Title 17 — Professions, Occupations, and Businesses

Every school shall at all times be in charge of and under the supervision of a licensed cosmetologist manager-operator who has had at least a total of three (3) years of practical experience in the practice or teaching of all of the branches of cosmetology, except the branch of e…

(a) (1) (A) A person employed in a school to instruct students in the school shall be licensed as an instructor in the field in which he or she specializes.(B) A licensed instructor in good standing is not required to renew his or her specialty license.(2) A licensed instructor s…

(a) All instructors shall be continuously engaged in teaching students in theoretical or practical work. Except when instructing a student, an instructor may not practice upon a client, and any instructor who does so is subject to disciplinary action by the Cosmetology Technical …

(a) Each school shall maintain a school term of not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) hours, instruction of which shall not be in excess of ten (10) hours per day and six (6) days per week during the course. The school shall maintain a course of practical training and t…

(a) (1) An electrology course established by a school of cosmetology shall consist of three hundred fifty (350) hours or six hundred (600) hours of practical training and technical instruction that shall extend over a period of not less than two (2) months for a three-hundred-fif…

(a) Instruction shall not exceed ten (10) hours per day and six (6) days per week during the program. (b) When a student completes the required number of hours for a special program and reenrolls for a cosmetology program or when a student transfers from a special program to a co…

(a) (1) All students of cosmetology, manicuring, electrology, aesthetics, and instructor training shall be registered with the Department of Health before accredited hours can be obtained.(2) The enrollment application shall be accompanied by a copy of a method of identification …

A.C.A. § 17-26-416Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) In each licensed school of cosmetology:(1) A student for a license as a cosmetologist, after one hundred fifty (150) hours of instruction, may engage, in the school as a student, in work connected with any branch or any combination of the branches of cosmetology taught in the…

(a) (1) All public educational institutions operating cosmetological schools shall comply with the standards and rules promulgated by the State Board of Health.(2) (A) However, the responsibility for approval of cosmetological schools in public educational institutions shall be t…

(a) A cosmetological school or establishment under this subchapter shall establish a domestic violence and sexual assault awareness training course. (b) (1) A student enrolled in a cosmetological school or establishment shall complete a one-hour course in domestic violence and se…

(a) (1) Beginning September 1, 2017, the Department of Health may issue a license for the operation of a mobile salon to an applicant who submits an application on a form approved by the Cosmetology Technical Advisory Committee, pays required fees as determined by the department …

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Natural Hair Braiding Protection Act”.

(1) The General Assembly finds that:(1) Natural hair braiding is a traditional practice that is safe;(2) Natural hair braiding presents no significant health and safety risks to customers or practitioners;(3) Occupational regulation harms consumers by limiting their choices or by…

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Mechanical device” means clips, combs, curlers, curling irons, hairpins, rollers, scissors, needles, thread, and hair binders; and(2) (A) “Natural hair braiding” means a service of twisting, wrapping, weaving, extending, locking, or braiding ha…

The practice of natural hair braiding, except as provided by this subchapter, is exempt from regulation under this chapter and is exempt from the authority of the Cosmetology Technical Advisory Committee, the State Board of Health, and the Department of Health.

(a) A person who has practiced natural hair braiding for two (2) consecutive years as of December 31, 2015, shall be granted a natural hair braiding certificate if he or she completes and files the following on or before December 31, 2015:(1) An application for certification;(2) …

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Artist” means any person other than a licensed physician who performs body art on a human and is licensed in this state;(2) “Artist instructor” means an artist who:(A) Has been licensed by the Department of Health as an artist for at least five…

(a) (1) A person under eighteen (18) years of age shall not undergo body art unless:(A) Written consent is given by the person's parent or legal guardian;(B) The parent or legal guardian is present during the procedure;(C) The person to undergo body art and the parent or legal gu…

(a) (1) Body art establishments in which body art is performed and artists who perform body art shall be licensed by the Department of Health.(2) An institution shall be licensed by the department as an establishment and as an approved body art training institution.(3) An artist …

(a) Any city or county department of health may periodically inspect body art establishments on the basis of compliance with state, city, or county sanitary regulations. (b) The governing body of any municipality or county may adopt by ordinance local sanitary regulations of body…

This subchapter does not create any liability, criminal or otherwise, for a person under eighteen (18) years of age for undergoing body art.

(a) (1) Each artist, artist instructor, and student artist shall complete United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration blood-borne pathogens training approved by the Department of Health.(2) An approved online course may be used to satisfy the requirement under sub…

(a) An artist instructor shall be a registered instructor in an institution licensed by the Department of Health. (b) The maximum number of student artists in training in a training facility at any time shall be at a ratio of no more than eight (8) students to one (1) artist inst…

(a) (1) (A) Each artist in training seeking licensure as an artist under the rules of the Department of Health shall take a written examination prepared or approved by the department upon completion of training.(B) Upon completion of the hours required under § 17-26-607, a practi…

(a) The Department of Health may issue a temporary demonstration license to an artist or establishment or to a supplier of materials for body art for:(1) Educational purposes where body art is performed;(2) Trade shows where body art is performed;(3) Demonstrations of body art pr…

(a) (1) The Department of Health shall create and publish a list of critical items for closure of an establishment.(2) The department shall list the prohibitions under § 17-26-611 as critical items for closure. (1) The Department of Health shall create and publish a list of criti…

(a) Body art is prohibited:(1) On a person who is inebriated or appears to be incapacitated by the use of alcohol or drugs;(2) On a person who shows signs of recent intravenous drug use;(3) On an area with sunburn, open lesions, rashes, or wounds;(4) With the use of a product or …

(a) An artist who violates this subchapter or rules adopted by the State Board of Health pertaining to body art commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each offense. (b) After n…

An artist licensed by the Department of Health shall not perform or attempt to perform the insertion of a subdermal implant.

(a) It is declared to be the policy of this state that activities of those persons who render service to the public in the counseling area and use the title “licensed professional counselor”, “licensed associate counselor”, “licensed marriage and family therapist”, or “licensed a…

(1) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Counseling services” means those acts and behaviors coming within the practice of counseling, as defined in this section;(2) “Counselor educator” means a person who:(A) Possesses an advanced degree in counsel…

(a) This chapter shall not be applicable to persons engaged in counseling individuals or groups concerning weight loss, weight control, or nutrition education, nor to persons whose counseling activities are confined to the area of alcohol and drug abuse. (b) Nothing in § 17-27-10…

(a) (1) A person who holds himself or herself out to the public as being engaged in the practice of counseling or marriage and family therapy as defined in § 17-27-102 or represents himself or herself by the title “licensed professional counselor”, “licensed associate counselor”,…

The courts of this state are vested with the jurisdiction and power to enjoin the unlawful practice of counseling or false representation as a licensed counselor in any proceeding brought by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling or by any member thereof or by any citizen …

(a) There is created a board to be known as the “Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling”, consisting of nine (9) members who shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. (b) Appointments shall be made so as to ensure that the Arkansas Board of Exa…

(a) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall organize within thirty (30) days following the appointment of any new members by the Governor on January 2 of each year. (b) The board shall elect a chair and a secretary from its members to serve for terms of one (1) year. …

(a) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall perform those duties and have those powers as this chapter prescribes and confers upon it. (b) The board shall adopt rules and procedures as it deems necessary for the performance of its duties. (c) The board shall adopt the…

(1) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall issue a license as a licensed professional counselor to each applicant who files an application upon a form and in the manner that the board prescribes accompanied by a fee as set by the board and who furnishes satisfactory …

(a) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall issue a license of licensed associate counselor to each applicant who meets the requirements established in § 17-27-301, with the exception of § 17-27-301(6). (b) The licensed associate counselor may practice only under dire…

(1) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall issue a license as a licensed marriage and family therapist to each applicant who files an application upon a form and in the manner as the board prescribes accompanied by a fee as set by the board and who furnishes satisfac…

(1) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall issue a license as a marriage and family therapist to each applicant who files an application after January 1, 1998, upon a form and in a manner as the board prescribes accompanied by a fee as set by the board if he or she m…

(a) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall issue a license as a licensed associate marriage and family therapist to each applicant who meets the requirements of § 17-27-304, with the exception of § 17-27-304(1)(B). (b) The licensed associate marriage and family thera…

(a) (1) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall provide approval before an applicant is allowed to sit for examination.(2) The board shall designate the time and place of any examination in advance of any examination. (1) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling …

(a) (1) Biannually at the time of renewal, counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists licensed under this chapter shall be required to submit a license renewal fee to be established by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling.(2) (A) Failure to pay the biannual r…

(a) At its discretion, the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling may waive formal examination requirements of a candidate who is licensed or certified to practice counseling or marriage and family therapy by a similar board in another state if, in the opinion of the Arkansas …

(a) The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling shall have the power to suspend or revoke a license issued under this chapter or impose other appropriate restrictions or additional sanctions, including without limitation supervision, probation, counseling, or additional educati…

(a) All fees from applicants seeking licensure under this chapter and all license or renewal fees received shall be paid to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. (b) No part of any fee shall be returnable under any condition other than failure of the board to hold examin…

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the confidential relations and communications between a licensed counselor and a client, a licensed associate counselor and a client, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a client, or between a licensed associate marriage and family t…

All laws of this state that pertain to licensed professional counselors shall likewise pertain to and include licensed marriage and family therapists.