Getting a nail licence in Massachusetts

Required training hours

A 100-hour nail course in a Board approved program. This is the lowest hour requirement among the states checked on this site; California asks for 400. A Massachusetts cosmetologist licence needs 1,000 hours, of which 50 are manicuring.

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering - How can I become a cosmetologist, electrologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or barber? · Checked September 14, 2026

Application fee

$68 for a manicurist application. The same amount applies to cosmetologist and aesthetician. The fee is paid online through the eLIPSE platform and is non-refundable.

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering - How can I become a cosmetologist, electrologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or barber? · Checked September 14, 2026

What the exam covers

A written theory exam only; there is no practical exam. The Board uses PSI to administer it. Board approval of the application comes first, and only then can the exam be scheduled: once the application is processed, PSI emails you to book a date. An incomplete application is held open for 180 days, after which it is treated as abandoned and a new application and payment are required.

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering - How can I become a cosmetologist, electrologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or barber? · Checked September 14, 2026

What if I hold a licence from another state

Massachusetts accepts transfers and states plainly when no new exam is required. No exam is needed if all of these are true: your other-state licence is current, you obtained it by passing an exam in a US state or jurisdiction, none of your licences has ever been suspended or revoked, you completed a school program substantially equivalent to the Board's requirement (100 hours for manicuring), and your current licence's scope is equivalent to the one you are applying for. An exam IS required if any of these apply: you have no current licence anywhere, you have never passed a US licence exam, a licence of yours has been suspended or revoked, your completed education is below the Board's required hours, you trained through an apprenticeship rather than a school, or your old licence does not cover all the services the new one covers. Fees: $204 where no exam is required, $136 where one is. Out-of-country applications run on a separate track at $136.

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering - Transfer a cosmetology, aesthetics, manicuring, barber, or electrology license to Massachusetts · Checked September 14, 2026

What if I trained outside the United States

Massachusetts runs a separate track for people trained outside the US, and few states spell it out this clearly. The file needs a 2-inch by 2-inch passport-style photo, a copy of your passport, and a notarised CORI form. Beyond that you need ONE of the following: an affidavit or transcript from your school, notarised in the country where you studied, giving your enrolment dates, completion, and the HOURS IN EACH SUBJECT (the Board is explicit that it wants subject-by-subject detail such as '25 hours in waxing, 8 hours in skin diseases', not a vague total like '300 hours in skin care'), together with official government documentation that the school was authorised to operate at the time; OR an affidavit from your employer, notarised in the country where you worked, certifying at least 2 years of work in the trade. If you were self-employed, a notarised affidavit from your landlord certifying that you ran a salon for at least 2 years. All supporting documents must be originals and translated by an accredited agency.

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering - Transfer a cosmetology, aesthetics, manicuring, barber, or electrology license to Massachusetts · Checked September 14, 2026

Where to apply

Online only, through the Division of Occupational Licensure's eLIPSE platform. The first time, you create a MyMassGov account and link your licence to it; the Board advises reading its licence-linking guide BEFORE creating the account, because a wrong link leaves the application unable to find your licence. Documents and payment both go through eLIPSE, including the Division's CORI form.

Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering - How can I become a cosmetologist, electrologist, manicurist, aesthetician, or barber? · Checked September 14, 2026

Every line carries its own check date, because a page is only as trustworthy as its oldest line.

The oldest line on this page was checked September 14, 2026