Oregon Cosmetology License: Requirements, Cost & How to Apply (2026)

Hair-design school route: 1,110 hair-design hours and 455 practical operations, plus 20 laws-and-rules hours and 20 career-development hours; competency-based schooling is also available.

Hair-design school route: 1,110 hair-design hours and 455 practical operations, plus 20 laws-and-rules hours and 20 career-development hours; competency-based schooling is also available.

Hair Design: 1,110 hours, 455 practical operations Oregon Laws and Rules: 20 hours Career Development: 20 hours Training may also be obtained through a competency-based school

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Applicants must pass written examinations for each field of practice and Oregon Laws and Rules within two years before application; the school route also requires a passing practical examination.

Applicants must pass written examinations for each field of practice and Oregon Laws and Rules within two years before application; the school route also requires a passing practical examination.

The Oregon school will also send HLO the applicants passing score of a board-approved practical examination. Practical examination scores are valid for five years from the date the practical examination was completed and passed. Once HLO has received the documents above, applicants will come to HLO to sit for the written examinations. When applicants come in they will need to fill out and sign a Cosmetology Practitioner Certification Application (found under the Forms section below). Step 3: Take Written Examinations To obtain Oregon certification, all applicants must complete and pass a Board-approved written examination, within two years of the date of the application, for each field of practice in which the applicant seeks to obtain licensure. Written examinations are taken at the Health Licensing Office. In addition, all applicants must pass a Board-approved Oregon Laws and Rules written examination within two years of the date of application. The Oregon Laws and Rules written examination is taken at the Health Licensing Office.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Oregon does not issue an umbrella cosmetology certificate; this record describes hair-design certification.

Oregon does not issue an umbrella cosmetology certificate; this record describes hair-design certification.

Note: Oregon does not offer an umbrella cosmetology certification.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Practitioners generally work in licensed facilities; freelance authorization permits services away from a licensed facility.

Practitioners generally work in licensed facilities; freelance authorization permits services away from a licensed facility.

All practitioners who provide services in Oregon must do so in a licensed facility , which is defined as "...an establishment operated on a regular or irregular basis for the purpose of providing services in one or more fields of practice." The only exception is a practitioner who obtains a freelance authorization , which is a written authorization allowing a practitioner to practice outside of or away from a licensed facility.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Oregon Health Licensing Office, Board of Cosmetology

Oregon Health Licensing Office, Board of Cosmetology

Health Licensing Office and the Board of Cosmetology.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Open the official agency page

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/hlo/pages/board-cosmetology-hair-design-license.aspx

Board of Cosmetology - Hair Design - Certification Information

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Open the official agency page

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/hlo/pages/board-cosmetology-hair-design-license.aspx

Cosmetology Practitioner Certification Application

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Application for certification renewal should be made in advance of the certification inactive date, which is the last day of the month two years from the date of issuance.

Application for certification renewal should be made in advance of the certification inactive date, which is the last day of the month two years from the date of issuance. Applies to: Hair-design practitioner certification

Application for certification renewal should be made in advance of the certification inactive date, which is the last day of the month two years from the date of issuance.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

2 years

2

two years from the date of issuance.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

HLO reviews current, good-standing out-of-state licenses for substantial equivalence. Qualifying applicants may have training requirements waived but must take required written examinations.

HLO reviews current, good-standing out-of-state licenses for substantial equivalence. Qualifying applicants may have training requirements waived but must take required written examinations.

An applicant who holds an active authorization issued in another state or territory of the United States or another country and the active authorization has not been subject to disciplinary action by the authorizing body may have all or part of the requirements described in Pathway One (above) waived by the Health Licensing Office (HLO) and be allowed to take the required written examinations.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026