Continuing Education at MIAA
Maryland now requires two separate things at license renewal: six hours of continuing education, and a one-hour domestic violence awareness course. MIAA is an approved provider for both, fully online.
What House Bill 1600 requires
Effective 1 January 2026, Maryland House Bill 1600 requires every licensed cosmetologist, senior cosmetologist, hairstylist, esthetician, and nail technician to complete six hours of Board-approved continuing education before renewing their license.
The six hours split into two required hours — Health, Safety, Welfare, Sanitation, and/or Board Laws and Regulations — and four elective hours chosen from topics like business, cosmetology or esthetics practice, nail techniques, and product knowledge.
Hours are due within your own renewal term, not a calendar year: if your license was issued 1 February 2024 and expires 1 February 2026, all six hours are due somewhere inside that two-year window.
Read HB 1600 on the Maryland General Assembly site, or see COMAR 09.22.04.03.
How MIAA delivers it
Every course is 100% online and self-paced — no scheduled sessions, no log-in windows. Start when you have time and finish before your renewal date.
As an approved provider, MIAA reports your completed hours directly to the Board on your behalf, generally within 14 days of completion. You still receive a certificate for your own records — keep it in case the Board asks to see it.
Domestic violence awareness training works differently: MIAA reports it to you, and you submit your certificate to the Board yourself. Details are below.
Popular Maryland CE courses.
Course offerings change as we add new topics — the full, current list always lives in the catalog.
The Business in Beauty: Business, Branding + Bankability
Pricing, branding, and growing your income. Satisfies the full 4-hour elective requirement on its own.
Add to cart
Salon Safe: Infection Control + Sanitation Standards
Current Maryland sanitation law, infection control, and safety practice. Fulfills the complete 2-hour required-topics category.
Add to cart
Polished + Professional: Ethics, Boundaries + Best Practices
Professional ethics, client relationships, and staying compliant with Board law. Counts toward the required-topics category.
Add to cartThe Maryland CE Bundle — $89.99.
Three courses, one price, all six hours: The Business in Beauty (4-hour elective), Salon Safe (2-hour required), and Domestic Violence Awareness Training (1 hour, separate requirement).
Covers your full six CE hours plus the one-time domestic violence course in a single checkout.
Domestic violence awareness training is a one-time requirement.
Since HB 1547 took effect, every applicant for an original Maryland cosmetology license, and every current licensee who has not yet taken it, must complete a one-hour domestic violence awareness training course through a Department-approved provider. It applies to Senior Cosmetologists, Cosmetologists, Limited Hairstylists, Limited Estheticians, Limited Nail Technicians, and Limited Blow-Dry Stylists.
This is a one-time requirement, not an annual or every-renewal one. Complete it once — at initial licensing, or at your next renewal if you have not taken it yet — and you are done.
It is also separate from your six CE hours under HB 1600. Completing it does not reduce or replace any required or elective CE topic, and it is not accepted as a CE elective.
How to submit it: email a copy of your certificate of completion to the Board yourself, including your full name, license type, and registration number. Keep the original certificate; the Board may audit or verify it later. MIAA submits your CE completions directly, but domestic violence certificates are submitted by you — never through the CE reporting portal.
This course teaches awareness, professionalism, and how to point a client toward resources. It does not train you to investigate, counsel, or intervene directly. Requirements are set by the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists, not by MIAA — confirm your own deadline on the Board's Domestic Violence Awareness Training page.
Two requirements, six-plus-one hours.
| Requirement | Hours | Applies to | Who reports it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE — Required topics (HB 1600) | 2 | Renewal only | MIAA, directly to the Board |
| CE — Elective topics (HB 1600) | 4 | Renewal only | MIAA, directly to the Board |
| Domestic violence awareness (HB 1547) | 1 | Once — new applicants, or licensees who haven't taken it | You, by email to the Board |
Continuing education, answered.
Who has to complete continuing education?
Licensed cosmetologists, senior cosmetologists, hairstylists, estheticians, and nail technicians. If you hold an active Maryland license in one of these categories, the six-hour requirement applies to you at renewal.
How many hours do I need, and how are they split?
Six hours total: two hours from Required Topics (Health, Safety, Welfare, Sanitation, or Board Laws and Regulations) and four hours of Electives.
Is domestic violence awareness training part of my 6 CE hours?
No. It is a separate one-hour requirement under HB 1547. It does not count toward, and cannot be substituted for, any of your six CE hours.
Do I need to take domestic violence training every renewal?
No — it is a one-time requirement. Take it once, either when you apply for your original license or at whichever renewal comes next if you haven't taken it yet.
Are MIAA's courses approved?
Yes. MIAA Beauty Institute is an approved continuing education provider with the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists, and an approved provider for domestic violence awareness training.
Do I submit my certificates myself?
For CE hours, no — MIAA reports your completions directly to the Board. For domestic violence awareness training, yes — you email your certificate to the Board yourself and keep the original.
What happens if I miss my renewal deadline?
Reinstatement requirements vary. Contact the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists directly if your license has lapsed or is close to lapsing.
Do I need to be a MIAA graduate to take these courses?
No. Our courses are open to any licensee or applicant who needs the hours, regardless of where you went to school.
Requirements are set and can be changed by the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists. See the Board's pages on continuing education and domestic violence awareness training to confirm your own deadline.