The Details
What you need
These guidelines are meant to provide prospective schools with an overview of the school licensure process.
Types of schools licensed by the board with guidelines:
Before applying to open an advanced, aesthetics, cosmetology, barbering, electrology, or manicuring school in Massachusetts, make sure to review all statutes and regulations listed in Massachusetts General Law c. 112 87T to 87KK and 240 CMR 2.00 to 11.00.
- 240 CMR 8.00: Barber regulations (includes barber schools)
- 240 CMR 4.00: Operation of cosmetology schools and post-secondary institutions
- 240 CMR 5.00: Operation of aesthetic schools and post-secondary institutions
- 240 CMR 7.00: Operation of manicuring schools
- 240 CMR 10.00: Licensure of electrolysis schools
- 240 CMR 6.00: Advanced seminars
Application process
- Initial application: Submit the following documents to online:
- Floor plan - We no longer conduct preliminary inspections or require a preview of floor plans. Instead, please submit the following:
- A detailed floor plan indicating the total square footage (ensure the space meets the minimum required square footage)
- Photographs of the proposed space
- School Catalog (annotated per checklist)
- Catalog checklist
- Enrollment Agreement (annotated per checklist)
- Enrollment checklist
- Curriculum
- Floor plan - We no longer conduct preliminary inspections or require a preview of floor plans. Instead, please submit the following:
- Upon receipt of the above documents, you will be scheduled to meet with the Board for review. At that meeting, the Board will either vote to advance your application or ask you to return the following month if additional changes are required.
Please review the criteria carefully. If, after two rounds of review, your materials are still incomplete or do not meet the requirements, the Board may vote to administratively deny your application. You would then be required to restart the application process after a period designated by the Board.
- Secondary application: Once the Board votes to accept the above documents, you will be required to submit the following:
- Application & payment
- Criminal offender record information (CORI) request
- School Bond Form (It is required that the Board-approved bond form be used.)
- Certificate of Occupancy
- Copies of Instructor licenses
- List of enrolled students signed by the applicant
- Once all of the above are received and approved, an agency inspector will then contact you directly to conduct the final inspection.
- If the space passes inspection, all documents are in order, and your CORI review is satisfactory, your school license will be issued.
How to apply
- When you create your MyMassGov account to access eLIPSE the first time, eLIPSE will ask you to enter information to help it locate your license and link it to your MyMassGov account.
- Please read the Linking Your License guide before creating your account to ensure it is linked correctly.
- Applications, renewals, and reinstatements must be submitted online through the eLIPSE platform.
- You will be asked to submit all required documents via the eLIPSE platform, including a DOL CORI form. Once submitted, you will be notified of any required next steps.
- Payment will also be made via the eLIPSE platform.
- For general instructions on managing your licenses and permits, view the DOL eLIPSE How-to-Guides.
- Incomplete applications will be held open for 180 days from the date of application receipt in order to allow applicants to provide the missing information or documentation. After 180 days have elapsed, the incomplete application will be considered abandoned, and applicants will need to submit a new application and payment.
You may call our Welcome Center at 617-701-8895 any time between 9:00am- 5:00pm. Our welcome center staff will guide you through the process.
You may visit our Welcome Center at One Federal Street, Suite 600, Boston MA 02110 between 9:00am- 5:00pm. Our welcome center staff will guide you through the process via our agency kiosks or your personal laptop/mobile device.
To apply by mail or email, or if you need reasonable accommodation, please reach out to the board for next steps via the email or phone number below.