Getting a nail licence in Florida

Required training hours

At least 180 hours in a nail specialty program at a Florida school of cosmetology. After the hours, you send in the nail specialty registration application with the fees, and the registration is issued once the application is approved.

Source: Florida Board of Cosmetology - FAQs · Checked September 7, 2026

Registration, not an exam

The Board's FAQ describes the nail specialist path as finishing the hours and then filing a registration application, and names no state exam for nail specialists. The exam it does describe is the cosmetology exam. Ask the Board directly before enrolling, because this is the point most easily misread.

Source: Florida Board of Cosmetology - FAQs · Checked September 7, 2026

If you are licensed in another state

You may apply by endorsement if you hold a current and active registration or licence in another state whose requirements are equal to or greater than Florida's. Apprenticeship licensees are not eligible for endorsement.

Source: Florida Board of Cosmetology - FAQs · Checked September 7, 2026

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