• Cosmetology license applicants must pass an exam.haare waschen image by Digitalpress from Fotolia.com
  
  A cosmetologist is someone who is paid to cut, color, perm, relax or remove hair, or perform manicures or pedicures. In Florida, cosmetologists must be licensed by the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation, unless they only perform shampooing and conditioning treatments. The state has qualifications that must be met before the applicant may take the exam to become a licensed cosmetologist. The application fee was $78 as of 2010. Additional fees may be charged by a private vendor who administers the exam.
  
  

Age

• Cosmetology license exam applicants must be at least 16 years old or they must have received a high school diploma.
  
  

Education

• The completion of 1,200 hours in a cosmetology program is required to apply to take the license exam. People from other states who want a Florida license may be able to take the exam if they have held a license in another state for at least a year.
  
  

Exam

• Passing of the state exam is required before the applicant can receive a license. The exam is divided into two parts: written theory and written clinical; applicants can take them separately. They have two years from the date of their first attempt to pass both portions.
  
  

HIV/AIDS

• Applicants must complete a course on HIV/AIDS within two years prior to submitting an application. A certificate of completion of a state-approved course must be submitted with the exam. The course must be at least four hours long. There are private vendors who offer HIV/AIDS classes, or the class can be taken through a county health department. The Charlotte County Health Department, for example, states that its HIV/AIDS class encourages ways to prevent the illness, raises awareness about HIV/AIDS-related services in the county and help individuals learn how to maintain healthier lifestyles and reduce the number of new HIV infections. One course vendor, Cosmetology Continuing Education, tests students after the class on their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, including how it is spread and prevented, and includes questions about other communicable diseases as well.
  
  

Criminal Charges

• A licensed cosmetologist must report to the state within 30 days if they have been convicted or pleaded no contest to any crime. Failure to do so could result in a license suspension or revocation.