(a) No person shall be permitted by the board to receive a license as a cosmetologist unless such person (1) shall be at least sixteen years of age and of good moral character at the time of making application, and (2) shall have completed a tenth grade education or the equivalent thereof, or in lieu of such education or the equivalent thereof shall have received training from or under the auspices of the Bureau of Rehabilitation in the Department of Labor and Industry, and (3) shall have either (i) completed not less than one thousand two hundred fifty hours as a student in a duly registered school of cosmetology as hereinafter provided in this act, or (ii) shall have been registered and served as an apprentice at least two thousand hours in a licensed cosmetology salon as hereinafter provided in this act. The application shall be accompanied by a notarized statement from either the licensed cosmetology school the applicant attended or the licensed cosmetology teacher in the licensed cosmetology salon where the applicant studied and trained, stating that the applicant has completed the study and training period required under this act.

(b) An applicant wishing to obtain licensure in the practice of cosmetology may be permitted to apply to take the written examination upon completion of at least nine hundred hours of instruction in a duly licensed school of cosmetology. The examination shall include both theoretical and procedural skill questions as prescribed by the board. Any applicant may apply and is eligible for licensure upon (1) passing the written examination, (2) completion of the required one thousand two hundred fifty hours of instruction, and (3) certification by a duly licensed school of satisfactory completion of all program requirements.

(c) No person shall be permitted to receive a license to teach cosmetology or natural hair braiding, nail technology or esthetics unless such person shall have a license to practice cosmetology or a limited license, be at least eighteen years of age, shall have completed a twelfth grade education or the equivalent thereof and have had five hundred hours of specialized training as set forth in section 6 of this act¹ which hours shall be in addition to the hours necessary to qualify for a license to practice cosmetology or a limited license.

(d) An applicant for a license to teach cosmetology, natural hair braiding, nail technology or esthetics shall be permitted to take a written examination upon completion of at least four hundred hours of the specialized training required. The examination shall include both theoretical and procedural skill questions as prescribed by the board. Any applicant may apply and is eligible for licensure upon (1) passing the written examination, (2) completion of the required five hundred hours of instruction, and (3) certification by a duly licensed school of satisfactory completion of all program requirements.