How to Renew Your TN Cosmetology Licence

Licence renewal has a habit of feeling more complicated than it actually is, especially when you think about all the requirements: continuing education, audits, and lots of paperwork. Luckily for you, Tennessee is a bit different. The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examinations adopts a rather straightforward style for licence renewals.

So, just in case you’ve been wondering what it takes to renew your TN cosmetology licence successfully, here is what you should know.

What the Renewal Cycle Looks Like

Cosmetology licences in Tennessee are valid for two years after the issue date, whether this is for a new licence or after a renewal. You can submit your renewal application within 60 days of your licence’s expiry date. This, according to us, is a generous window for you to handle everything regarding the renewal and submit your application on time.

If you are an instructor, you will want to have completed your 16-hour TN cosmetology license renewal course earlier so that the only thing remaining will be to submit the renewal application.

You should get a reminder notification from the state’s licensing board, but it’s not advisable to rely on it. That’s because your contact details could be outdated, or the notice might fail to reach you for some reason. Should this happen, the deadline remains, and if your licence expires, the board won’t be liable.

Completing Your Continuing Education

Most cosmetologists, especially those who are at an early stage of their career, get it wrong here. If you hold a standard cosmetology and barber licence, you won’t need any continuing education when renewing your licence.

The board, however, mandates continuing education for cosmetologists with an instructor licence. Ensure you take a board-approved 16-hour course to avoid any issues during the renewal process.

And while not requiring CE might sound like good news for a cosmetologist who holds the standard licence, you don’t want to let it hinder your growth and success. It’s always a good idea to pursue advanced training or certifications from widely renowned organisations if you want to succeed in this industry.

Even though the board doesn’t require you to, continuing your learning puts you in a position of advantage and increases your marketability. Your clients and employers are likely to take you more seriously when they realise that you’ve taken some time, despite the busy schedule, to work on your knowledge and skills.

Fees for Renewal

This one’s pretty straightforward, unless, of course, you miss a deadline. For on-time renewals, you will pay $60 when submitting your renewal application. Failing to renew your licence on time, however, causes it to enter an Expired-Grace status. A licence in this state is eligible for renewal, but you are required to pay a late fee.

All cosmetology licences have a late fee of $25, as long as you renew the licence within 3 years of expiry. The late fee applies until 31 days before hitting 2 years after the initial expiration date. During this period, the total fee will be $85 ($60+$25). After this period (from year 2 to 3), the late fee goes up another $60 ($60+$25+$60). As mentioned earlier, you must renew your licence within 3 years after it has expired to avoid losing it completely.

If you have a master barber, the late renewal fees are a tad different. The standard $60 fee applies for on-time renewal, but the late fees are as follows:

• First year: $60
• Second: $120
• Third: $240

The late fees are typically added to the standard renewal fee, which is why it’s always good practice to renew your licence on time if you want to avoid the inconvenience and money loss.

Actual Renewal Process

This one’s a bit simpler than most people expect, since it’s done online through the board’s CORE licensing system. You just need to log in to your account, confirm the details, update your details where necessary, pay the fee, and then submit your information.

If you don’t have an account, you can always create one and link it to your licence so that future renewals will be much easier.

Making Your Renewal Easier

As you can see, renewing a cosmetology licence in Tennessee is actually easier when you know the steps to follow. As long as you have a clear understanding of the requirements and get into action early enough, it should be a frictionless process.

If you are an instructor, however, you might be looking for a way to make your continuing education more enjoyable and easier to complete. Well, that’s exactly what RocketCert does for you, so make sure to check out their CE courses.