Indiana Cosmetology Board: License, Exam, Renewal & Salon Help
The official regulator is the Indiana State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, with licensing services administered through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). Use this guide to choose the correct route for license lookup, a first license, PSI testing, renewal, reinstatement, reciprocity, provisional licensing or a salon license.
Indiana Cosmetology Board: Fast Answer for 2026
For most cosmetology tasks, start with the PLA rather than a private directory. A new Indiana cosmetologist generally uses either approved beauty-culture education or a qualifying U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship, submits the state licensing application, completes the current written PSI examination route, and verifies the issued license in Indiana’s public database before practicing.
Indiana License Path Helper
Choose the task that best matches your situation. This helper only points you to the right section; it does not access a state database or submit anything.
Indiana Board, PLA, MyLicense One and PSI: Who Does What?
| Organization or system | Main role | Use it for | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners | Regulatory board for Indiana beauty-culture licensing and rules. | Eligibility, scope, discipline, reciprocity, facility requirements and Board decisions. | The Board website itself is the exam-booking system. |
| Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) | Administers licensing services and public records for the Board. | Applications, renewals, verification, records and customer service. | A general email inbox is the place to send application documents. |
| MyLicense One | Online account and transaction system. | Apply, link a license, upload documents, renew, reinstate and track a pending application. | A payment receipt means the license is already active. |
| PSI | Testing provider identified by current PLA instructions. | Current exam information and scheduling after the Indiana eligibility step. | Old third-party exam pages always have current question counts, fees or formats. |
Indiana Cosmetology License Lookup: Free Real-Time Verification
Indiana PLA’s Free Search & Verify is the best first check for a cosmetologist, barber, esthetician, manicurist, electrologist, instructor or licensed facility. The state describes the service as an original-source database updated in real time.
Open the official search
Use the Indiana PLA license search instead of relying on an old screenshot or commercial directory.
Use the strongest identifier
Search by complete license number when you have it. For an individual, you can search by full first and last name.
Use facility name for a salon
The search supports facility or business names, so a salon can be checked separately from the person working there.
Open the matching record
Compare legal name, profession or facility type, license number, status and expiration information.
Run a second search when necessary
An active personal license does not prove the salon itself is licensed, and an active salon license does not prove every worker has a current personal credential.
Free Lookup vs. Paid Printable Record vs. Digital Certification
| Service | Current cost | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Free Search & Verify | Free | Check live license status, number and expiration. |
| Search, Verify & Print | $1.43 by credit card or $1.00 with subscriber account | Printable record with additional information. |
| Digital Certification | $10.60 by credit card | Official digitally certified proof for another state or other formal use. |
Indiana says it does not mail or email digital certifications for the licensee. The purchaser downloads the certified PDF and sends it to the receiving authority. Altering the certified file can invalidate it.
How to Get an Indiana Cosmetology License
For the ordinary examination route, the current PLA instructions require the application fee, any positive-response or name-change documents, education or apprenticeship proof, and the PSI examination pass notice.
10th grade or equivalent
Current PLA preliminary education guidance lists completion of 10th grade or equivalent for cosmetologist applicants.
1,500 school hours
The Indiana beauty-culture school route requires at least 1,500 hours for cosmetology. The school certifies education using State Form 56857.
DOL registered apprenticeship
Current PLA instructions also recognize a completed U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship. The applicant provides the apprentice number and certificate of completion.
Application-to-license workflow
Complete an approved qualifying route
Finish the required beauty-culture school education or the qualifying registered-apprenticeship route.
Prepare identity and disclosure documents
If your name differs across documents, upload legal name-change proof. If you answer “Yes” to a positive-response question, provide the explanation and supporting court documents requested by PLA.
Submit the $40 application
Apply through the current Indiana online licensing route and pay the nonrefundable individual beauty-culture application fee.
Upload education or apprenticeship proof
School graduates use the school-completed education certification. Registered apprentices provide the apprentice number and completion certificate.
Complete the written PSI examination route
Follow the eligibility and current PSI information issued for your application rather than an old private testing page.
Upload the examination pass notice when required
Return to the submitted application in MyLicense One and use the additional-document action if the pass notice still needs to be added.
Track the application checklist
Use MyLicense One to see whether items are pending, received or complete. Avoid starting a duplicate application because one item is still under review.
Verify the issued license
Before practicing, search your own name or license number in the public database and confirm the state record is active.
Indiana Cosmetology Exam: Current PSI Guidance
Written examination through PSI
Indiana’s current examination-applicant instructions tell applicants to pass the written examination through PSI and provide the examination pass notice as part of the licensing file.
Do not hard-code old exam numbers
Question count, timing, exam fee, passing score and test format can change. Use the current PSI program information provided after the Indiana eligibility step.
Reciprocity language can create confusion because Indiana compares another jurisdiction’s written and practical examination standards when evaluating substantial equivalency. That does not mean a new Indiana examination applicant should automatically book a separate Indiana practical licensing exam when the current PLA examination instructions specify the written PSI exam.
Indiana Cosmetology License Renewal
For individual beauty-culture credentials, the current fee schedule lists a $40 renewal fee. Use the exact expiration date in your own state record instead of copying a universal date from an old article.
$40
Current ordinary individual beauty-culture renewal fee.
About 90 days
PLA sends renewal information before expiration when current contact information is on file.
MyLicense One
Link the existing license before expecting the Renew License action to appear.
Renewal checklist
- Verify your license number, status and expiration in Free Search & Verify.
- Sign in to your personal MyLicense One account.
- Confirm the existing cosmetology credential is linked.
- Open the license actions and select Renew License when available.
- Review contact information and required responses.
- Confirm the live fee before payment.
- Save the transaction confirmation.
- After processing, verify the updated public record.
For a renewal-only walkthrough, see the site’s Indiana cosmetology license renewal guide.
Expired Indiana Cosmetology License: Renewal vs. Reinstatement
| Situation | Current route | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Renew action still available | Use the existing-license renewal action shown in MyLicense One. | Current record, renewal responses and live transaction fee. |
| Expired more than 3 years | Professional-license reinstatement. | $80 current individual reinstatement fee plus any Board-directed remediation. |
| Expired 5 years or more | Reinstatement plus written-exam remediation. | Eligibility letter, PSI scheduling, pass result and completion within one year of the reinstatement application. |
| Old license cannot be verified and you cannot produce it | Complete the appropriate course at an approved Indiana beauty-culture school and apply by examination. | Training and new examination-route documentation. |
| Expired beauty-culture facility | Facility reinstatement. | $80 current facility reinstatement fee and inspection after online reinstatement submission. |
Indiana Cosmetology Reciprocity and Provisional Licensing
Use reciprocity when you hold a valid beauty-culture license from another jurisdiction and Indiana can evaluate that jurisdiction’s licensing requirements. Indiana says certification must come directly from the issuing state or country; a copy of your wallet card or wall license is not enough.
Licensed in another jurisdiction
The outside jurisdiction must license the acts and have requirements Indiana considers substantially equal. Certification may be sent directly to the Board through an accepted official method.
Jurisdiction does not issue that license
Indiana may use a provisional route when the source jurisdiction does not issue the relevant beauty-culture credential but the applicant has sufficient training or experience. The provisional licensee works under an appropriate Indiana supervisor.
For cosmetology equivalency, current PLA guidance states that when an applicant has at least 1,000 education hours, one year of licensed practice may be credited as 100 education hours in the Board’s evaluation.
State Form 57016: provisional verification
The form covers both initial provisional licensing and upgrading a provisional license. It asks for the applicant’s experience, Indiana supervising licensee information and, for an upgrade, the supervisor’s verification of services and supervised Indiana work.
Indiana Cosmetology Salon License: Apply Only When the Facility Is Ready
Indiana’s current facility instructions make timing important: do not submit the salon application until the facility is ready to open. A complete application triggers a temporary permit valid for three months, so applying too early can waste part of that operating period.
$40
The current beauty-culture salon/mobile salon application fee is $40 and nonrefundable.
3 months
The temporary permit is issued upon receipt of a complete application and is valid for three months.
Facility-ready checklist
- Select the salon site.
- If the salon is in the same building as a residence, provide the required floor-to-ceiling separation and separate entry.
- Obtain applicable building permit, certificate of occupancy or other required local approval.
- Install the furnishings and equipment required under Board rules.
- Make sure the salon is ready for inspection when the application is filed.
- Verify every beauty-culture professional who will practice there.
- Post current professional licenses at workstations as required.
- Identify the licensed beauty-culture professional who will provide personal supervision.
Mobile salon
Indiana recognizes both a self-contained mobile facility and a business that transports regulated equipment to temporary service locations under the mobile-salon framework. A personal cosmetology license does not replace the facility license.
Indiana Cosmetology Laws and 2026 Rule Changes
Title 25, Article 8
Indiana’s Beauty Culture statutes establish the licensing framework and Board authority.
Title 820
Board rules cover licensing, sanitation, schools, facilities and related professional requirements.
LSA #25-328
The Board announced updated administrative rules effective July 22, 2026.
July 1, 2026 esthetician scope change
The Board home page separately announced a statutory change effective July 1, 2026 that expanded the esthetician scope to specified eyelash lifts/tinting, eyebrow lamination/tinting and microneedling within the statutory depth definition. At the agency’s request, a person offering microneedling must provide proof of advanced training or certification.
Indiana Cosmetology and Beauty-Culture Fees
| Transaction | Current fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Individual beauty-culture application | $40 | Nonrefundable. |
| Individual beauty-culture renewal | $40 | Use the live license action and current expiration date. |
| Individual beauty-culture reinstatement | $80 | Applies to the reinstatement route; additional remediation can apply. |
| Salon / mobile salon application | $40 | Facility must be ready to open before applying. |
| Salon / mobile salon renewal | $40 | Facility transaction, separate from personal license. |
| Salon / mobile salon reinstatement | $80 | Facility inspection follows online reinstatement submission. |
| Beauty culture school application / renewal | $400 | Separate facility category. |
| Digital certification | $10.60 by credit card | Formal certified PDF; purchaser downloads and sends it. |
Always review the fee shown by the live state transaction before paying, especially for an expired credential or a transaction with additional requirements.
Indiana Cosmetology Discipline and Consumer Complaints
A license lookup shows current licensing information, but a consumer or employer may also need disciplinary history. PLA provides a separate discipline search, and complaints against licensed professionals begin with review by the Indiana Attorney General.
Use the PLA discipline search
Recent and older actions can be searched through the state’s licensing discipline resources.
Start with the Indiana Attorney General
PLA explains that consumer complaints are first reviewed by the Attorney General, who may bring an administrative case before the appropriate board.
Indiana Cosmetology Board Phone Number, Email and Mailing Address
| Contact | Current detail | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| PLA Customer Contact Center | 317-232-2960 | Immediate licensing and account assistance. |
| Customer center hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Eastern | Best time to call the general PLA support center. |
| Cosmetology & Barber email | pla12@pla.in.gov | General profession-specific licensing questions. |
| Board-form phone | 317-234-3031 | Still printed on current cosmetology forms; use the PLA customer center first for general support. |
| Mailing / office address | Indiana Professional Licensing Agency Indiana Government Center South, Room W072 402 West Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 |
Use when an official instruction or form requires mail or in-person action. |
What to have ready before contacting PLA
- Your full legal name and license or application number.
- The exact license type.
- Whether you are applying, renewing, reinstating, transferring or licensing a facility.
- The date you submitted the application, payment or document.
- Any transaction or reference number.
- The exact checklist item or error shown in MyLicense One.
- The name of the school, PSI notice, outside-state verification or other document involved.
Official Indiana Actions and Related Guides
Verify a license
Check an individual or facility in Indiana’s current public licensing database.
Free Search & VerifyApply, renew or upload
Use PLA Online Services and MyLicense One for current license actions.
PLA Online ServicesRead current Board instructions
Use the licensing-information page for applications, reciprocity, facilities, reinstatement and fees.
Licensing InformationMyLicense One help
Track a pending application, upload requested documents, link records and understand license actions.
MyLicense One GuideFirst-license detail
For a narrower application-focused walkthrough, use the site’s Indiana cosmetology license guide.
Indiana Cosmetology LicenseRenewal-only detail
For MyLicense One linking, fees, CE questions and expired-license decisions, use the dedicated renewal guide.
Indiana License RenewalIndiana Cosmetology Board FAQs
What is the official Indiana cosmetology board called?
The official regulator is the Indiana State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. Licensing services are administered through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.
How do I look up an Indiana cosmetology license?
Use Indiana PLA Free Search & Verify. Search by complete license number, full first and last name, or facility name for a salon, then confirm the matching license type, status and expiration.
What are the basic Indiana cosmetologist education requirements?
Current PLA guidance lists completion of 10th grade or equivalent. The standard school route requires 1,500 cosmetology hours, while current licensing instructions also recognize a qualifying U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship route.
How much is an Indiana cosmetology license application?
The current PLA fee schedule lists a $40 nonrefundable individual beauty-culture application fee.
Does Indiana use PSI for the cosmetology exam?
Yes. Current PLA examination-applicant instructions direct applicants to pass the written examination through PSI and provide the pass notice as part of the licensing file.
How much is Indiana cosmetology license renewal?
The current ordinary individual beauty-culture renewal fee is $40. Check the live state transaction if the credential is expired or another action is required.
What happens if an Indiana cosmetology license has been expired for five years?
Current PLA reinstatement guidance requires written-exam remediation for a professional beauty-culture license expired five years or more. The exam must be passed within one year of the reinstatement application.
How does Indiana cosmetology reciprocity work?
Indiana evaluates a valid outside license and whether the issuing jurisdiction’s requirements are substantially equal. License certification must come directly from the issuing jurisdiction; a photocopy of the license does not satisfy that requirement.
When should I apply for an Indiana salon license?
Apply only when the facility is ready to open. Indiana states that a complete application triggers a three-month temporary permit, so applying too early can reduce the time available under that permit.
What is the Indiana cosmetology board phone number and email?
PLA’s current Customer Contact Center is 317-232-2960, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern. The Cosmetology & Barber group email is pla12@pla.in.gov. Current Board forms also display 317-234-3031.
Indiana License, Exam, Renewal and Salon Checklist
- Use Indiana PLA as the source of truth for current licensing actions.
- Verify both the professional and facility when a salon decision depends on licensing status.
- For a first cosmetologist license, prepare qualifying education or apprenticeship proof and follow the current written PSI route.
- Use State Form 56857 when the school certification route applies.
- Use MyLicense One to upload application documents instead of emailing them to the general customer-service inbox.
- Check the exact public expiration date before renewal.
- Use the current $40 ordinary individual renewal fee as a starting point, but confirm the live transaction for an expired license.
- Use the $80 professional reinstatement route when the license is beyond the ordinary renewal window identified by PLA.
- Expect written-exam remediation after five or more years expired.
- For reciprocity, arrange direct license certification from every applicable issuing jurisdiction.
- Use the provisional route only when its facts match your situation.
- Do not submit a salon application until the facility is ready to open.
- Check the July 2026 Board announcements before relying on an older rule summary.
- After any licensing transaction, verify the live state record before relying on the credential.
Independent information notice: board-of-cosmetology.org is not the State of Indiana, the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PSI or the Indiana State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. Official state records, statutes, rules, forms, PSI instructions and Board decisions control.