California Cosmetology Act and Board Regulations
California's cosmetology law sits in the Business and Professions Code (Division 3, Chapter 10) and is carried out through regulations in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (BBC), part of the Department of Consumer Affairs, issues licenses, inspects establishments, and may cite, fine, suspend, or revoke.
Who may do what
An esthetician license requires 600 training hours plus passing written and practical exams; the minimum age is 17. Estheticians perform skin care and facials, makeup application, hair removal by waxing, tweezing, and threading, and brow and lash tinting. They may not cut, color, or chemically straighten hair, perform manicuring or pedicuring, or apply permanent makeup - permanent makeup is body art, licensed and inspected by the county, not the BBC. Laser, IPL, and injectables are medical procedures outside the esthetics scope.
Renewal and practice rules
Licenses renew every two years, and California does not require continuing education hours for renewal - a favorite trick answer. The license (or a copy) must be available at the work location, the establishment must hold its own license, and a licensed person must be present whenever services are performed.
Trap watch
Questions love mixing scopes: an esthetician offering a manicure is wrong; a cosmetologist performing a facial is fine; an esthetician performing a haircut is not. Unlicensed practice, letting an unlicensed person perform services, and renting space to an unlicensed operator are all violations.
Rule of thumb
If a service breaks the skin, uses a medical device, or permanently alters pigment, it is not esthetics - it requires another license or a physician's involvement.