Missouri Laws, Rules, and Regulations
Who regulates you
Nail technicians in Missouri are licensed through the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, part of the Division of Professional Registration within the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The Board writes and enforces rules on licensing, schools, salons, sanitation, and discipline.
The licensing chain
To practice for compensation you need a current individual license, earned by completing the required clock hours at a licensed school, passing the practical and written examinations, and meeting the Board's age and education requirements. The salon where you work must hold its own shop license. Licenses are displayed where clients can see them, kept current through the Board's renewal cycle, and updated when your name or address changes. Practicing without a license or on an expired license exposes you to fines, refusal, or revocation.
Scope of practice
You may perform manicures, pedicures, and nail enhancements following the sanitation rules. You may not diagnose or treat disease, cut living tissue, or perform services outside your license. Inspectors may enter a licensed salon, and violations can bring fines, suspension, or revocation.
Traps
- Assuming your license lets you perform any service in the shop - it does not.
- Forgetting the shop license, or assuming an owner's license covers employees.
- Guessing at hour or fee numbers; numbers change, so verify with the current Board rules and statute rather than memory.
Rule of thumb
When a question asks what to do about a rule you are unsure of, the safest answer is usually the one that involves verifying with the Board, displaying your license, and staying inside your scope.