All four Maryland beauty licenses in one place. Maryland uses PSI's own National exams, not NIC. Two major changes took effect January 1, 2026: 6 hours of CE are now required at every renewal (HB 1600), and a 1-hour domestic violence awareness training is required for all initial and renewal applicants (HB 1547). Two separate boards, cosmetology and barbers — but PSI runs no Maryland barber examination: barbers who want the written exam sit the cosmetology track. And Maryland passes at 75%, the highest cut on the PSI National bank.
Prep for this state
Your written exam is the PSI National paper, the same one ten states use. Maryland passes at 75% where most of the others pass at 70%. The outline, the pass marks and how the ten differ →
Practice Test + Flashcards
Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Practice Test + Flashcards
Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Maryland does not examine barbers separately
PSI’s Maryland bulletin (v1.0, effective 26 Feb 2026) covers cosmetologist, senior cosmetologist, hairstylist, blow-dry stylist, esthetician, nail technician — and “licensed barbers transitioning to cosmetology”. There is no Maryland barber outline because barbers are folded into the cosmetology track.
Practice Test + Flashcards
Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
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
Free preview · No signup
10 questions from the PSI National cosmetology bank and 10 terminology cards from the decks — the same items, the same rationales, the same study modes you get after checkout. Maryland tests on the PSI National exam, so this is the exam you’ll sit. No email, no signup.
Maryland · Cosmetology
1,500 hours at a Board-approved school (or 24-month apprenticeship). PSI National exam — online application only as of March 31, 2025. 6 hours CE required at renewal (new January 1, 2026). 1-hour DV awareness training required. Biennial renewal. Must be affiliated with a licensed salon to practice.
Maryland uses PSI National Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI Services. NICPrep’s PSI National bank is built to this form — Maryland’s 26 Feb 2026 cosmetology outline is byte-identical to Georgia’s, Colorado’s and Michigan’s. Theory: 100 scored + 10 pretest, 120 minutes, 75% to pass; practical about 235 minutes, 11 topic areas, 75%. Theory and practical must both be passed within two years of each other. Senior Cosmetologist is theory only. License exam fee: $77 for written + practical combined ($47 each if taken separately). No expiration on exam eligibility. Unlimited retakes.
Maryland and Colorado use identical PSI National items, an identical practical and the same vendor — and Maryland sets the cut at 75% where Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan and Massachusetts use 70%. A candidate scoring 72% is licensed in Denver and not in Baltimore. Study to 80% or better on the practice tests before you book. Maryland is also a Cosmetology Licensure Compact member (enacted 2024, cosmetologists only, not yet issuing multistate licences).
Maryland enacted HB 1600, requiring all cosmetologists, estheticians, nail technicians, and senior cosmetologists to complete 6 hours of Board-approved continuing education per renewal cycle, effective January 1, 2026. Required: 2 hours on health, safety, welfare, sanitation, and/or board laws/regulations. Elective: 4 hours in scope-of-practice topics. CE must be completed within your renewal period before your license expiration date.
Maryland's Board of Cosmetologists (under the Department of Labor / DLLR) governs cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and senior cosmetology licenses. The Maryland State Board of Barbers is a separate board for barbers. Licenses are now issued as PDF via email (no automatic paper mail since March 1, 2024). Must be affiliated with a licensed salon or barbershop to perform services.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify school approval at labor.maryland.gov/license/cos. School submits your records to PSI. For apprenticeship, obtain a letter of eligibility from the Board.
Required for initial licensure and first renewal after January 1, 2026. Contact the Board for approved providers.
Apply at PSI's automated online application system. Mail/fax/email applications no longer accepted. Out-of-state applicants: request letter of eligibility first.
Allow 10 working days from passing both exams for Board email with license instructions. License delivered as PDF via email. Biennial renewal through Maryland license renewal portal at dllr.state.md.us/license/cos/cosrenew.shtml.
Biennial · Complete 6 hours of Board-approved CE within your renewal period (2 hrs required health/safety/law + 4 hrs elective) · 1-hour DV awareness training (one-time) · $28 reinstatement fee if expired · License PDF via email · Renew at dllr.state.md.us/license/cos/cosrenew.shtml.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's cosmetology prep is also available in Spanish.
Maryland · Esthetics
600 hours at a Board-approved school. PSI National exam — $77 combined fee, online application only. Same 6 hrs CE requirement at renewal (new January 1, 2026). Biennial renewal. Must be affiliated with a licensed salon to practice. Separate Advanced Esthetics license available.
Maryland uses the PSI National Esthetics Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI. NICPrep’s PSI National bank is built to this form — the same one seven states share character-for-character in cosmetology, esthetics and nails. No expiration on eligibility. Unlimited retakes. Online application only.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify approval at labor.maryland.gov/license/cos. School submits records to PSI.
One-time requirement effective January 1, 2026. Contact Board for approved providers.
Online applications only at PSI. Out-of-state applicants: request letter of eligibility from Board first.
Allow 10 working days post-passing for Board email. Biennial renewal with 6 hrs CE required.
Maryland · Barber
1,200 hours at a Board-approved barber school. Governed by the separate Maryland State Board of Barbers — different from the Board of Cosmetologists. PSI administers no Maryland barber examination; a barber who sits a written exam sits the cosmetology paper. Same DV awareness training requirement (one-time). Biennial renewal. Must be affiliated with a licensed barbershop to practice.
Every other PSI state examines barbers on the PSI National Barber Theory form. Maryland does not: its bulletin lists no barber paper, only “licensed barbers transitioning to cosmetology”, who sit the cosmetology exam. So there is no Maryland barber outline to build to, and the barber licence itself is issued by the Board of Barbers on hours and application. If you are a Maryland barber moving into cosmetology, the PSI National cosmetology bank is your exam.
Maryland's barber licensing is governed by the Maryland State Board of Barbers — separate from the Board of Cosmetologists. Applications, fees, and renewal go through the Barber Board at labor.maryland.gov/license/occprof/barber.html. The same DV awareness training (HB 1547, one-time) applies to both boards.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify approval through the Maryland State Board of Barbers at labor.maryland.gov.
One-time requirement for both initial and first post-Jan 2026 renewal. Same as cosmetology requirement.
No PSI examination is scheduled for a barber licence; the Board sets its own application and fee. Confirm current figures at labor.maryland.gov/license/occprof/barber.html.
Confirm current renewal fees and CE requirements at labor.maryland.gov/license/occprof/barber.html. A barber later moving to cosmetology sits the PSI National cosmetology theory and practical.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's barber styling prep is also available in Spanish.
Maryland · Nail Technology
250 hours — one of the lowest nail technician requirements in the country. PSI National exam — $77 combined, online application only. Same 6 hours CE at renewal (new January 1, 2026). 1-hour DV awareness training required. Biennial renewal. Must be affiliated with a licensed salon.
Maryland uses the PSI National Nail Technology Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI. NICPrep’s PSI National bank is built to this form — the same one seven states share character-for-character in cosmetology, esthetics and nails. Online application only. No eligibility expiration. Unlimited retakes.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify approval at labor.maryland.gov/license/cos. Programs typically run 4–7 weeks full-time.
One-time requirement. Contact Board for approved providers.
Online application only. Out-of-state applicants request eligibility letter from Board first.
Allow 10 working days after passing. Biennial renewal with 6 hrs CE.
🇻🇳 NICPrep's nail technology prep is also available in Vietnamese.
Maryland uses PSI's own National exams, not NIC. 6 hrs CE now required at renewal. NICPrep's PSI National bank is built to this exam's own ten-domain outline.
2026 CIB changes, domain study tips, and new-modality launches — a few emails a month, no spam.