Getting a nail license in California
What California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology publishes about getting a nail license, checked on September 7, 2026.
- Can the exam be taken in Vietnamese
- Yes. The Board states the written exam is available in English, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese. No special request is needed; the language is chosen when registering for the exam.
- Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology - Examination information · Checked September 7, 2026
- Required training hours
- 400 hours of nail care instruction at a Board approved school. The Board does not accept apprentice hours for the manicurist license.
- Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology - License requirements · Checked September 7, 2026
- What the exam covers
- The written exam only: 60 scored questions, 5 pretest questions, 90 minutes. Since January 1, 2022, California no longer requires a practical exam for any license type.
- Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology - Examination information · Checked September 7, 2026
- Age and schooling
- At least 17 years old, and completion of the 10th grade in California public schools or the equivalent.
- Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology - License requirements · Checked September 7, 2026
- If you are licensed in another state
- The Board issues a California license by reciprocity without the California written exam, on a complete reciprocity application with the required fees plus proof of a current, unrestricted license in good standing from the other state.
- Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology - Applicant information · Checked September 7, 2026
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The oldest line on this page was checked September 7, 2026