The standard requirement: 4 hours
For license renewals on or after September 1, 2025, TDLR rule 16 TAC §83.25 requires the 4 hours to break down as:
- 1 hour — sanitation (health and safety rules for tools, stations, and services)
- 1 hour — human trafficking prevention (recognizing potential victims and how to help or report)
- 2 hours — approved elective topics: Texas barbering/cosmetology law and rules, curriculum-standard topics, mental health awareness, or additional sanitation/trafficking content
The 15-year reduction: 2 hours
If you have held your practitioner license for at least 15 years, TDLR reduces your requirement to 2 hours: 1 hour of sanitation plus 1 hour of human trafficking prevention. (Before September 2025 the reduction was sanitation only — the trafficking hour is new.)
Hold two licenses? CE completed for one counts for all licenses you hold, but the 15-year reduction only applies when every license you hold has passed the 15-year mark.
Timing rules that catch people out
- Hours must be completed within the two-year period immediately preceding your renewal date — older hours don't count
- CE is required for late renewals too, not just on-time ones
- A CE hour is 50 minutes of instruction — the 4-hour course is 200 minutes of seat time
- You can't repeat the same course for credit twice in one period
- Keep your certificates of completion for at least 2 years
Which course do you need?
Licensed under 15 years: the 4-hour course. Licensed 15+ years: the 2-hour course. When you register with us, we look up your license number in TDLR's records and confirm which one applies before you pay — and both courses cover every practitioner license type under the combined barbering and cosmetology program.
Frequently asked questions
Do estheticians, manicurists, and eyelash specialists have the same CE requirement?
Yes. All practitioner licenses under TDLR's combined barbering and cosmetology program follow the same rule: 4 hours per two-year period, or 2 hours after 15 years of licensure.
What changed on September 1, 2025?
Human trafficking prevention became a required hour for everyone — including 15+ year licensees, whose reduced requirement went from 1 hour (sanitation) to 2 hours (sanitation + human trafficking prevention).
Can I carry over extra CE hours to the next renewal?
No. Hours count only within the two-year period immediately preceding the renewal date they're used for.
Who reports my hours to TDLR?
Your CE provider files completions electronically — TDLR requires filing within 7 days; we report within 24 hours. Verify yours anytime with TDLR's Continuing Education Courses Look Up.
Is there an exam in the CE course?
TDLR's requirement is completed instruction time (50 minutes per CE hour). Our course tracks your engaged seat time and includes short knowledge checks to keep you on pace.