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Indiana cosmetology license
requirements, 2026.

All four Indiana beauty licenses in one place. Indiana writes its own exams and PSI delivers them — the bulletin is Indiana's own. 75% to pass, on both the written and the practical (IC 25-8-4-9), with a counted 10-item Indiana law block inside every written form. One board for all modalities, a 4-year renewal cycle, and no CE required. License must be posted at your workstation.

4
License types
PSI
Exam vendor
Board-verified
Data source
May '26
Verified

Prep for this state

Practice tests and flashcards, by license.

Indiana sits PSI’s Indiana exams — the national core at Indiana’s own weights plus a ten-question Indiana State Portion. These banks are built to the PSI Indiana outlines, domain for domain, with an Indiana law deck in every product. English only, as the exam is.

Interactive Tutor · included with every product

A tutor on every question.
Not just an answer key.

Every question comes with a full rationale. When that isn’t enough — the concept is new, the wording is dense, you got it right by luck — tap Explain and the tutor talks you through it: why your answer was wrong, and what the right idea actually is. Ask it anything back, as many times as you need.

If English isn’t the language you learned this in, it teaches in yours, switched whenever you like. The questions stay in English, because that is how you will see them on exam day. Where enough candidates ask we translate the prep itself — so far Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian and Simplified Chinese, on the products that have it.

Included with every product · every question · 19 languages

Try the tutor on a free question →Tap Explain on any question. The tutor breaks the concept down in plain language — why your specific wrong answer was wrong, what the right idea actually is, and an example if it helps. Ask follow-ups in the same window; it stays on the question you are working on. Pick the language you think in and every explanation comes back in it. The questions and answer options stay in the edition language, because that is how you will see them on exam day. Included with every product.
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Try the real thing.

10 questions from the Indiana cosmetology bank and 10 terminology cards from its decks — the same items, the same rationales, the same study modes you get after checkout. Built to the PSI Indiana outline, so this is the exam you’ll sit. No email, no signup.

Indiana · Cosmetology

Cosmetology license — 2026.

1,500 hours at an Indiana-approved school (or DOL registered apprenticeship). Indiana-specific exam delivered by PSI — 100 general items plus a counted 10-item Indiana law block, 120 minutes, 75% to pass on both written and practical. $40 application fee through Indiana PLA. 4-year renewal cycle. CE-free. License must be posted at workstation.

At a glance
Training hours
1,500
Approved school or DOL apprenticeship
Total fees
~$99
$59 PSI exam + $40 PLA application
Passing scores
75% / 75%
Written and practical both 75%
Renewal
4 years, Aug 1
$40 fee · CE-free
Indiana writes its own exam — NIC prep covers the science, not the blueprint

Indiana uses NIC National Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI Services. NICPrep's cosmetology question bank is built from the NIC CIB, and Indiana writes its own content — so we built a second bank to Indiana's own blueprint, 100 general items plus a ten-item Indiana law block over 120 minutes. It is written and in review, and is not on sale yet. Passing score: 75% on both the written and the practical (IC 25-8-4-9).

One passing score — 75%, on both the written and the practical

Indiana requires at least 75% to pass the written (theory) exam and at least 70% to pass the practical exam. These are reversed from most states (which typically require equal scores on both, or the opposite thresholds). Both must be passed to receive a license.

The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) administers all beauty culture licensing through the State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. One board governs all modalities. Apply through the PLA online portal (mylicense.in.gov). All applications must be completed within 1 year of filing or they are considered abandoned and must restart.

Who qualifies

Step-by-step: how to get licensed

  1. Complete 1,500 hours at an Indiana PLA-approved beauty culture school

    School submits monthly verified enrollment and hour reports to the Board. Upon graduation, school issues Beauty Culture Education Certification. Verify school approval at in.gov/pla.

  2. Apply through the Indiana PLA portal and pay the $40 application fee

    Apply at mylicense.in.gov. Upload your Beauty Culture Education Certification. PLA approves your application; PSI administers the exam. Complete all requirements within 1 year of filing or application is abandoned.

  3. Register with PSI and schedule both Indiana exams ($59 combined)

    After PLA approval, PSI contacts you with scheduling instructions. Schedule at psiexams.com or call 800-733-9267. Written exam first, then practical. Unlimited retakes with fee each time.

  4. Pass both exams at 75% and receive your license

    License issued by Indiana PLA. Renews every 4 years on August 1. CE-free. Post your license at your workstation as required by state law.

Renewal

Every 4 years · August 1 · $40 renewal fee · CE-free · Late fee $50 if expired (within 3 years) · After 3 years expired: $80 reinstatement fee + may need to retake practical exam · Renew at mylicense.in.gov.

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Indiana · Esthetics

Esthetics license — 2026.

700 hours at an Indiana PLA-approved school. Indiana-specific exam delivered by PSI — 75% to pass on both written and practical. Same one-board structure, same 4-year renewal (August 1), same $40 application fee. CE-free. Nail services need the separate manicurist licence; separate manicurist license required.

At a glance
Training hours
700
Indiana PLA-approved school
Total fees
~$99
$59 PSI exam + $40 PLA application
Passing scores
75% / 75%
Written and practical both 75%
Renewal
4 years, Aug 1
$40 fee · CE-free
Indiana writes its own esthetics exam — NIC prep covers the science, not the blueprint

Indiana uses its own esthetics examinations, delivered by PSI — the bulletin is Indiana's own. NICPrep's esthetics question bank is built from the NIC Esthetics CIB, and Indiana writes its own content — so we built a second bank to Indiana's own blueprint, 75 general items plus a ten-item Indiana law block over 90 minutes. It is written and in review, and is not on sale yet. Written and practical both 75%.

Who qualifies

Step-by-step: how to get licensed

  1. Complete 700 hours at a PLA-approved esthetics school

    School submits reports and issues Education Certification. Verify approval at in.gov/pla.

  2. Apply through MyLicense Indiana and pay $40

    Apply at mylicense.in.gov. Upload Education Certification. Complete all requirements within 1 year of filing.

  3. Schedule and pass both NIC esthetics exams via PSI ($59 combined)

    75% on both parts. Unlimited retakes with fee.

  4. Receive your esthetics license — post at workstation

    4-year renewal August 1. CE-free. $40 renewal fee.

Official esthetics resources

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Indiana · Barber

Barber license — 2026.

1,500 hours — same as cosmetology. Indiana-specific exam delivered by PSI — 75% to pass on both written and practical. Must be 18 (or 17 with high school diploma). Renewal: September 1 every 4 years (cosmetology renews August 1). CE-free. Same one-board PLA structure.

At a glance
Training hours
1,500
PLA-approved barber school
Total fees
~$99
$59 PSI exam + $40 PLA application
Passing scores
75% / 75%
Written and practical both 75%
Renewal
4 years, Sep 1
$40 fee · CE-free
Indiana writes its own barber exam — NIC prep covers the science, not the blueprint

Indiana uses NIC National Barber Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI. NICPrep's barber question bank is built from the NIC Barber Styling CIB — Indiana writes its own content, so this covers the underlying science; that exam's outline differs. Written and practical both 75%.

Who qualifies

Step-by-step: how to get licensed

  1. Complete 1,500 hours at a PLA-approved barbering school

    Verify school approval at in.gov/pla. School issues Education Certification upon graduation.

  2. Apply through MyLicense Indiana and pay $40

    Apply at mylicense.in.gov. Complete all requirements within 1 year of filing.

  3. Schedule and pass both NIC barber exams via PSI ($59 combined)

    75% on both parts. Unlimited retakes with fee each time.

  4. Receive your barber license — post at workstation

    4-year renewal September 1. CE-free. $40 renewal fee.

Official barber resources

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Indiana · Manicurist

Manicurist license — 2026.

Indiana calls nail technicians "manicurists." Only 450 hours and an 8th grade education requirement — the lowest individual entry bar in Indiana. Indiana-specific exam delivered by PSI — 75% to pass on both written and practical. Same 4-year renewal (August 1), same $40 fees. CE-free.

At a glance
Training hours
450
PLA-approved school · 8th grade required
Total fees
~$99
$59 PSI exam + $40 PLA application
Passing scores
75% / 75%
Written and practical both 75%
Renewal
4 years, Aug 1
$40 fee · CE-free
Indiana writes its own nail exam — NIC prep covers the science, not the blueprint

Indiana uses its own nail technology examinations, delivered by PSI — the bulletin is Indiana's own. NICPrep's nail technology question bank is built from the NIC Nail Technology CIB, and Indiana writes its own content — so we built a second bank to Indiana's own blueprint, 50 general items plus a ten-item Indiana law block over 90 minutes. It is finished and reviewed, and is not on sale yet. Written and practical both 75%.

Who qualifies

Step-by-step: how to get licensed

  1. Complete 450 hours at a PLA-approved nail school

    School issues Education Certification. Programs typically run 8–12 weeks full-time.

  2. Apply through MyLicense Indiana and pay $40

    Apply at mylicense.in.gov. Upload Education Certification. 1-year completion window.

  3. Schedule and pass both NIC nail technology exams via PSI ($59 combined)

    75% on both parts. Unlimited retakes.

  4. Receive your manicurist license — post at workstation

    4-year renewal August 1. CE-free. $40 renewal.

Official manicurist resources

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Indiana · All license types

Rules that apply to every IN beauty license.

Indiana-specific exams via PSI — 75% on both parts

Indiana writes its own examinations and PSI Services delivers them. The candidate bulletin never mentions NIC, and every written form carries a counted 10-item Indiana law block. IC 25-8-4-9 sets 75% on both the written and the practical — the two are not different thresholds. (The 70% figure that circulates is Indiana's bar for recognising another state's exams under IC 25-8-4-2, not its own pass mark.) Exam fees: approximately $59 combined written and practical. Unlimited retakes with full fee each attempt. School submits eligibility to PSI — PSI must receive the school's records before exam scheduling is possible.

One board, MyLicense Indiana portal

The Indiana PLA State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners governs all beauty culture licenses. Apply, renew, and manage licenses through MyLicense Indiana at mylicense.in.gov. Phone: (317) 234-3031.

4-year renewal cycle

Indiana has one of the longest renewal cycles in the country — 4 years. Cosmetology, esthetics, and manicurist licenses expire August 1. Barber licenses expire September 1. Renewal fee is $40. CE-free for any license type. Late renewal: $50 penalty (within 3 years of expiration). Expired over 3 years: $80 reinstatement fee + possible practical exam retake.

1-year application completion window

Applications not completed within 1 year of filing are considered abandoned. You must start the entire application process over as a new applicant if your application lapses. Track your application status at mylicense.in.gov.

License must be posted at workstation

Indiana law requires every licensed beauty culture professional to post their active license at their workstation where clients can see it. This applies to cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, and manicurists.

CE-free — Indiana repealed its CE rule

Indiana repealed its continuing education rule (820 IAC Article 6). CE-free is currently required for renewal of any cosmetologist, barber, esthetician, or manicurist license. Check in.gov/pla for any future rule reinstatement.

Official Indiana licensing portal

Last verified May 2026 against the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (in.gov/pla) and PSI Services. IC 25-8-4-9 sets 75% on both the written and the practical. The 70% figure that circulates is Indiana's bar for recognising another state's exams under IC 25-8-4-2, not its own pass mark. CE-free requirement is confirmed via Indiana's repeal of 820 IAC Article 6. NICPrep is an independent prep resource and is not affiliated with the Indiana PLA, PSI, or the State of Indiana.

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Pursuing an Indiana Cosmetology license?

Indiana writes its own exams.

Indiana's written exams are delivered by PSI for the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. We don't build a bank for them, and we hold no published outline for them, so we're not going to tell you our NIC banks fit.

Stay exam-ready.

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