Getting a nail license in North Carolina: Can the exam be taken in Vietnamese

The Board does not say. Its exam registration steps tell you to choose the written exam language from a dropdown when you register, and note that practical exams are English only. The Board does not list which languages, so whether Vietnamese is one of them is not stated. Ask the Board or the testing provider before you register.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: Required training hours

300 hours in an approved cosmetic art school manicurist program, plus the required performances.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: What the exam covers

You must pass the State Board examination with a score of 75 percent or higher.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: License fee

$20 for an initial in-state manicurist license. An applicant licensed in another state pays $35.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: If you are licensed in another state

North Carolina calls this reciprocity. Two conditions: you hold a current license in good standing, and you are licensed in a state that offers reciprocity to North Carolina. The Board is explicit that a registration or a certificate is not enough, and that reciprocity cannot be granted for one. The fee for the manicurist license is $35. For some states, that state's board has to send your certification to North Carolina before you apply. The page does not say whether a North Carolina exam is required, so ask the Board rather than assume either way.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: A temporary permit, six months, not renewable

Every graduate is eligible for a temporary permit, but three things must be done: the school submits your graduation paperwork to the Board (the school does this, not you); you submit the examination application to Prov at provexam.com within 3 months of the date of graduation and after that date; and you send the Board the temporary permit form with a $5 fee. All permits are valid for 6 months after the date of graduation, and permits cannot be renewed. That makes the 3-month exam application window the deadline that really decides things: miss it and you lose the legal way to work while you wait to sit the exam.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: Registering with Prov, and where applications get held up

The Board does not run registration itself: qualified candidates apply for examinations at provexam.com. On the self-registration screens you select North Carolina, then the certifying body NC - Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners, then the license and the written exam LANGUAGE from a dropdown; practical exams are English only. You must pick the school where you actually trained from the list, and picking the wrong one delays your approval. What you type must match exactly what is on your government issued photo ID, middle initial or middle name included. Your application then transfers to your school or the Board for approval, and you can only book a seat after an email voucher letter says you are approved to test. If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act it must be approved BEFORE you schedule, by emailing the form to support@provexam.com. Questions go to NCSupport@provexam.com.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina: Filing for the license: the form, the payment, and the felony question

After graduating and passing both examinations, a North Carolina graduate files one of two ways: online through the Board's Online License Application, or by post on the paper License Application, revised February 24, 2025. The Board says licenses will be issued and mailed within 5 to 10 business days after receipt of a completed application and payment. The form adds: incomplete or incorrect applications will not be processed; if your name has changed, attach legal documentation showing the change; payment is by check or money order made out to NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners, and cash is NOT accepted; overpayments will be returned. The form asks whether you have ever been convicted of a felony, and notes under G.S. 88B-24 that after completing training and passing the examination the Board MAY refuse to license anyone convicted of a felony, while also stating that the Board does not require a criminal history check.

Getting a nail license in North Carolina

What North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners publishes about getting a nail license, checked on September 7, 2026.

Can the exam be taken in Vietnamese: The Board does not say. Its exam registration steps tell you to choose the written exam language from a dropdown when you register, and note that practical exams are English only. The Board does not list which languages, so whether Vietnamese is one of them is not stated. Ask the Board or the testing provider before you register.; Source: NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Registering for exams and exam scheduling information · Checked September 10, 2026
Required training hours: 300 hours in an approved cosmetic art school manicurist program, plus the required performances.; Source: NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Licensure requirements for NC applicants · Checked September 7, 2026
What the exam covers: You must pass the State Board examination with a score of 75 percent or higher.; Source: NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Licensure requirements for NC applicants · Checked September 7, 2026
License fee: $20 for an initial in-state manicurist license. An applicant licensed in another state pays $35.; Source: NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Current fees · Checked September 7, 2026
If you are licensed in another state: North Carolina calls this reciprocity. Two conditions: you hold a current license in good standing, and you are licensed in a state that offers reciprocity to North Carolina. The Board is explicit that a registration or a certificate is not enough, and that reciprocity cannot be granted for one. The fee for the manicurist license is $35. For some states, that state's board has to send your certification to North Carolina before you apply. The page does not say whether a North Carolina exam is required, so ask the Board rather than assume either way.; Source: North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Licensed in another state · Checked September 12, 2026
A temporary permit, six months, not renewable: Every graduate is eligible for a temporary permit, but three things must be done: the school submits your graduation paperwork to the Board (the school does this, not you); you submit the examination application to Prov at provexam.com within 3 months of the date of graduation and after that date; and you send the Board the temporary permit form with a $5 fee. All permits are valid for 6 months after the date of graduation, and permits cannot be renewed. That makes the 3-month exam application window the deadline that really decides things: miss it and you lose the legal way to work while you wait to sit the exam.; Source: North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Exams · Checked September 21, 2026
Registering with Prov, and where applications get held up: The Board does not run registration itself: qualified candidates apply for examinations at provexam.com. On the self-registration screens you select North Carolina, then the certifying body NC - Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners, then the license and the written exam LANGUAGE from a dropdown; practical exams are English only. You must pick the school where you actually trained from the list, and picking the wrong one delays your approval. What you type must match exactly what is on your government issued photo ID, middle initial or middle name included. Your application then transfers to your school or the Board for approval, and you can only book a seat after an email voucher letter says you are approved to test. If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act it must be approved BEFORE you schedule, by emailing the form to support@provexam.com. Questions go to NCSupport@provexam.com.; Source: North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - Exam registration step by step guide (PDF) · Checked September 21, 2026
Filing for the license: the form, the payment, and the felony question: After graduating and passing both examinations, a North Carolina graduate files one of two ways: online through the Board's Online License Application, or by post on the paper License Application, revised February 24, 2025. The Board says licenses will be issued and mailed within 5 to 10 business days after receipt of a completed application and payment. The form adds: incomplete or incorrect applications will not be processed; if your name has changed, attach legal documentation showing the change; payment is by check or money order made out to NC Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners, and cash is NOT accepted; overpayments will be returned. The form asks whether you have ever been convicted of a felony, and notes under G.S. 88B-24 that after completing training and passing the examination the Board MAY refuse to license anyone convicted of a felony, while also stating that the Board does not require a criminal history check.; Source: North Carolina Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners - License Application (PDF) · Checked September 21, 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 7, 2026

Read the general guide to the nail license

Nail license, state by state

Getting a nail license in North Carolina

Also about North Carolina