How to Get Your Salon Business License in Colorado

The decision to open your very own salon is huge. You feel nervous, excited, and anxious to get going. You automatically start thinking about what you want the salon to look like, what kinds of products you want to use, and what kind of clients you plan to serve. This type of daydreaming is useful to motivate you through the process of operating your salon. However, these details are not nearly as important as getting the legal logistics out of the way first. One of the most important things you need to do is to get your salon business license.

In Colorado, these are the ways you can secure your salon business license:

Enroll in an approved Barber/Cosmetology program and complete the required training hours
Sign up for the state of Colorado barber/cosmetology exam
If trained outside of the state or country, apply for licensure via endorsement
If trained outside the state or country, you can provide transcripts proving your training and proceed to take the exam for state licensure

The steps necessary for obtaining your salon business license in Colorado depend on whether you were trained in Colorado or outside. If trained in Colorado the process is pretty straightforward. If you were trained outside of Colorado, there are different routes to take to secure licensure. Keep reading to learn more details about the methods for obtaining your salon business license.

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Enroll in an Approved Barber/Cosmetology Program

If you are already a Colorado resident and know that you want to start a salon business, the first thing to do is enroll in a barber/cosmetology school program. Before selecting a program, make sure that you do a quick search to identify if it is on the Colorado list of acceptable institutions. If it is not, you should probably steer clear. Because it takes so many training hours to become licensed, you don’t want to waste your time and money on an institution that doesn’t meet the state’s standards.

After finding the appropriate program, you’ll have to complete a predetermined amount of hours to be eligible for licensure. The appropriate credit hours will depend on what type of services you plan to perform in your salon. The types of services and their required training hours are as follows:

Cosmetology 50 credit hours
Barber 50 credit hours
Esthetician 20 credit hours
Hairstylist 40 credit hours
Nail Technician 20 credit hours

For a cosmetology license, you’ll need to complete 50 credit hours of training. The training must include the following topics: covering at least the following course topics: shampooing, rinsing, and conditioning; hair coloring; haircutting; hairstyling; chemical texture services; manicuring and pedicuring; application of artificial nails; facials and skincare; facial makeup; hair removal; laws and rules; management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship; and disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices.

For a barber license, you’ll need to complete 50 credit hours of training as well. The topics that must be covered include treatment of hair and scalp, facial massage and treatment; facial shaving; haircutting; hairstyling; permanent waving and chemical hair relaxing; hair coloring; laws and rules; management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship; and disinfection, cleaning, and safe work practices.

Sign up for the Colorado State Barber/Cosmetology Exam

After completing the necessary training for your planned services in your salon, you’ll need to sign up for the state exam. To be considered for a license via examination, you’ll need to submit a completed application form. Also, you’ll need to provide any requested documentation and the fee to the examination vendor.

Once your application is approved, you’ll be able to sign up for the exam. The training described above is mandatory and must be completed before you submit your application. To sign up for the exam, you’ll need to visit the PSI website https://candidate.psiexams.com/. Once you get to the website you’ll click on the link that says “Government/State Licensing Agencies”. Next, you’ll click the arrow for the drop-down menu and select “Colorado”. Then, you’ll select the type of exam you’re planning to take.

Finally, you’ll see the examination breakdown which includes a practical examination and a written one. The page also includes the cost of the exam and the cost of a retake. From this page, you can create a sign-in to enroll in the examination. Overall, you’ll find that the PSI website is straightforward and easy to use.

Apply for Licensure Via Endorsement

There is an alternative method for securing your license if you were trained outside of the state of Colorado. It is called licensure via endorsement. For this type of license, you’ll need to utilize the DORA system. DORA stands for Department of Regulatory Agencies. DORA is the agency that will receive your training information from outside of Colorado. They will have an examiner evaluate the training you obtained outside of the state. That examiner will determine whether or not you need additional credit hours.

To qualify in Colorado, you will need to prove that you passed both a practical and written examination wherever you obtained your license before Colorado. You’ll need to share information on every place you’ve held a license, information on places you’ve worked in the past, and any criminal history or complaints. DORA will review all of this information and decide on whether you can receive your license by endorsement in the state.

Provide Proof of Training Outside Colorado and Take the Colorado License Exam

The final way to obtain your license in Colorado is by providing proof of training outside of the state and then completing the Colorado exam. This method works if you have received training in a foreign country. You would simply provide documentation explaining your coursework and credit hours obtained. If your transcripts are in a language besides English, you will likely have a fee to get them translated for examination.

Following the submission of your training information, you will then complete an application and pay the examination fee to sign up for the Colorado state license exam. After you pass the exam, if you’ve never held a license in Colorado you will be approved. Keep in mind that Colorado highlights that proof of lawful residency in the United States must be established before you can receive a license in the state.

Keep in mind that if English is not your first language, you can apply for accommodations on the exam. The accommodations allow you to receive additional time on the practical and written exams. To receive the accommodations you must submit a letter to your instructor explaining that English is not your first language.

Find out our tips for starting a salon HERE!

License Reinstatement

If you have an expired license and need to get it reinstated, there are a few things you need to do. First, you’ll need to complete a reinstatement application and pay all appropriate fees. If the license has been expired for more than 2 years but less than 5 years you’ll need to complete one of three requirements. The requirements are as follows:

Verification of an active license (at the time of application) from another state, territory, or foreign country in which the applicant has been actively practicing within 2 years immediately preceding the application receipt date; or
Submitting proof of completion of 16 hours of continuing education, approved by the Director, related to the practice of the applicant’s license during the 2 years immediately preceding the receipt date of application for reinstatement; or
Passage of the written examination used for initial licensure

If the license has been expired for 5 or more years, you’ll need to establish competency to practice. To fulfill this requirement you’ll need to complete one of the following:

Verification of an active license (at the time of the application receipt date) from another state, territory, or foreign country in which the applicant has been actively practicing within 2 years immediately preceding the application receipt date; or
Submitting proof of completion of 24 hours of continuing education, approved by the Director, related to the practice of the applicant’s license during the 2 years immediately preceding the receipt date of application for reinstatement; or
Passage of the written examination used for initial licensure under section