{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-business-occupations-and-professions-5-304","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions § 5–304","heading":"","body":"(a) (1) To qualify for a license to practice as a cosmetologist, an applicant shall be an individual who meets the requirements of this section.\n(2) The applicant shall be at least 17 years old.\n(3) The applicant shall have completed successfully a 9th grade education or the equivalent.\n(4) (i) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, an applicant shall have received training by:\n1. serving as a registered apprentice as provided under §§ 5–404 and 5–405(e) of this title; or\n2. successfully completing a required program of at least 1,500 hours of training in a cosmetology school that is approved by the State Board of Education or the Maryland Higher Education Commission in consultation with the Board.\n(ii) If an applicant is a barber or master barber currently licensed in this State, the Board shall:\n1. credit the applicant with having met one–half of the training requirements of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph; and\n2. determine the manner in which the credit will be applied.\n(iii) An applicant meets the requirements of this subsection if:\n1. the applicant has held a cosmetologist license in another state or foreign country and has actively practiced cosmetology in the other state or foreign country for a period of 6 months; or\n2. the applicant has been trained in a cosmetology school in another state or foreign country that has standards substantially equivalent to or more stringent than the standards of a school that is approved by the State Board of Education or the Maryland Higher Education Commission in consultation with the Board.\n(5) The applicant shall have completed 1 hour of in–person or virtual training in domestic violence awareness under § 5–305.1 of this subtitle.\n(6) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the applicant shall pass a written and practical examination given by the Board under this subtitle.\n(b) To qualify for a license as a senior cosmetologist, an applicant shall:\n(1) have 2 years of experience as a licensed cosmetologist; and\n(2) pass an examination approved by the Board.","path":["Article - Business Occupations and Professions"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo\u0026section=5-304","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:56:13Z","sha256":"bf3341e6cc440022dc1568d4a8b439f9c66e93ce5b10f9341787b1eb69f7da4c","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-business-occupations-and-professions-5-303","next":"us-md/md.-code-business-occupations-and-professions-5-305"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}