An Arkansas cosmetology license renewal is due every two years on your birthday, and you have 30 days after that date to file the application and pay the $50 fee before your license is considered expired.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement2Arkansas Department of Health. Cosmetology Fee Schedule Renew online through the Department of Health’s cosmetology portal, by mail, or in person at the office during business hours.3Arkansas Department of Health. Cosmetology FAQs Arkansas does not require continuing education for renewal.
When Your License Expires and What It Costs
The two-year birthday cycle applies to cosmetologists, instructors, electrologists, aestheticians, and manicurists alike.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement File the renewal application and pay the fee within 30 days of your birthday in your renewal year.
Current Department of Health fees:
- Practitioner renewal: $50 every two years
- Establishment renewal: $50 annually
- School renewal: $250 annually
Salon owners handling both a personal license and an establishment license can choose to align the establishment renewal with their individual birthday cycle, renew every two years on December 31, or renew annually on December 31.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement
If You Miss the 30-Day Window
Once the 30 days pass, your license is expired and you cannot legally work. An inspector who finds you practicing on an expired license can issue a violation on the spot.3Arkansas Department of Health. Cosmetology FAQs
For the first five years after expiration, you can still reinstate without retesting. You pay the standard renewal fee plus a reinstatement fee equal to 50% of that renewal fee.2Arkansas Department of Health. Cosmetology Fee Schedule For a practitioner, that works out to $50 plus $25.
After five years, the process changes. You must apply for a lapsed license, pay the examination fee, and pass the cosmetology exam again before you can practice.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement If your license is anywhere near that five-year mark, renewing now is far cheaper and simpler than retesting later.
Fee Waiver for a Medical Hardship
If your license lapsed while you were under a physician’s direct supervision for an extended or long-term condition, you can request a waiver of the reinstatement fee from the Department of Health.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement The statute doesn’t spell out which conditions qualify, so plan to submit documentation from your physician. The waiver covers the reinstatement fee only; the standard renewal application and fee still apply.
Veterans and Military Spouses
Arkansas gives war veterans a route around the five-year exam requirement. If you held a cosmetology, manicurist, aesthetician, instructor, or electrologist license and let it lapse, the Department of Health will renew it on application and payment of the required fees, with no exam and no additional schooling, no matter how long ago it expired.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement The provision requires that you previously held the license; it does not require you to have held it immediately before entering service.
Military spouses moving to Arkansas with an active, undisciplined out-of-state cosmetology license in good standing may qualify for automatic licensure under the Arkansas Occupational Licensing of Uniformed Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses Act of 2021.4Arkansas Department of Health. Military Member Licensure Contact the Department of Health’s cosmetology section to confirm what your license qualifies for.
Lifetime License for Long-Time Practitioners
If you are at least 55 years old and have actively practiced or taught cosmetology for 20 or more years, you can apply for a lifetime license that ends the biennial renewal cycle for good.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement Both conditions must be met. A 60-year-old with 15 years in the trade does not qualify, and neither does a 50-year-old with 25 years.
The lifetime license fee is set by Department of Health rules rather than the statute, so check with the cosmetology section for the current amount. A lifetime license doesn’t exempt you from the cosmetology statutes and rules; you can still face suspension or revocation for violations.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-319 – Expiration, Renewal, and Reinstatement
Penalties for Working on an Expired License
Practicing cosmetology in Arkansas without a valid license is a criminal offense. A first violation is an unclassified misdemeanor carrying a fine between $25 and $500, up to 90 days in county jail, or both. A second or subsequent charge is a Class C misdemeanor. The Cosmetology Technical Advisory Committee can also impose civil fines, suspend your license, or revoke it.5Justia. Arkansas Code 17-26-104 – Unlawful Practices
Inspectors do visit salons. If your license has lapsed, stop working until it’s renewed. The $50 renewal fee and $25 reinstatement fee are small compared to a $500 fine and a criminal record.