All four NC beauty licenses in one place. NC uses NIC exams via Prov for cosmetology, esthetics, and manicurist — NICPrep covers the NIC portion; North Carolina's board-written barber practical and electrology exam are separate. Two separate boards: the NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners and the Board of Barber & Electrolysis Examiners. One of the few states with a 3-year license cycle.
Prep for this state
Practice Test + Flashcards
$49 one-time · lifetime accessPractice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Practice Test + Flashcards
$49 one-time · lifetime accessPractice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Practice Test + Flashcards
$49 one-time · lifetime accessPractice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Practice Test + Flashcards
$49 one-time · lifetime accessPractice 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.
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10 questions from the NIC cosmetology bank and 10 terminology cards from the decks — the same items, the same rationales, the same study modes you get after checkout. North Carolina tests on the NIC exam, so this is the exam you'll sit. No email, no signup.
North Carolina · Cosmetology
1,500 hours or 1,200-hour apprentice curriculum, NIC exams via Prov, 75% passing (70% for apprenticeship graduates). $49 license fee. 3-year renewal cycle with 8 hrs CE/year. Blow-dry exemption added July 2024. Licensed through the NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners.
NC uses NIC National Theory and Practical Examinations administered through Prov (Psychological Assessment Resources). NICPrep's cosmetology question bank is built from the NIC CIB — it is built from the NIC CIB, which is the exam this state uses. Standard passing score is 75%; apprenticeship pathway graduates pass at 70%.
The NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners (NCBCE) governs cosmetology, esthetics, manicurist, and natural hair care specialist licenses. It is a separate body from the Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners. NC is one of the few states with a 3-year license cycle, and one of the few where apprenticeship cosmetology graduates sit for the same NIC exam but at a lower passing threshold (70% vs 75%).
Hair services (cutting, coloring, bleaching, perming, relaxing, styling, braiding, extensions); skin services (facials, makeup, waxing, lash extensions, lash lifts, brow lamination, lash/brow tinting); nail services (manicures, pedicures, artificial nails). Also covers dermaplaning and microneedling up to 1mm depth with FDA-approved devices, per the 2022 Board declaratory ruling.
A $5 temporary permit allows supervised work after graduation while awaiting exam scheduling. To qualify: school must submit graduation paperwork directly to the Board; exam application submitted within 3 months of graduation; permit form and $5 fee submitted. Valid 6 months from graduation — cannot be renewed.
Unlicensed employees in NC cosmetic art shops may now shampoo and blow-dry hair without a cosmetology license, provided their duties are strictly limited to shampooing and blow-drying only, and they comply with Board sanitation requirements. This does not expand into any other cosmetology services.
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Verify school approval at nccosmeticarts.com. Programs typically run 10–14 months full-time. Or complete the 1,200-hour apprentice curriculum followed by a 6-month supervised apprenticeship.
Your school notifies the Board upon graduation. The Board notifies Prov of your eligibility. Schedule written and practical exams at a Prov test site.
75% required (70% for apprenticeship graduates). Printed score report provided. Retakes permitted — fee applies per retake.
Submit the license application online or by mail to the NCBCE. Pay the $49 license fee ($20 for apprenticeship license). Licenses issued within 5–10 business days.
NC grants reciprocity for out-of-state cosmetologists with an active license in good standing from a state that offers reciprocity to NC. Military service members and spouses who relocate to NC due to military orders can use their current home-state license under the 2023 SCRA amendment. Each military branch reimburses spouses up to $1,000 for relocation-related licensing costs.
3-year cycle · 8 hours of CE per year (24 hours total over the 3-year period) · Cosmetologists with 20 or more consecutive years of licensure are exempt from CE but must report any courses completed · Renew online at nccosmeticarts.com.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's cosmetology prep is also available in Spanish.
North Carolina · Esthetics
600 hours, NIC exam via Prov, 75% passing. No apprenticeship pathway — school only. $20 license fee. Same 3-year renewal cycle as cosmetology with 8 hrs CE/year. No reciprocity with Texas, Mississippi, or South Carolina.
NC uses the NIC National Esthetics Theory and Practical Examinations administered through Prov. NICPrep's esthetics question bank is built from the NIC Esthetics CIB — it is built from the NIC CIB, which is the exam this state uses. Passing score: 75%. The law items sit inside the theory form required.
Unlike cosmetology, there is no apprenticeship pathway for esthetics in North Carolina — all training must be completed at a Board-approved school. The 600-hour curriculum must be distributed across specific subject areas as defined by the Board. The 2022 Board declaratory ruling extended the esthetician scope of practice to include dermaplaning and microneedling (up to 1mm) with FDA-approved devices.
Facials, skin treatments, chemical exfoliation and peels within scope, waxing and hair removal, threading, makeup application, lash extensions, lash lifts, brow lamination, lash and brow tinting. Additionally, the 2022 Board declaratory ruling confirmed dermaplaning and microneedling (up to 1mm depth) are within esthetician scope, provided devices are FDA-approved and operated within manufacturer guidelines.
North Carolina grants esthetician reciprocity to out-of-state professionals except those licensed in Texas, Mississippi, or South Carolina. Applicants from those states must complete NC's licensing process in full.
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Programs typically run 4–7 months full-time. Verify school approval at nccosmeticarts.com. No apprenticeship option for esthetics in NC.
The Board notifies Prov of your eligibility after your school submits graduation paperwork. Schedule written and practical exams at a Prov center. Request a $5 temporary permit if needed to work supervised while waiting.
Both written and practical via Prov. Collect score reports. Retakes allowed.
Submit application online or by mail to NCBCE. Issued within 5–10 business days.
3-year cycle · 8 hrs CE per year (24 total) · Estheticians with 20+ consecutive years of licensure are exempt from CE but must report any courses completed. Renew online at nccosmeticarts.com.
North Carolina · Barber
North Carolina's barber license is one of the most demanding in the country: 1,528 hours at a Board-approved barber school plus a mandatory 12-month apprenticeship — both are required, not alternatives. Governed by the separate NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners.
NC uses NIC National Barber Theory and Practical Examinations administered through Prov. NICPrep's barber question bank is built from the NIC Barber Styling CIB — it is built from the NIC CIB, which is the exam this state uses. Passing score: 75%.
Unlike most states where apprenticeship is an alternative to school, North Carolina barbers must complete both: 1,528 hours of school at a Board-approved barber college, then a separate mandatory 12-month apprenticeship under a licensed barber. The apprenticeship cannot be completed in a barber shop — it must be completed in a Board-approved setting. Multiple salons may be used, each requiring a separate affidavit.
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Verify college approval through the NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners. Programs typically run 12–16 months full-time.
Must be in a Board-approved setting — not a barber shop. Multiple salons may be used, each requiring a separate affidavit. Apprenticeship is under the direct supervision of a licensed NC barber.
Written and practical, administered by Prov. Schedule through the Barber Board process.
Submit application, score reports, and affidavits to the NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners. Confirm current fees and renewal terms at the Board website.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's barber styling prep is also available in Spanish.
North Carolina · Manicurist
NC calls this the "manicurist" license — 300 hours, NIC exam via Prov, 75% passing, $10 license fee. 3-year renewal cycle, 8 hrs CE/year. Governed by NCBCE alongside cosmetology and esthetics.
NC uses the NIC National Nail Technology Theory and Practical Examinations administered through Prov. NICPrep's nail technology question bank is built from the NIC Nail Technology CIB — it is built from the NIC CIB, which is the exam this state uses. Passing score: 75%.
Manicures, pedicures, nail shaping, polish and gel application, nail enhancements (acrylics, gels, tips, wraps), nail art. Hand and foot massage within nail service scope.
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Verify school approval at nccosmeticarts.com. Programs typically run 5–8 weeks full-time.
Board notifies Prov after your school submits graduation paperwork. Schedule written and practical exams. Request $5 temporary permit if needed.
Collect score reports from Prov for your license application.
Submit application online or by mail to NCBCE. Issued within 5–10 business days.
3-year cycle · 8 hrs CE per year (24 total) · 20+ consecutive years exemption (same as cosmetology/esthetics). Renew online at nccosmeticarts.com.
🇻🇳 NICPrep's nail technology prep is also available in Vietnamese.
Yes. North Carolina uses NIC national examinations for cosmetology, esthetics, and manicurist licenses, administered through Prov (Psychological Assessment Resources). Passing score is 75% for standard applicants, 70% for apprenticeship cosmetology graduates. Barbers are governed by a separate board.
Yes. North Carolina has two separate beauty regulatory bodies: the NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners (NCBCE) for cosmetology, esthetics, and manicurists; and the NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners for barbers. Barbers must complete 1,528 hours of school plus a mandatory 12-month apprenticeship.
North Carolina issues 3-year licenses for cosmetology, esthetics, and manicurist. This is one of the longest license terms in the country. CE is 8 hours per year (24 hours total over the 3-year cycle). Cosmetologists with 20+ consecutive years of licensure are exempt from CE.
Yes. North Carolina barbers must complete 1,528 hours at a Board-approved barber school AND a mandatory 12-month apprenticeship under a licensed barber. The apprenticeship cannot be completed in a barber shop — it must be in an approved setting. This is in addition to, not instead of, the school requirement.
North Carolina uses NIC exams via Prov — the same content NICPrep is built from. See the full prep on the modality page.
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