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You might let your cosmetology license expire for any number of reasons. Perhaps you want to take some time off to further your education, pursue other job opportunities, or focus on your family. Maybe you simply lost track of time and missed your renewal deadline.

Whether your lapse in licensure was due to missing a recent renewal deadline or it’s been expired for a while, you may have options to renew an existing license, rather than applying for a new one. It could depend on a few factors. Here’s what you need to know about getting back to work after your cosmetology license expires.

Factors Affecting License Renewal

Licensing requirements vary by state, and, sometimes, by municipality, depending on how licensing is administered. It’s important to contact the licensing body in your state and county of residence to make sure you understand renewal requirements. The action you must take to renew your license may depend on how long it has been expired.

Many states have a grace period that allows you to apply for renewal, supposing you’ve completed applicable continuing education (CE) credits and paid fees, within a certain amount of time after expiration. This could be anywhere from 30 days to a year or more. Often, you will have to pay an additional late fee, which could increase over time.

Requirements to Renew Your License

Once you understand the renewal requirements for your state, you need to complete the requirements to renew your license by the grace period deadline. This typically includes several hours of state- or board-approved CE. In Florida, you must complete 10 hours of CE per license renewal period.

Tennessee requires 16 hours of state-approved CE for license renewal every two years. By comparison, California requires no CE for renewal; you simply apply and pay applicable fees. You may face additional late fees for renewal if your license has expired.

If your license has expired for too long, it could lapse into an inactive or suspended status. In some cases, this may mean undergoing a board review or paying additional renewal late fees.

However, it could also make you ineligible for renewal, in which case you would need to reapply for a license, meeting all initial licensing requirements, such as passing a state exam.

What Happens if You Continue to Operate Without a License?

The grace period in your state may allow you to continue operating with an invalid license for a short time if you’re working to complete your renewal requirements.

More often, an expired license is considered immediately invalid, which means you can no longer legally perform job activities. Doing so risks sanctions from your state or local licensing body, as well as legal penalties, such as fines.

Completing CE Renewal Requirements

If you live in a state that requires CE as part of the license renewal process, it’s best to find an approved program that caters to working professionals, with 24/7 online access for self-paced learning.

Has your cosmetology license expired? It may not be too late to renew it. Once you understand the renewal or reinstatement requirements for your state, contact RocketCert to learn more about CE programs.