TDLR Cosmetology License Lookup 2026: Texas Search

Q: Can I search for a Texas salon instead of a person?

Yes. TDLR's license-verification resources include business and establishment records. Verify the establishment separately from the practitioners working there.

Q: Does an active TDLR license prove every service is allowed?

No. Different Texas barbering and cosmetology credentials have different scopes of practice. Check TDLR's scope-of-practice guidance for the exact license type and service.

Q: Does the TDLR license lookup show disciplinary history?

The active-license result is not a complete disciplinary-history search. TDLR maintains a separate Administrative Orders Search for recent formal sanctions and administrative penalties.

Texas TDLR verification guide • reviewed September 28, 2026

Verify a Texas Cosmetology License in the Official TDLR Records

Use the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s public search to verify an active cosmetology professional, barber, esthetician, manicurist, eyelash specialist, establishment or school. The standard TDLR License Data Search is an active-license search, so a blank result does not automatically prove that a person was never licensed.

Open TDLR License Search Open TDLR Verification Hub

TDLR lookup quick facts

Public search: free
Login required: no
Standard search: active licenses
Individual name format: Last, First
Disciplinary orders: separate search
Old/new license number tool: separate search

What the TDLR Cosmetology License Lookup Actually Checks

TDLR’s standard License Data Search lets you search current license records using license type, numeric license number, expiration date, individual or business name, city, county or ZIP code. For an individual, TDLR’s search format uses the surname first followed by the first name.

Agency Texas TDLR

Lookup cost Free

Normal scope Active licenses

Discipline Separate search

Do not treat “no result” as automatic proof of no license. The standard TDLR License Data Search is labeled for active licenses. A record can be missing because the license expired, the name changed, the wrong credential type was selected, the license number changed or another search issue applies.

TDLR License Search Fields: Start With the Strongest Information

The public TDLR search gives you several ways to locate an active record. You do not need to fill every field. In many cases, fewer accurate fields produce better results than several uncertain filters.

Search field	How to use it	Best situation
License Type	Select the exact profession or establishment category when known.	Useful when a common name produces unrelated TDLR records.
License Number	Enter the numeric license number.	Usually the strongest identifier when you have a current number.
Expiration Date	Use the date format shown by TDLR.	Useful for confirming a known record or separating similar matches.
Name	For an individual, use Last, First. For an establishment, use the business name.	Best when you do not have the license number.
City	Use the location as an additional filter.	Helpful when several people or businesses have similar names.
County	Choose the Texas county when relevant.	Useful for local employer or salon checks.
ZIP Code	Use a known ZIP only when you are confident it is current.	Helpful for narrowing business-location results.

Start with the license number when available. Otherwise begin with the legal or TDLR-recognized name and add a location filter only if you need to distinguish matching records.

How to Search a Texas Cosmetology License by Name

Open the official TDLR License Data Search

Use the Texas government system rather than a private people-search directory or a screenshot of an old license.

Use the legal or TDLR-record name

For an individual, enter the name in Last, First order. Avoid beginning with a social-media name, nickname or salon branding unless that is also the registered name.

Keep the first search broad

Do not add city, county, ZIP and license type unless they are accurate. An old address or wrong category can remove the correct record from your results.

Compare every matching record

Use the credential type, license number, expiration and available location information to identify the correct person or business.

Try a previous legal name when appropriate

If the person recently changed their name, the public record and other documents may not all show the same surname at the same time.

Same name does not mean same person. For hiring, booth rental or consumer verification, match the exact Texas credential and license number rather than relying on the name alone.

How to Verify a Texas Cosmetology License Number

A current license number is normally more reliable than a name search. Copy the number from the current credential or TDLR record rather than retyping it from memory.

Use the actual license number A PSI examination candidate number, school student number, payment receipt or application reference is not necessarily a TDLR professional license number.

Check the credential category A salon establishment number and a practitioner’s individual license number represent different records.

Preserve leading zeros When a current TDLR format includes leading zeros, do not discard them from your saved compliance record.

Use the conversion tool for older IDs Some barbering and cosmetology records can have a previous and a newer license number following system changes.

Texas Barbering and Cosmetology License Types You May Need to Search

Texas does not place every beauty professional under a generic “cosmetology license.” TDLR uses distinct credentials, so choosing the correct type matters.

Broad practice

Cosmetology Operator

A broad individual cosmetology credential covering many regulated hair and beauty services within the Texas scope of practice.

Barbering

Class A Barber

A separate Texas barber credential. It overlaps with many cosmetology services but has different legal scope in some areas.

Skin services

Esthetician

A specialty credential for the skin and related services authorized under Texas law.

Nail services

Manicurist

Search this credential when the person’s practice is limited to the nail services permitted by the license.

Lashes

Eyelash Extension Specialist

A specialist credential for eyelash-extension services. Do not assume it authorizes broader esthetics or cosmetology work.

Combination

Combination licenses

TDLR also recognizes combinations such as Manicurist/Esthetician and Hair Weaving Specialist/Esthetician.

TDLR’s current individual application pages also list Hair Weaving Specialist and other applicable credentials. Match the public record to the service actually being offered.

Verify the Salon or Establishment Separately

A practitioner’s individual license and the location’s establishment license are separate records. If you are checking a salon, booth, suite, mobile business or school, do not stop after finding the worker’s active credential.

For consumers

Verify the individual who will perform the service.
Check the establishment where regulated services are provided.
Match the location when the public record displays it.
Check whether the requested service fits the practitioner’s license scope.

For employers and booth renters

Match the legal name and current license number.
Record the credential type and expiration date.
Verify the establishment separately.
Recheck status rather than relying only on an old photocopy.

Texas law requires the appropriate license for regulated barbering and cosmetology services. TDLR also requires licensed establishments for covered business operations, so a valid individual credential does not replace the establishment requirement.

How to Read a TDLR License Result Correctly

Result detail	What to verify	Why it matters
Name	Match the legal or registered name.	People and businesses can have similar names.
License type	Confirm the exact credential category.	Different licenses authorize different services.
License number	Match the current TDLR number.	This is stronger evidence than name alone.
Status	Confirm the record is within the public active-license search.	A historical or expired credential is not the same as a current active record.
Expiration	Read the displayed expiration date.	A record can exist but later require renewal.
Location	Compare city, county, ZIP or business address when shown.	Useful for separating similarly named records and verifying establishments.

An active lookup result confirms the current record found in TDLR’s public system. It does not by itself prove that every service advertised by the licensee is within that credential’s legal scope, and it is not a complete disciplinary-history report.

No Texas Cosmetology License Found? Check These Issues First

Possible problem	What to try	Do not assume
Nickname or professional name used	Search the legal or TDLR-record name.	That a missing nickname proves the person is unlicensed.
Wrong credential type	Try the actual profession such as Operator, Esthetician, Manicurist or Eyelash Extension Specialist.	Every Texas beauty professional is listed as a cosmetologist.
Old license number	Use the official TDLR New License ID Search.	The number printed on an older document is always the current number.
Too many search filters	Remove uncertain city, county, ZIP or expiration fields.	A highly filtered zero-result search is conclusive.
License is not active	Use TDLR’s expired-license or customer-service routes.	The ordinary active search is a complete historical database.
Name recently changed	Try the previous legal surname where appropriate.	Every related system updates at the same moment.

If the record still cannot be reconciled, contact TDLR with the legal name, profession, current or previous license number and the exact search problem.

Old Texas Cosmetology License Number? Use the New License ID Search

TDLR provides a separate tool for qualifying barbering and cosmetology records whose license numbers changed. It supports Individual, Establishment and School searches.

Choose the record class

Select Individual, Establishment or School. Do not search a practitioner’s personal number as an establishment.

Choose whether you have the previous or new number

The tool can work from either direction for license types included in the conversion system.

Select the exact license type

TDLR notes that if the credential type is not included in the dropdown, its license number may not have changed.

Enter the number using digits only

The ID search instructs users to enter numeric license data rather than a title, punctuation or descriptive text.

Use the name only as a supporting filter

The optional name field requires at least three letters.

Open New License ID Search

TDLR License Status and Disciplinary Orders Are Different Searches

The public License Data Search answers whether an active license record appears. TDLR’s Administrative Orders Search serves a different purpose: it contains Commission or Executive Director orders that assess sanctions, administrative penalties or both.

Current license

License Data Search

Use it to verify a current active TDLR credential, license type and expiration.

Enforcement

Administrative Orders

Search formal recent TDLR orders by program, license number, name, company, city, county or ZIP.

Older records

TDLR Records Center

The online Administrative Orders search covers the current and two most recent past TDLR fiscal years. Older orders require the records process.

Search TDLR Administrative Orders

An Active Texas License Does Not Authorize Every Beauty Service

Verification has two separate questions: is the credential active, and does that credential authorize the service being offered? Texas publishes scope-of-practice guidance for barbering and cosmetology credentials.

Cosmetology Operator

Texas Cosmetology Operators can perform a broad range of regulated beauty services, but the credential is not unlimited. TDLR’s scope guide should be checked when a service falls near medical, laser, invasive or other regulated boundaries.

Specialty license

An Esthetician, Manicurist, Eyelash Extension Specialist or other specialty credential has a narrower authorized scope. Do not treat one active specialty license as permission to perform every cosmetology service.

Check TDLR Scope of Practice

Lookup, Renewal and License Management Use Different TDLR Systems

You do not need a TDLR licensing-account login just to perform a normal public verification search. Renewal, personal record management and payments use separate licensing services.

Verify someone Use the public License Data Search.

Renew your own license Use TDLR’s barbering and cosmetology renewal instructions and Online Licensing Services.

Expired license Follow the status-specific renewal or expired-license process instead of repeatedly searching the active database.

Change or correct records Use the relevant TDLR form or account process for name, address or license-status changes.

Texas Renewal Instructions TDLR Individual Forms

Contact TDLR When the License Record Still Does Not Match

Barbering and Cosmetology contact

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Barbering and Cosmetology
PO Box 12157
Austin, TX 78711

TDLR Main Office

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
920 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701

Texas toll-free: 800-803-9202
Austin / other callers: 512-463-6599
Relay Texas TDD: 800-735-2989

Have these details ready

The person’s legal or TDLR-record name.
The exact credential type.
The current or previous Texas license number.
The expiration date if known.
The search filters you used.
The exact “no result” or mismatch you are trying to resolve.

Do not send Social Security numbers, payment-card details, portal passwords or other sensitive identity information to this independent website. Use TDLR’s official channels for protected information.

Need a Cosmetology License Lookup Outside Texas?

Cosmetology licensing is state based. A Texas TDLR search cannot confirm whether someone is legally licensed in California, Florida, New York or another state. Use the licensing authority for the state where the professional is actually performing regulated services.

When moving between states, ask the receiving licensing authority whether it requires a public license lookup, formal certification, transcript of training hours, examination history or another official record. A screenshot of a public search is not always the same as formal license verification.

TDLR Cosmetology License Lookup FAQs

Is the TDLR cosmetology license lookup free?

Yes. TDLR’s public license-verification search is available without paying a lookup fee.

Do I need a TDLR account to verify another person’s license?

No. The ordinary public License Data Search does not require the licensee’s Online Licensing Services login. A personal login is used for tasks such as applications, renewals and account management.

How do I search a Texas cosmetology license by name?

Use the official TDLR License Data Search. For an individual, search in Last, First format and begin with the legal or TDLR-recognized name. Add city, county or ZIP only when you need to narrow similar results.

Does TDLR’s normal license search show expired licenses?

The standard TDLR License Data Search identifies itself as an active-license search. A missing result can therefore involve an expired or otherwise non-active credential rather than proving that no license was ever issued.

Why does my old Texas cosmetology license number not work?

Some barbering and cosmetology records received changed license numbers. Use TDLR’s New License ID Search to compare qualifying previous and current numbers for individuals, establishments or schools.

Can I search for a Texas salon instead of a person?

Yes. TDLR’s license-verification system includes business and establishment records. Verify the establishment separately from the practitioners working there.

Does an active TDLR license prove every service is allowed?

No. An active credential confirms the license record, but different Texas barbering and cosmetology credentials have different scopes of practice. Check the TDLR scope guide for the exact license type and service.

Does the TDLR license lookup show disciplinary history?

Do not use the active-license result as a complete disciplinary-history search. TDLR maintains a separate Administrative Orders Search for recent Commission or Executive Director orders involving sanctions or administrative penalties.

How far back does the online TDLR Administrative Orders search go?

The online search covers orders issued during the current and two most recent past TDLR fiscal years. Older orders can be requested through the TDLR Records Center.

Who do I call if the Texas cosmetology record is still missing?

TDLR lists 800-803-9202 for callers within Texas and 512-463-6599 for Barbering and Cosmetology assistance.

Official Texas License Verification Resources

Independent-site notice: board-of-cosmetology.org is an informational website and is not the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. TDLR’s official database, laws, rules, forms and agency decisions control.