Louisiana Cosmetology Board 2026: Renewal & Lookup

Louisiana license help • verified August 2, 2026 • independent guide

Renew, Verify or Prepare for the Louisiana Board

Use this practical guide to renew a Louisiana cosmetology license online, verify a professional or salon, understand birthday deadlines, fix renewal-payment problems and prepare for national, state and practical examinations.

The Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology controls official licenses, exams, rules and enforcement. This independent page explains the process first; use official LSBC and Louisiana government pages for payments, records and final decisions.

Inspector-payment scam warning: the Louisiana Board states that it will never request payment by telephone. Do not provide card details to a caller claiming that an inspector needs immediate payment to prevent suspension or closure.

Fast Answer: Louisiana License Renewal and Lookup

Individual cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists and teachers renew every year on or before their birthday. If not renewed, the certificate expires 30 days after the birthday. The current statutory annual fee is $35 for a cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, teacher/instructor or manager.

Online renewal is not free. PayStar is the Board-linked payment processor, and a service charge may appear at checkout. The public license lookup is free; users should not pay an unofficial directory merely to check whether a license or salon record is current.

Louisiana License Action Helper

Select your situation. This helper provides a planning route; it does not search Board records, renew a license or collect personal information.

Select a task to see the safest official starting route.

How to Renew a Louisiana Cosmetology License Online

The Board’s online renewal route sends users to PayStar for payment. Treat the transaction as a license payment—not as proof that every name, address, discipline or status problem has been corrected.

Check the license before paying

Confirm the professional name, license number, credential type, expiration information and whether the record is already expired.

Use the Board-linked renewal page

Start from LSBC or the authorized PayStar payment link. Do not use a private website that promises to renew the state license.

Enter identifying information carefully

Match the name and license information to the Board record. A nickname, changed surname, transposed license number or wrong credential can prevent correct payment matching.

Review the total before submitting

The annual personal-license fee is $35. An online processor charge or restoration amount may increase the final payment.

Save the receipt and reference number

Keep a screenshot, emailed receipt, payment reference and the date submitted. These records help LSBC locate a payment that does not post correctly.

Verify the renewed record

Return to the official lookup and confirm that the credential shows the expected status and renewal information before relying on the transaction.

Name and address changes: do not assume the renewal-payment page changes the underlying Board record. Send LSBC the required identity or address verification separately when your legal name or mailing details have changed.
“Login” clarification: many users search for an LSBC renewal login, but the Board’s online route is primarily a PayStar payment workflow. Start from the official Board renewal button so you do not enter license information into an unrelated PayStar biller.

Is Louisiana Cosmetology License Renewal Online Free?

Personal renewal

License fee

$35

Applies to an annual cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, teacher/instructor or manager certificate.

Online checkout

Processor charge may apply

PayStar may display a convenience or service charge. Review the full amount before authorizing payment.

License verification

Public lookup is free

Checking a Louisiana cosmetology or salon record should not require paying a private license-directory fee.

Do not confuse “free online access” with free renewal. Accessing the payment page or license-search tool can be free, but the state license renewal itself still has a statutory fee.

Louisiana Renewal Deadlines Depend on the License Type

Louisiana does not use one January deadline for every cosmetology credential. Personal professionals and businesses follow different timing rules.

Credential Renewal deadline When it expires if not renewed Practical reminder
Cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist or teacher On or before the individual’s birthday each year Thirty days after the birthday Do not wait for a January business-license deadline.
Beauty shop or salon owner On or before January 31 March 1 when not timely renewed Track the salon separately from every worker’s license.
Mobile salon On or before January 31 March 1 when not timely renewed Confirm vehicle and operating requirements remain satisfied.
Booth renter On or before January 31 March 1 when not timely renewed The booth permit does not replace the personal practitioner license.
Manager On or before January 31 March 1 when not timely renewed Confirm both manager and personal credentials where applicable.
Cosmetology school On or before January 31 March 1 when not timely renewed School renewal and individual instructor renewals are separate.
Calendar rule: professionals should set a birthday-based annual reminder. Salon owners, booth renters, managers, mobile salons and schools should set a January 31 reminder.

Current Louisiana Cosmetology Fees

These amounts come from Louisiana Revised Statutes 37:599. Verify the final online total because processing charges and restoration calculations can vary.

Action Statutory amount What the user should understand
Theory examination $25 Separate from practical examination and license renewal.
Practical examination $25 Use the current practical instructions for the exact discipline.
Retake of an examination $25 Confirm which examination must be retaken before paying.
Cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, teacher or manager $35 annually Individuals use their birthday-based renewal timing.
Beauty shop, salon, mobile salon or home care $55 annually Business credential is separate from personal licenses.
Initial salon, mobile-salon or booth inspection $50 This is not the annual salon-renewal fee.
Booth rental, special or temporary permit $50 Confirm which permit type applies before paying.
Initial school registration $340 Other inspection and school-opening costs can apply.
School renewal $190 Late school renewal has a separate statutory charge.
Duplicate license $25 Use for replacement—not for renewal.
Official certification of records $15 Often relevant when transferring to another state.

Louisiana Cosmetology License Lookup: Free Verification Steps

Use the official LSBC license-search route before hiring, booking a service, renting a booth, opening a salon, filing a complaint or accepting a wall certificate as current proof.

Open the official Board website

Use the LSBC site and select the available license-lookup or verification option. Avoid paid directory pages.

Choose the correct record type

Personal cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, instructor, salon, school, booth renter and permit records are not interchangeable.

Search with minimal information

Start with the full license number when available. For a name search, try the legal surname and only enough additional information to narrow the result.

Match the record carefully

Confirm the legal name, credential category, license number, status and expiration or renewal information.

Check the salon separately

A current practitioner license does not prove that the location, booth or salon is properly registered.

Save dated proof

Keep a screenshot or printout when employment, booth rental, insurance, client safety or a complaint depends on the result.

Lookup should be free: an official public license search is a verification service. Do not pay a third-party form site merely to find a Louisiana cosmetology license.

What to Check in a Louisiana License Result

Result field Why it matters Common mistake
Legal name Confirms you found the correct professional. Searching only a nickname or former surname.
License type Defines the professional’s regulated service category. Assuming every beauty credential authorizes every service.
Status Shows whether the record appears active, expired or otherwise restricted. Treating a payment receipt as the updated public status.
Renewal or expiration information A license can be valid today but near its deadline. Relying on an undated screenshot.
Salon or business record The work location needs its own qualifying registration. Checking only the individual professional.
Discipline or restrictions A public action may affect permitted practice. Assuming a license number alone proves unrestricted status.

Expired Louisiana License: Under Three Years vs. Over Three Years

Louisiana law separates ordinary restoration within three years from returning after more than three years away from active practice.

Expired within three years

Restoration-fee route

The restoration amount is twice the applicable annual fee for each year expired, subject to the statutory maximum of $300.

  • Confirm the exact number of expired renewal years.
  • Ask LSBC to calculate the correct restoration amount.
  • Pay through the route LSBC directs.
  • Resolve any record, name or disciplinary issue separately.
  • Verify active status before returning to work.
More than three years away

Short-form examination may apply

A person returning after more than three years may need to provide satisfactory proof of qualification and complete a short-form examination conducted by the examination team.

  • Do not submit only a normal $35 renewal.
  • Ask which restoration examination applies.
  • Confirm whether a Board-approved brush-up course is recommended.
  • Do not practice until LSBC restores the credential.
Expired means stop and verify: a submitted payment does not automatically authorize practice. Confirm the updated official record before offering compensated services.

Louisiana Continuing Education: Practitioner vs. Instructor Rules

Cosmetologist, esthetician or manicurist

No ordinary statutory CE listed for annual renewal

The practitioner renewal and fee statutes do not impose an ordinary continuing-education hour requirement on these annual personal renewals.

Registered teacher

16 hours every two years

A registered teacher must attend a Board-approved continuing-education seminar of at least 16 hours every two years in the discipline the person is certified to teach.

Common online error: Louisiana instructor CE is often described as 16 hours every year. The statute says every two years. Always confirm the current Board-approved seminar before enrolling or paying.

Louisiana Cosmetology Training Requirements

Match the school program to the exact Louisiana license category before enrolling. Cosmetology, esthetics, manicuring and instructor training have different requirements.

License path Minimum training Important detail
Cosmetology 1,500 hours Course must extend over at least nine consecutive months.
Esthetics 750 hours Includes practical application, lecture and library study or research.
Manicuring 500 hours Includes practical application, lecture and library study or research.
Teacher training 500 hours Also requires the applicable professional certificate, qualifying practice experience and passing the teacher examination.
Reciprocity gap course 250 hours May apply when another jurisdiction’s training does not meet Louisiana requirements.
  • Verify that the school is registered or approved by LSBC.
  • Confirm the exact program name and license outcome.
  • Read tuition, kit, attendance, refund and transcript policies.
  • Keep hour reports, transfer records and completion documents.
  • Ask how the school sends exam eligibility to the Board.

Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology Practical Exam Help

The official testing page separates cosmetology national, state and practical examinations. Manicurist and esthetician candidates also have discipline-specific national, state and practical examination information.

Knowledge examination

National exam

Use the current Board study information for the candidate’s exact discipline and language option.

Louisiana content

State examination

Review Louisiana laws, sanitation, licensing rules and Board-specific requirements listed by LSBC.

Hands-on testing

Practical examination

Follow the current practical packet for setup, model or mannequin rules, supplies, labels, sanitation and timed procedures.

Before buying or packing an exam kit

  • Confirm the exam is cosmetology, esthetics or manicuring.
  • Use the current LSBC practical instructions—not an old school blog or marketplace list.
  • Check accepted identification and legal-name matching rules.
  • Confirm whether a model, mannequin or other examination setup is required.
  • Verify labels, containers, disinfectants and disposal supplies.
  • Review blood-exposure and infection-control procedures.
  • Check arrival, late-admission, prohibited-item and rescheduling rules.
  • Bring only supplies authorized by the current examination packet.
No generic packing-list promise: practical-exam requirements can differ by discipline and packet revision. Use this section as a verification checklist, not as a replacement for the current official LSBC instructions.
Exam payment Current statutory amount What to confirm first
Theory examination $25 Correct discipline and eligibility.
Practical examination $25 Correct practical packet and scheduled date.
Retake $25 Which examination component must be retaken.

Louisiana Cosmetology Rules and Regulations: Which Source Controls?

Do not rely on one old “Gold Book” download without checking the current statutes and Louisiana Administrative Code. A compiled booklet can lag behind later legislative changes.

State statutes

Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 37

Use Sections 37:561 onward for the Cosmetology Act, Board authority, licensing, renewal, schools, exams and statutory fees.

Administrative rules

LAC Title 46, Part XXXI

Use the Louisiana Administrative Code for detailed professional, operational, sanitation, school and procedural rules.

Board compilation

LSBC Gold Book

Useful for practical reading, but compare its revision date with current statutes and Louisiana Register changes.

User question Best starting source Why
What is my renewal fee? R.S. 37:599 Contains the statutory fee schedule.
When does my license renew? R.S. 37:590 Separates personal birthday renewal from January business renewal.
How many school hours are required? R.S. 37:595 Lists cosmetology, esthetics and manicuring program hours.
What sanitation rule applies? LAC Title 46, Part XXXI Administrative rules contain detailed operating standards.
Has a rule changed recently? Louisiana Register plus current code Recently promulgated rules can precede the next compiled code update.

Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology Members

Louisiana law now provides for an eight-member Board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The membership must include geographic representation and professional representation including cosmetology, esthetics and manicuring.

Roster discrepancy: Louisiana’s official Boards and Commissions roster and the Legislature’s Board-members page are not fully synchronized. The DOA page currently displays seven seated names, while the legislative roster also shows an additional district member and a vacant seat. Use the live state pages before publishing, contacting or relying on a copied member list.
Current DOA roster

State Boards and Commissions

Use this page for the current roster, term information, compensation and appointment method maintained by the Division of Administration.

View DOA Member Roster
Seat and appointment detail

Louisiana Legislature roster

Use this page to compare district, at-large, professional and vacancy information under R.S. 37:571–572.

View Legislative Roster
Why names change: Board members are appointed by the governor, serve at the governor’s pleasure and can change after appointments, confirmations, resignations or vacancies. Do not hard-code an old list into an application or complaint.

Louisiana Salon, Booth Rental and Business License Help

A personal practitioner license does not license the salon, mobile unit, booth or school where services are provided.

New salon

Apply and prepare for inspection

Confirm ownership, location, layout, equipment, sanitation, manager requirements and the initial inspection route before opening.

Booth renter

Separate permit

A booth rental permit is separate from the renter’s practitioner license and the salon’s establishment registration.

Annual renewal

January calendar

Salon, mobile salon, booth renter and manager records renew by January 31 and can expire March 1 when not timely renewed.

Business action Fee Before paying
Salon or mobile-salon annual renewal $55 Confirm the business name, location, owner and registration number.
Initial salon/mobile/booth inspection $50 Confirm the facility is ready and the correct application is already on file.
Booth rental permit $50 Confirm the contract, salon registration and practitioner credential.
School renewal $190 Confirm school reporting, staff and other compliance obligations.
  • Do not open solely because an application or inspection fee was paid.
  • Do not assume a salon registration transfers automatically to a new owner or address.
  • Do not let a booth renter rely only on the salon’s license.
  • Do not mix barber-board requirements with Louisiana cosmetology-board rules.

SalonCentric Is Not the Louisiana State Board

SalonCentric appears in related searches because it supplies professional beauty products and may ask customers for proof of professional status. It is a commercial wholesale beauty supplier—not LSBC.

SalonCentric can help with

  • Professional beauty products and tools.
  • Product education and business resources.
  • Store or online professional-purchase access.

SalonCentric cannot do

  • Renew a Louisiana state license.
  • Change the official LSBC record.
  • Verify legal license status for the public.
  • Schedule or grade the Louisiana practical exam.
  • Decide whether a service is within legal scope.
Use the right account: a SalonCentric shopping login and an LSBC renewal payment are unrelated. Use the Board or PayStar for licensing and SalonCentric only for its commercial services.

Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology Phone Number and Address

Local phone

LSBC licensing office

225-756-3404

Use for renewal calculations, exam eligibility, expired status, permits, salons, rules and application questions.

Toll-free phone

Louisiana callers

866-257-7901

Have your license number, legal name, birth date, payment reference and exact question ready.

Fax

Document transmission

225-756-3410

Keep the successful fax-transmission record and identify every page with your name and license number.

Contact item Current official information
Board email lsbc@la.gov
Mailing and office address 11622 Sunbelt Court, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Local phone 225-756-3404
Toll-free phone 866-257-7901
Fax 225-756-3410

Phone or email script

“My legal name is [name]. My Louisiana license number is [number], my license category is [category], and my birthday or business renewal date is [date]. I submitted payment or an application on [date], and my confirmation number is [number]. Please tell me whether my record is renewed, what requirement is missing, and whether I may currently practice.”
Payment safety: LSBC says inspectors will never request telephone payment. End the call and contact the Board through its published number when a caller pressures you to pay immediately.

Official Louisiana Action Links

Use this article to understand the task. Use these official or Board-authorized pages for current payment, lookup, laws, examinations and member information.

Renew online

Pay an eligible LSBC renewal through the Board-authorized PayStar payment page.

Open PayStar Renewal

Official LSBC website

Access license lookup, applications, renewal information, testing, notices and Board resources.

Open LSBC

Testing information

Choose the exact cosmetology, esthetics, manicuring, alternative-hair or instructor exam information.

Open Testing Page

Board general information

Confirm official contact, legal authority, agency purpose and administration information.

Open State Board Record

Current fees

Read the Louisiana statute for exam, renewal, salon, permit, school and restoration amounts.

Read R.S. 37:599

Rules and regulations

Use Louisiana’s official code and Boards and Commissions pages instead of an undated third-party summary.

Open Louisiana Code

Related guides on this website

New students and licensees can use the U.S. cosmetology license guide for a broader explanation of training, exams and renewal. Readers comparing state-agency names can use the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology guide. Louisiana-specific law and LSBC instructions control Louisiana actions.

Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology FAQs

How do I renew my Louisiana cosmetology license online?

Use the Board-linked PayStar renewal page. Confirm the license number and category, review the $35 personal renewal fee and any processor charge, save the receipt and verify the updated license record afterward.

Is Louisiana cosmetology license renewal online free?

No. The current annual fee is $35 for a cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, teacher/instructor or manager. A PayStar service or convenience charge may also appear during online checkout.

Is Louisiana cosmetology license lookup free?

Yes. Use the official LSBC license-lookup route without paying a private directory. Check the professional and salon records separately when both matter.

When is a Louisiana cosmetology license renewal due?

An individual cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist or teacher must renew on or before the person’s birthday each year. The certificate expires 30 days after the birthday when not renewed.

How much is a Louisiana cosmetology license renewal?

The statutory annual fee is $35 for a cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist, teacher/instructor or manager. Online processing and restoration charges can increase the total.

What happens when my Louisiana cosmetology license has expired?

If expired within three years, the restoration fee is twice the applicable annual fee for each expired year, capped at $300. After more than three years away, satisfactory proof and a short-form examination may be required.

Does Louisiana require continuing education for cosmetologists?

The ordinary practitioner renewal statutes do not list CE hours for cosmetologists, estheticians or manicurists. Registered teachers must complete at least 16 hours of Board-approved continuing education every two years.

What examinations are required for Louisiana cosmetology?

The LSBC testing page lists separate cosmetology national, state and practical examination information. Use the current instructions for your discipline and confirm eligibility before paying or scheduling.

Who are the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology members?

Louisiana law provides for an eight-member governor-appointed Board. Because official DOA and Legislature roster pages are not fully synchronized, check both live government pages for the current names, seats and vacancies.

What is the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology phone number?

Call 225-756-3404 locally or 866-257-7901 toll-free. The Board address is 11622 Sunbelt Court, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, and the published email is lsbc@la.gov.

Final Louisiana License Checklist

  • Confirm the legal name, license number, category and current status.
  • Use the birthday-based deadline for an individual professional license.
  • Use January 31 for salon, booth, manager, mobile-salon and school renewal.
  • Expect a $35 annual personal renewal fee; online renewal is not free.
  • Start from LSBC before entering information into PayStar.
  • Send legal-name or address proof separately when a record needs correction.
  • Save the receipt and verify the renewed public record.
  • Use the current practical-exam packet for the exact discipline.
  • Check both statutes and LAC Title 46, Part XXXI for current rules.
  • Never pay a caller claiming to be an LSBC inspector.

Independent-site notice: board-of-cosmetology.org is not the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology or a government agency. Official LSBC records, Louisiana law, payment totals and Board decisions control.