         An official transcript showing successful completion of the required training outlined in Section 3-2(c) or 3-3(c) of the Act and a passing grade on the final examination administered by the school as set forth in Section 1175.540;  


2)         The required fee set forth in Section 1175.100;  


3)         Official transcripts showing successful completion of remedial training when required by Section 3-6 of the Act or Section 1175.410 of this Part;  

4)         Proof of any name change (i.e., marriage license, divorce decree, affidavit or court order) if the applicant's name is other than that shown on any documents submitted;  

5)         If licensed as a cosmetologist in another state, a certification of licensure from the state of original licensure and from the state of current licensure or most recent practice; and  

6)         The examination fee required by the Department's testing service.   

c)         Examination.  Each applicant shall take and pass the cosmetology examination as required in Section 1175.410.  

d)         An applicant's training received from a cosmetology school or similar institution located in another state, other jurisdiction of the United States, or foreign jurisdiction must substantially comply with the requirements set forth in Subpart E.  An applicant seeking credit for training or licensure in a foreign country must provide educational training credentials and transcripts and/or evidence of licensure to determine if the applicant's program substantially complies with the requirements set forth in Subparts D and E.  The Board may, as a means of assisting it in the review of foreign country training or licensure, require an applicant to submit his/her educational training credentials and transcripts and/or evidence of licensure to an approved education credentialing evaluation service or similar service approved by the Board for evaluation at the cost to the applicant.  The Board may also require additional coursework or a 250-hour cosmetology refresher course from a school licensed by the Division as set forth in Section 1175.531.  The Board may also require an applicant to appear for an interview before the Board or to provide additional information to assist the Board in its evaluation of the applicant's training.  

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 15159, effective August 10, 2018)