Pathway lookup
Cosmetology in Michigan
These pages summarize rules to help you plan. They are not legal advice. Before you place students at a work site or change a program, check with your state agency, your district's counsel and your insurance carrier.
In short
Michigan students can earn cosmetology hours only in a LARA-licensed school, so programs partner with or become one; the license comes at 17 after 1,500 hours.
State program: CIP 12.0400 Cosmetology
What a high school can deliver
Partial or full licensure hours inside a LARA-licensed school; the license comes at 17 after all 1,500 hours, with no early testing.
Credentials students can earn
Michigan cosmetologist license (PSI exams) for 12.0400 (CTEIS list: Confirm with the agency)
Age and hour requirements
License at 17 with a 9th-grade education; 1,500 hours in a licensed school (425 theory, 965 practical, 110 unassigned) or a 2-year apprenticeship (MCL 339.1207; R 338.2161); no early testing.
Other agencies involved
LARA Board of Cosmetology: school of cosmetology license (application, floor plan, inspection, monthly attendance reports); no public school exemption (MCL 339.1205a). Lead time: Confirm with the agency.
Who can teach it
Annual Career Authorization (4,000 hours in 10 years) plus a LARA instructor license: cosmetologist license, 3 years of practice (1 in an establishment), 600 instructor-training hours since July 1, 2024, and an exam (MCL 339.1206).
Child labor rules for work placements
Paid work: LEO Youth Employment Permit Portal permit since Oct 2, 2026; 24 hours a school week at 16-17. No cosmetology-specific child labor rule; a written school-employer agreement on file at the worksite is the alternative route.
College credit after high school
Mott statewide agreement: up to 24 credits (CSMO 100-103), 2.5 grade, within 3 years, expires Nov 1, 2026 (); local agreements (Muskegon Area CTC).
Where to go next
- The full Cosmetology guide, showing Michigan
- The Michigan state profile
- Add this pathway to your plan
Cosmetology in other states
Other pathways in Michigan
- Nurse Aide / Patient Care
- EMT
- Electrical
- Welding
- Construction and Carpentry
- HVAC/R
- Cybersecurity / Networking
- Programming / Computer Science
- Automotive
- Medical and Dental Assisting
- Agriculture
- Early Childhood Education
- Culinary and Hospitality
- Machining and Mechatronics
- Engineering and Drafting
- Firefighting
- Law, Public Safety and Corrections
- Business Management and Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
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