All four New Jersey beauty licenses in one place. Every New Jersey paper is NIC-developed with a five-question New Jersey State Law block and is administered by Prometric, a single Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling covers all license types including barbers, and no continuing education is required at renewal for any license type.
Prep for this state
Every New Jersey paper is NIC-developed with a five-question New Jersey state law block on top, administered by Prometric. One Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling covers every license type, barbers included, and no continuing education is required at renewal for any of them. 1,200 hours come first.
Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Built for the NIC Candidate Information BulletinPractice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Built for the NIC Candidate Information BulletinThe NIC National barber theory exam as Prometric delivers it for the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, with the New Jersey law items seated inside the paper. Seats per test, as every one of the ten forms carries them: Hair Care Services 40, Scientific Concepts 35, Facial Hair and Skin Care Services 15, Implements and Equipment 10, New Jersey State Law 5.
Built for the NIC CIB and this state’s law itemsPractice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Built for the NIC Candidate Information BulletinEvery 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
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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. New Jersey’s paper is NIC content with a five-question New Jersey State Law block, so these are the items your exam is built from — everything except that law block. No email, no signup.
New Jersey · Cosmetology
1,200 hours, a written exam via Prometric (120 questions), a practical, and a temporary permit while you wait. NJ calls this a "cosmetology-hairstylist" license — it covers hair, skin, and limited nail services.
New Jersey's State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling issues the cosmetology-hairstylist license — the broadest beauty license in the state, covering hair, basic skin care, limited nail services, waxing, and makeup. All exams are administered by Prometric. No apprenticeship pathway exists for cosmetology in New Jersey.
A temporary permit (120 days) is available upon application — allows you to work while waiting to be scheduled for exams. Once issued, the permit cannot be renewed; pass your exams before it expires.
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Verify school approval at njconsumeraffairs.gov. Programs typically run 9–12 months full-time. Your school will submit proof of training hours to the Board.
Apply to the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. The filing fee is $50, plus a licensing fee of $60 if applying in the first year of a licensing cycle or $30 in the second year. Request a temporary permit at the same time if needed.
Once authorized, register at prometric.com/njsbch. Pay the $53 written exam fee. Schedule at a Prometric center in New Jersey.
120 questions in 120 minutes. Score is available immediately at the Prometric center. If you fail, you may retake — but you may not take the exam more than two times under NJ rules.
After passing the written exam, register with Prometric for the practical. Prometric publishes no fee for the practical. A passing grade is required, but the Board publishes no figure for it. Results are provided at the testing site.
Once both exams are passed, submit any remaining documents to the Board. Your cosmetology-hairstylist license is issued and valid for two years.
New Jersey grants reciprocity to out-of-state cosmetologists who hold a current, active license from a state with substantially equivalent requirements (1,200+ hours and equivalent exam). Submit an out-of-state application with verification of licensure from your original state. Note: NJ does not reciprocate with California, Florida, Hawaii, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, or Utah for cosmetology.
Biennial (every 2 years) in even-numbered years · $60 renewal fee · CE-free. Renew through the NJ MyLicense portal (myidentity.ps.nj.gov) or by mail.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's cosmetology prep is also available in Spanish.
New Jersey · Esthetics
600 hours, same Prometric exam structure as cosmetology; official pass marks are set by the state board, and the Board publishes no figure for the practical. NJ calls this a "skin care specialist" license — makeup artistry without a salon setting may not require it, but professional facial services always do.
New Jersey licenses skin care specialists (estheticians) through the same State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling that governs cosmetology. The 600-hour requirement and Prometric exam structure are the same framework as cosmetology — just scoped to skin care services.
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Programs typically run 4–6 months full-time. No apprenticeship option in NJ for esthetics.
Apply to the NJ Board. Request a temporary permit at the same time if you want to work while waiting for exams.
Schedule at prometric.com/njsbch. The written exam covers skin anatomy, infection control, facial procedures, hair removal, makeup, and NJ laws.
After passing written, book the practical at Prometric. Bring supplies as specified in the NJ Candidate Manual.
NJ esthetics license is valid for two years.
NJ accepts out-of-state esthetics licenses from states with substantially equivalent requirements. If your home state's requirements differ, you may need to provide proof of 3+ years of professional experience. Current active license required.
Biennial · $50 renewal fee · CE-free. Renew through MyLicense.
New Jersey · Barber
New Jersey merged its barber and cosmetology boards in 1984 — there is no separate barber board. 900 hours at a barber school, the same Prometric exams as cosmetology, and the same Board oversight. Barbers in NJ can also perform chemical services, distinguishing the license from a restricted barber license in other states.
Barbering and cosmetology in New Jersey are regulated by the same Board — the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. There is no separate NJ Barbers' Board. Barbers complete 900 hours (300 fewer than cosmetologists) at a Board-approved barber school, and the same Prometric written and practical exam structure applies.
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Programs typically run 7–9 months full-time. No apprenticeship available in NJ for barbers.
Apply to the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (same Board as cosmetology). Apply for a temporary permit if needed.
Schedule at prometric.com/njsbch. Covers barber theory, sanitation, shaving techniques, chemical services, and NJ laws.
After passing written. Bring required tools as specified in the NJ Barber Candidate Manual.
Valid for two years. Renewable through MyLicense.
NJ accepts out-of-state barber licenses from states with substantially equivalent requirements. NJ is notable for granting reciprocity primarily to individuals holding both an active barber and cosmetology-hairstylist license in their home state. Applicants with only a barber license may still apply — contact the Board for current reciprocity criteria for single-license holders.
Biennial · $60 renewal fee · CE-free. Renew through MyLicense in even-numbered years.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's barber styling prep is also available in Spanish.
New Jersey · Manicurist
New Jersey calls this the "manicurist" license — 300 hours at a Board-approved school, the same Prometric written and practical structure; official pass marks are set by the state board.
New Jersey's manicurist license is issued by the same State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling that governs all other license types. The written exam is the NIC-developed New Jersey Manicurist paper, administered by Prometric — the same provider used for cosmetology, esthetics and barber in New Jersey. The practical is handled through the Board directly. Official pass marks for both are set by the state board.
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Programs typically run 2–3 months full-time. Your school submits proof of training to the Board.
Apply to the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. Once authorized, Prometric contacts you with written exam scheduling instructions.
Written exam covers nail anatomy, sanitation, manicure/pedicure procedures, nail enhancements, and NJ laws. Book through Prometric's scheduling portal.
Download the practical exam application from the Board. Have it notarized. Pay exam fees (check current amount on the Board's application form, payable to "State of New Jersey"). Mail to the Board.
Practical is held at Board-authorized exam sites. Bring required supplies. Results issued after the exam. License is valid for two years.
NJ accepts out-of-state manicurist/nail tech licenses from states with substantially equivalent requirements. Submit verification of your current active license from your home state's licensing board. Contact the NJ Board to confirm current endorsement eligibility for your specific state.
Biennial · $50 renewal fee · CE-free. Renew through MyLicense in even-numbered years.
🇻🇳 NICPrep's nail technology prep is also available in Vietnamese.
Yes. New Jersey’s theory examinations are developed by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) and administered by Prometric on behalf of the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. They are New Jersey papers rather than the national ones — the cosmetology paper is 120 questions, five of which are New Jersey State Law, and every other New Jersey license paper carries the same five-question law block.
New Jersey requires: Cosmetology-hairstyling — 1,200 hours; Esthetics — 600 hours; Barber — 900 hours; Manicurist — 300 hours. All are governed by the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. There is no separate barber board in New Jersey.
No. New Jersey merged its barber and cosmetology boards in 1984. The NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling regulates all beauty professions including barbers, cosmetologists, estheticians, and manicurists.
Initial fees are a $50 application and authorization fee (or $80 in the first year of a licensing cycle) plus the $53 written exam fee paid to Prometric. Prometric publishes no practical fee. Renewal is $60 every two years.
No. New Jersey does not require continuing education for renewal of any cosmetology, esthetics, barber, or manicurist license. All licenses renew every two years, with renewal fees of $60.
New Jersey’s exams are developed by NIC and administered by Prometric, with five New Jersey State Law questions on every paper. This bank is the NIC content those papers are built from — infection control, anatomy, hair services, skin care, nail care — everything except each paper’s five law questions.
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