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Makeup Artist Occupational Licensing

License required in 37 states

57th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations

Average Fee for License:$173

What They Do

Makeup artists apply cosmetics to face or exposed body areas to improve or otherwise alter people’s appearances.[c]Adapted from http://www.occupationalinfo.org/defset5_3582.html[/c]

Makeup Artist Licensing Overview

Thirty-seven states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Makeup Artist. On average, these laws require $173 in fees, 128 days of education and about 2 exam. Makeup Artist Licenses have the 57th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.

Where is a Makeup Artist the most regulated?

Out of the 37 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Makeup Artist has the highest burden in Kansas. Kansas requires $180 in fees, 2 exams, no experience, and 1000 clock hours education.

Where is a Makeup Artist the least regulated?

Out of the 37 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Makeup Artist has the lowest burden in Kentucky. Kentucky requires $50 in fees, no exams, no experience, and 3 clock hours education.

Where is a Makeup Artist license the most expensive?

An occupational license for a Makeup Artist costs the most in Alaska. Alaska requires $450 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 350 clock hours education.

Where is a Makeup Artist license the least expensive?

An occupational license for a Makeup Artist costs the least in Ohio. Ohio requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where does it take the longest to obtain a Makeup Artist license?

An occupational license for a Makeup Artist takes the longest to obtain in Kansas, Alabama, Georgia.It takes 233 days (0 years and 23 days).

Where is it fastest to obtain a Makeup Artist license?

An occupational license for a Makeup Artist takes the least time to obtain in Nevada, Ohio (0 days).

What states require exams for a Makeup Artist license?

To obtain an occupational license for a Makeup Artist there is at least one exam required in: Kansas, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, District of Columbia, North Dakota, Hawaii, Arkansas, New Hampshire, New Mexico, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, South Dakota, New York, Maine, North Carolina, Vermont, Louisiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Oregon, Michigan, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Idaho. West Virginia, North Dakota, New Mexico, Vermont, Oregon require 3 exams.

Forty-one states license makeup artistry. Two of these states, Louisiana and Nevada, issue a license specific to makeup artists. In the other 39 states, makeup application is interpreted as falling under the scope of other licenses administered by cosmetology boards (see Appendix B for details). On average, aspiring makeup artists must pay $169 in fees, complete 134 days of education and pass about two exams—the 58th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. Because most states license makeup artists, the occupation ranks as the 28th most widely and onerously licensed.

States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations

More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022

State Licensing Requirements

Select a chart to view:
Burden Rank State Occupations Licensed Fees Estimated Calendar Days Lost Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
1 Kansas 35 $180 233 1000 clock hours None 2 12 17
2 Alabama 63 $235 233 1000 clock hours None 2 10 16
3 Georgia 41 $139 233 1000 clock hours None 2 12 17
4 Tennessee 69 $200 175 751 clock hours None 2 10 16
5 Missouri 33 $135 175 750 clock hours None 2 10 17
6 Illinois 41 $191 175 750 clock hours None 1 12 16
7 Indiana 37 $88 163 700 clock hours None 1 10 17
8 Montana 32 $284 152 650 clock hours None 2 12 18
9 West Virginia 67 $221 140 600 clock hours None 3 12 18
10 Delaware 42 $276 140 600 clock hours None 2 10 16
11 New Jersey 54 $179 140 600 clock hours None 2 12 17
12 District of Columbia 61 $175 140 600 clock hours None 2 10 18
13 North Dakota 65 $197 140 600 clock hours None 3 12 0
14 Hawaii 64 $182 140 600 clock hours None 1 12 16
15 Arkansas 72 $110 140 600 clock hours None 2 10 16
16 New Hampshire 37 $223 140 600 clock hours None 2 12 0
17 New Mexico 66 $225 140 600 clock hours None 3 0 17
18 California 75 $115 140 600 clock hours None 1 10 17
19 Oklahoma 42 $60 140 600 clock hours None 2 8 16
20 Colorado 34 $152 140 600 clock hours None 2 0 16
21 Iowa 71 $115 140 600 clock hours None 1 12 0
22 South Dakota 32 $100 140 600 clock hours None 2 0 18
23 New York 41 $70 140 600 clock hours None 2 0 17
24 Maine 46 $231 140 600 clock hours None 2 0 0
25 North Carolina 66 $193 140 600 clock hours None 2 0 0
26 Vermont 31 $285 117 500 clock hours None 3 12 0
27 Louisiana 77 $75 117 500 clock hours None 2 10 16
28 South Carolina 60 $210 105 450 clock hours None 2 10 16
29 Wisconsin 42 $383 105 450 clock hours None 2 0 18
30 Oregon 69 $90 110 484 clock hours None 3 0 0
31 Michigan 48 $230 93 400 clock hours None 2 9 17
32 Alaska 64 $450 82 350 clock hours None 1 0 0
33 Pennsylvania 50 $121 70 300 clock hours None 1 10 16
34 Idaho 66 $214 23 100 clock hours None 2 10 17
35 Nevada 75 $25 0 None None 0 10 18
36 Ohio 40 $0 0 None None 0 10 16
37 Kentucky 38 $50 0.5 3 clock hours None 0 12 0

License to Work

The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.

View Report