Mississippi Proposes New Cosmetology Rules

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In September 2022, the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology (Board) announced proposed cosmetology rules. The proposed effective date is October 10, 2022. The proposed rules impact the following areas:

Definitions
Fines
Prohibited tools and services
Fees

ASCP, AHP, and ANP have summarized those proposed rules for you below.

Definitions (page 67)

The proposed rules add the following words to the definitions section:

Brush-up hours—course hours a student must complete 365 days after their course completion date if they do not graduate on time. Students would start taking brush-up hours 365 days after their course completion date expires.

Reciprocity—the mutual exchange of licensing privileges between states that have the same licensing qualifications and conditions.

Temporary practice permit—a permit that is active for no more than 365 days, or until an individual is granted or denied a license.

Temporary work permit—a permit issued to in-state students registered in a Mississippi-licensed school who have completed the required training hours. Students are allowed to have a temporary work permit before their graduation ceremony date.

Fines (page 71)

The current rules use a table to list nearly 100 violations and display the applicable fine for a first or second offense for each violation. The proposed rules simplify the process and suggest a “Class Designation of Fines” model. This model would assign a fine for noncompliance with Mississippi law and rules according to the following class system:

Class A violations: no more than $100, nor more than $400, and violations are specific to:
- Unlicensed practice or using untrue statements to gain benefits or privileges
- Extremely dangerous health and safety violations detrimental to the general public
Class B violations: no more than $100, nor more than $400, and violations are specific to:
- Major health and safety concerns that are detrimental to public safety and welfare
Class C violations: no more than $100, nor more than $400, and violations are specific to:
- Minor health and safety violations that are detrimental to public safety and welfare.

The proposed rules also suggest reducing the frequency of establishment inspections from once annually to once every two years. In the event an establishment is issued a citation for noncompliance, the owner, manager, or practitioner may pay the fine within 30 days.

Prohibited Tools and Services (page 79)

The proposed rules add micro plane foot files to the list of prohibited tools. Microblading is also added as a prohibited service.

Fees (page 86)

The proposed rules eliminate the wig specialist license category from the fee schedule, and add the following new fees:

Demonstrator’s permit $10
Military/military spouse out-of-state permit and license $0 (no charge)
Substitute/lost license renewal form application fee $15