How to Start an Esthetician or Skin Care Business in Washington: 750 Hours, Master Esthetician Lasers and the $121 Shop License

Opening a skin care business in Washington takes two separate sets of approvals. You need a personal esthetician license from the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL), and you need a business registration that makes your company legal to operate. People often mix these up and file in the wrong order. This guide covers both, in the order you will need them.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, hour requirements and processing times can change. Confirm current figures with the agency named in each step. If your situation is complex, such as a salon with several owners, a medical spa with physician involvement, or licensing in more than one state, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA before you sign a lease or a contract.

What you need before you start

• A transcript from a licensed school showing 750 hours of esthetics training, or documentation for the master esthetician path described below
• Your legal name and the personal information DOL requires on its application
• A business name you have checked against the Secretary of State business database
• A Washington street address for your registered agent (if you form an LLC) and for your work location
• A budget for DOL fees, business filings and the shop license. Tuition, exam costs and insurance premiums are not covered in this guide, so get written quotes from schools, testing providers and insurers
• A business bank account and an email address for state correspondence

Step 1: Complete 750 hours of esthetician training

A Washington esthetician license requires 750 hours of school training. An apprentice route is also available, which requires 800 hours of apprentice training. The statutory definition of the practice of esthetics is in chapter 18.16 RCW, and the training hour requirements appear in RCW 18.16.020.

Before you pay a deposit, ask each school how its hours are structured and whether it will document them in the format DOL requires. Some programs bundle hours with instruction in areas such as sanitation, anatomy and product knowledge. Ask whether the program's hours will be accepted without a gap or a re-test. Confirm the final answer with DOL, because the agency makes the licensing decision, not the school.

Step 2: Pass the exam and submit your DOL application

After training, you take the required examination and then apply to DOL. As of 2026, the fees are:

• $35 application fee (WAC 308-20-210)
• $66 for each 2-year esthetician license (WAC 308-20-210)

Exam fees are set by the testing provider, and this guide does not state that figure. Confirm the exam fee, the exam schedule, and any other charges on the DOL cosmetology and esthetics pages at dol.wa.gov before you register. Do not pay for an application through a third party that charges more than the official fee without knowing what extra service you are buying.

Keep a copy of your school transcript, your exam results and your DOL confirmation.

Step 3: Decide whether to pursue master esthetician

Washington separates the esthetician and master esthetician licenses, and the difference matters for your business plan. A master esthetician needs either 1,200 total hours of training or an esthetician license plus 450 additional hours (RCW 18.16.020).

A master esthetician may perform medium-depth peels and use medical devices, including lasers, light, radio frequency, plasma, IPL and ultrasound devices, for skin care and permanent hair reduction. Device use must follow state law on delegation or supervision by a licensed health professional (RCW 18.16.020(32)). An esthetician license alone does not allow laser work, and no esthetician may run lasers independently. Injections are never part of the practice of esthetics (RCW 18.16.020(30)).

If you hold a diploma from CIDESCO or ITEC, or a National Coalition of Estheticians credential, you may qualify for the master esthetician license by passing the required exam (RCW 18.16.130). Check with DOL on the exact qualification steps for your credential before you enroll in additional training.

For a laser or device business, decide early who will supervise device use and how that arrangement will be documented. Talk with your supervising health professional and, if the arrangement is complex, with an attorney.

Step 4: Choose your business structure

Your structure determines whether you file anything with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietors and general partnerships do not file with the Secretary of State. An LLC does, through the Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) at ccfs.sos.wa.gov.

To form an LLC in Washington:

1. Choose a compliant name. Under RCW 23.95.305, the name must include Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Co., L.L.C. or LLC. It must be distinguishable from every other business name on record, and it cannot contain bank, banking, banker, trust, cooperative, or certain combinations of words such as building, savings, loan, home, association and society. You can reserve a name for 180 days for $30.
2. File the Certificate of Formation with Initial Report. The filing fee is $180. Expedited service is $100 per business entity, generally processed within three business days. The Secretary of State does not publish a standard turnaround for regular online filings.
3. Appoint a registered agent. Under RCW 23.95.405, every LLC must designate and maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in Washington. PO Boxes and private mailbox addresses are not accepted. The agent must consent to serve and supply an email address. You can change the registered agent at no fee.
4. Calendar the annual report. The annual report costs $70 and is due by the last day of the month in which the LLC was formed, every year. You may file it up to 180 days early. A late filing carries a delinquency fee, for a total of $95.

Washington has no franchise tax and no corporate income tax. Instead, most businesses pay the state business and occupation (B&O) tax, a gross receipts tax with more than 50 activity classifications. Ask the Department of Revenue (DOR) which classification fits your services and product sales.

Step 5: Register with the Business Licensing Service

Washington's general business license is issued by the Business Licensing Service (BLS) inside the Department of Revenue. The BLS issues your nine-digit Unified Business Identifier (UBI) and handles trade names and city and state endorsements in one application. LLCs and corporations must file with the Secretary of State before they submit this application.

You generally need a Business License Application if you:

• Operate under a name other than your full legal name
• Plan to hire employees within 90 days
• Sell anything subject to sales tax, which includes retail skin care products
• Expect gross income of $12,000 or more per year
• Owe any tax or fee to the Department of Revenue

The processing fee to open a business is $50. A trade name registration costs $5 for each name, plus the non-refundable application fee of $10 when the filing adds a trade name to an existing business. Trade names are registered with the BLS, not the Secretary of State or your county. Online applications take about 10 business days. If city or state endorsements need approval, add two to three weeks. Mailed applications can take up to six weeks. Start at dor.wa.gov.

Step 6: Get your salon or shop location license

A salon or shop location license through DOL costs $121 a year. Confirm with DOL what the application requires and the address of the location where you work. If you practice from a home studio or a leased suite, confirm with DOL how the location rules apply to your setup before you open for clients.

Permanent cosmetics artists who hold an operator license and an artist shop license at the same site pay a reduced $15 shop fee. If you offer both esthetics and permanent cosmetics from one location, ask DOL how the two fees interact, and confirm the combined cost in writing.

Step 7: Check city, county and health permits

Washington has 39 counties and 281 incorporated places (cities and towns). Your city or county may require its own business license, a zoning approval for a commercial space, or a certificate of occupancy. Many cities also levy a local B&O tax that the Department of Revenue does not administer. About 54 cities add their own B&O tax, so check your city's rules and rates before you set prices.

If you use devices or offer services that fall under local health rules, contact your local health jurisdiction to ask whether a permit applies. Confirm this with the health district rather than assuming it does not.

Step 8: Set up sales tax and B&O reporting

The Washington state sales tax rate is 6.5 percent. Retail product sales are generally subject to sales tax, so you will need to collect it and report it. Ask DOR how service revenue, product sales and packaged treatments should be classified for sales tax and B&O purposes. Keep separate records for each category from your first day.

Step 9: Secure insurance and your workspace

Commercial liability insurance is not described as a state requirement in this guide, but it is a practical necessity for anyone performing skin treatments on clients. Get quotes that name your specific services, including any device work, and confirm with your landlord whether the lease requires proof of coverage. Also confirm that your sanitation setup, storage and waste disposal meet the standards that apply to your location.

Expected results from your services

Under FDA rules, the way you describe a product or treatment determines how it is regulated. Cosmetics are intended to be applied to the body for cleansing, beautifying or altering appearance. A product that claims to treat a disease or to change the structure or function of the body can be regulated as a drug. Learn more at fda.gov/cosmetics.

In your marketing and consultations, use hedged language. Services may help skin look smoother, more hydrated or more even in tone. Results can be temporary and vary by skin type, consistency of home care and individual factors. Avoid words such as cure, heal, erase or permanently fix when you describe a result. Those words can turn a cosmetic claim into a medical one.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking laser work before you hold the master license and have a supervision plan. An esthetician license does not cover laser work.
• Offering injections or describing them as part of your services. Injections are not part of the practice of esthetics.
• Forming an LLC before choosing a compliant name. The name must include LLC and cannot include restricted words. Reserve it first if you need time.
• Operating under a trade name without registering it. Register each trade name with the BLS, not the Secretary of State.
• Missing the annual report deadline. A late filing adds a delinquency fee, bringing the total to $95.
• Skipping city checks. A city business license or zoning approval can delay your opening date if you find out late.
• Using medical claims in marketing. Keep product and service descriptions within cosmetic claims.

Key costs and timelines at a glance

Item	Agency	Cost	Timing
Esthetician application	DOL	$35	Confirm on DOL site
Esthetician license (2 years)	DOL	$66	Confirm on DOL site
Name reservation	Secretary of State	$30	Holds name for 180 days
LLC Certificate of Formation	Secretary of State	$180	Expedited $100 extra, generally 3 business days
LLC annual report	Secretary of State	$70 ($95 if late)	Due by last day of formation month
Business License Application	Department of Revenue (BLS)	$50	About 10 business days online
Trade name registration	Department of Revenue (BLS)	$5 per name, plus $10 application fee when adding to an existing business	Filed with the BLS application
Salon or shop location license	DOL	$121 a year	Annual
Permanent cosmetics shop fee	DOL	$15	Applies with operator and artist shop licenses at the same site

Recommended order of operations

Start with your training and the DOL application, since they determine what you can legally do. Choose your structure and reserve your name while you train. Form the LLC if you chose that route, then register with the BLS, because the BLS application comes after the Secretary of State filing. Obtain the shop license once your location is confirmed. Finish with local permits, sales tax setup and insurance before you accept your first paying client.

Where to get help

The Washington Secretary of State's Corporations and Charities Division handles business name searches and LLC filings at sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities. The Department of Revenue handles the Business License Application and B&O questions at dor.wa.gov. The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free and low-cost advising for new owners at wsbdc.org. Your attorney or CPA can help you decide between a sole proprietorship and an LLC, and can review your supervision arrangement for laser or device work.