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South Dakota Cosmetology Commission

Out-of-State Applicants — Not Licensed (Student Applications)

If you do not have a license from another state, but do have education in another state, you will need to apply for a license in South Dakota as an out-of-state student.

The Cosmetology school you attended will need to send a copy of your transcripts directly to our office from theirs. If your school is no longer accessible, the State Board of Cosmetology in that state must provide an affidavit/certification attesting to the school and the hours you earned, also to be sent directly to our office from theirs. A cosmetologist applicant must have 1,500 hours; an esthetician applicant 600 hours; and a nail technician applicant 400 hours

As a graduated student, you must provide:

• a completed application
• the $100.00 examination fee (a check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to "SD Cosmetology Commission")
• a copy of your driver’s license
• a copy of your birth record or naturalization record
  • OR a copy of your birth record or naturalization record & current photo

All paperwork must be received at least two weeks before the examination date. See our Exam Schedule page for upcoming dates when the exam will be given.

Once registered for the examination, we will send you a state laws/rules booklet and information on the exam procedures. Approximately two weeks before the date of the boards, we will send you an admission notice, detailing what you must bring to the exam.

The examinations consist of a national (NIC) written exam, a national (NIC) written practical exam, and a South Dakota state written laws/rules exam. The written exams can take up to four hours.

A temporary license to practice in South Dakota before taking the examination is available. The fee is $6.00 (a check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to "State Cosmetology Board"). The temporary license is valid until the date of your examination and you will not be issued a second temporary license upon failure of any exam.

Please use the Examination and Temporary License Application: Out-of-State Student (Adobe PDF) to apply.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Commission staff at 605. 773.6193 or email us.