All Roll Calls
Yes: 213 • No: 14
North DakotaHB 11262025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
AN ACT to create and enact eleven new sections to chapter 43-11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to salon and school inspections, nursing home, basic care facility, and assisted living facility salons, military and military spouse reciprocity licensure, advanced esthetician licensing and late renewals for establishments and schools; to amend and reenact sections 43-11-01, 43-11-02, 43-11-03, 43-11-04, 43-11-05, 43-11-06, 43-11-08, 43-11-10, 43-11-11, 43-11-13, 43-11-14, 43-11-15, 43-11-16, 43-11-16.1, 43-11-19, 43-11-20.3, 43-11-21, 43-11-23, 43-11-24, 43-11-25, 43-11-26, 43-11-27, 43-11-28, and 43-11-29 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the practice and licensure of cosmetologists, estheticians, advanced estheticians, manicurists, and instructors; to repeal sections 43-11-11.1, 43-11-17, and 43-11-27.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the use of brush rollers, licenses issued for schools and salons, and esthetician and manicurist licensing qualifications and fees; to provide a penalty; and to provide an effective date.
Sponsored By: House Industry, Business and Labor
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
15 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 1 costs, 6 mixed.
Military families get fee-free beauty licenses
Qualifying active-duty members, veterans, and their spouses can receive three-year provisional licenses without a fee or exam. They must have held an equivalent license in another U.S. state or territory for the preceding two years, keeping it active and in good standing. Active-duty applicants and spouses must provide military and, where applicable, marriage and assignment documents; renewal requires continuing qualifying orders. Veterans and their spouses must apply within six months after honorable discharge and provide discharge and applicable marriage records; their licenses cannot be renewed. The Board must prioritize, expedite, record, and track covered applications, including those from surviving spouses of veterans.
Out-of-state beauty workers gain licensing paths
Qualifying out-of-state cosmetologists, estheticians, advanced estheticians, and manicurists can get a North Dakota endorsement license without an exam. This requires similar practice scope and exam standards, verified minimum education, one year in good standing across licensed jurisdictions, and fees. Applicants must satisfy disciplinary-history rules; the Board cannot issue or deny this route's license while an imposing jurisdiction's disciplinary action remains unresolved. An alternative accepts required curriculum hours or substantially equal work experience, counting 1,000 work hours as 100 curriculum hours. Work experience from the three years before application is capped at 500 hours; applicable licensing, fee, and discipline requirements still apply.
Shorter paths to advanced esthetician licenses
Eligible students with cosmetology or esthetics coursework, and active North Dakota license holders, can receive up to 600 advanced-esthetics training hours of credit under Board rules. A separate transition path runs through December 31, 2027, for North Dakota cosmetologists and estheticians with one year of practical experience immediately before enactment. They need four hours of approved safety and infection-control training, current OSHA bloodborne-pathogens certification, and approved first-aid and CPR certifications. They also need a notarized affidavit documenting 300 hours of medically supervised service work during the five years before applying, or 150 approved advanced-esthetics training hours. Those who miss the deadline or do not meet the transition requirements must complete a 500-hour Board-approved advanced-esthetics program.
Beauty instructors get revised licensing rules
Instructor applicants need a current North Dakota cosmetologist, esthetician, advanced esthetician, or manicurist license, approved training, and theory and practical tests. Student instructors need 240 training hours after holding an eligible license for at least two years; otherwise, they need 480. Schools must register each student instructor, pay a Board-set fee, and allow at most two per full-time-equivalent licensed instructor actively teaching. Student instructors need four years of high school or equivalent, although the separate instructor-license section drops its former education credential and alternative experience-and-training paths. After training, applicants must apply and pay the applicable licensing and exam fees.
Beauty apprenticeships gain paths and safeguards
The Board can establish internships and apprenticeships, including licensing and discipline rules. Apprenticeships require U.S. Department of Labor registration, written agreements, and state-approved participating establishments that provide trainer information. Trainers need a current relevant license held for at least three consecutive years and Board-approved educator training. Establishments face at least annual audits and inspections and must post that apprentices are training and unlicensed. They must report relevant changes before implementation; failure to correct deficiencies within a reasonable time can bring penalties.
Beauty schools face new training standards
Beginning January 1, 2026, North Dakota's school rules cover cosmetology, esthetics, advanced esthetics, and manicuring programs. Required training totals are 1,500, 600, 1,100, and 350 hours, respectively. Schools generally need two full-time-equivalent licensed instructors and no more than 24 students per instructor, based on current enrollment. Schools teaching only esthetics, advanced esthetics, or manicuring have a 12-student limit per instructor. Cosmetology students can enter at age 16 with tenth-grade education or its equivalent, replacing the former high-school-equivalent requirement.
Advanced estheticians gain services with safeguards
The advanced-esthetics license covers advanced chemical peels, microneedling, nonablative procedures, and extractions using lancets. It does not authorize treating medical, physical, or mental ailments. Before using each covered microneedling pen, roller, device, nonablative device, or advanced peel, licensees must submit a written Board application. They must also submit proof of Board-approved extra training and certifications for that procedure or device.
Beauty providers face skin-treatment safety limits
Cosmetology includes esthetics, eyelash and eyebrow services, specified hair extensions, and manicuring. Esthetic peels must be below 30% alpha hydroxy acid, 20% beta hydroxy acid, 15% resorcinol, or 15% trichloroacetic acid. Ordinary esthetics excludes threading, advanced esthetics, and procedures below the skin's outermost layer. Cosmetologists, estheticians, and manicurists cannot cut, puncture, or damage living cells, including through lasers, light, or energy; all four professions, including advanced estheticians, are barred from procedures that remove living tissue. Board rules can further limit advanced services or require oversight by a sufficiently trained or certified physician, physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse.
Salon ownership eases; independent operators face rules
Anyone authorized to do business in North Dakota can own a salon; specified master-licensee supervision requirements are removed. Practitioners, salons, and schools still need proper licenses, and the Board sets establishment qualifications and fees. Independent licensees working within, but separately from, a salon must follow the chapter's establishment rules. Cosmetologists, estheticians, and manicurists can practice outside licensed salons under Board rules. Licenses must remain clearly visible to the public, but no longer specifically at the spot where services are provided.
Beauty students can cancel training contracts
Students have an unrestricted right to cancel a course-of-instruction contract at a school covered by the chapter. Canceling does not create tort or contract liability. The wording now reaches the chapter's broader school category, rather than only cosmetology schools. This provision does not set a refund amount.
More supervisors for master beauty licenses
Cosmetologists and estheticians seeking a master license have another option for earning qualifying practice hours. A licensed advanced esthetician can supervise those hours. The work must remain under that supervisor's direction, control, and responsibility.
Care facilities gain salon licensing exemptions
Licensed nursing homes, basic care facilities, and assisted living centers need no establishment license for licensed cosmetologists serving residents only. The facility must not advertise as a salon; a cosmetologist serving nonresidents must obtain an establishment license. Separately, cosmetology services by facility staff or unpaid volunteers are exempt from the chapter in licensed hospitals, basic care facilities, and nursing homes.
Hair braiders gain broader service definitions
Natural hair braiding now includes specified hair manipulation and making wigs from natural hair, natural or synthetic fibers, and extensions. It also covers topical products and braid maintenance using simple braiding devices. The definition does not include specified chemical treatments applied to growing human hair.
Clinicians keep separate advanced skin-treatment authority
Listed clinicians are exempt from the cosmetology chapter when performing advanced esthetic procedures under their North Dakota professional licensing laws. These include physicians, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, dental surgeons, optometrists, and chiropractors. The exemption does not replace the rules of their own licensed professions.
Salons and schools face inspection enforcement
The Board or its designee must inspect new salons, independent licensees, and schools, plus conduct routine inspections. Extra inspections can follow violations, ownership changes, late renewals, disciplinary probation, or specific complaints alleging chapter violations. Inspections can be unannounced, generally during business, teaching, or practice hours unless all interested people agree otherwise. The Board can charge a reinspection fee, capped at $75, for specified extra inspections. Refusing or interfering with an inspection is grounds for discipline.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
House Industry, Business and Labor
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/17/2025
Second reading, passed, yeas 81 nays 8
Yes: 81 • No: 8
Senate vote • 4/11/2025
Second reading, passed as amended, yeas 45 nays 1
Yes: 45 • No: 1
House vote • 2/4/2025
Second reading, passed, yeas 87 nays 5
Yes: 87 • No: 5
Actions Timeline
Filed with Secretary Of State 04/23
4/25/2025HouseSigned by Governor 04/23
4/24/2025HouseSent to Governor
4/22/2025HouseSigned by Speaker
4/22/2025HouseSigned by President
4/21/2025SenateSecond reading, passed, yeas 81 nays 8
4/17/2025HouseConcurred
4/17/2025HouseReturned to House (12)
4/11/2025HouseSecond reading, passed as amended, yeas 45 nays 1
4/11/2025SenateAmendment adopted, placed on calendar
4/11/2025SenateReported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 5 0 0
4/10/2025SenateCommittee Hearing 02:00
3/6/2025SenateIntroduced, first reading, referred Workforce Development Committee
2/11/2025SenateReceived from House
2/5/2025SenateSecond reading, passed, yeas 87 nays 5
2/4/2025HouseAmendment adopted, placed on calendar
1/31/2025HouseReported back amended, do pass, amendment placed on calendar 14 0 0
1/30/2025HouseCommittee Hearing 09:00
1/13/2025HouseIntroduced, first reading, referred Industry, Business and Labor Committee
1/7/2025House
Bill Text
Adopted by the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee
Adopted by the Senate Workforce Development Committee
Enrollment
FIRST ENGROSSMENT
FIRST ENGROSSMENT with Senate Amendments
INTRODUCED
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