Illinois Cosmetology Health & Safety Rules
Protecting clients from infection is the heart of state cosmetology safety rules. This chapter covers how Illinois expects practitioners to clean and disinfect tools, handle single-use items, and respond to blood exposure, plus the general sanitation standards the board enforces during establishment inspections. These are state-specific overlays on the national infection-control theory.
Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Single-Use Items
Cleaning and disinfecting are two distinct steps. Cleaning physically removes visible debris and must come first; disinfecting then destroys most pathogens on a cleaned, non-porous surface using an EPA-registered, hospital-level disinfectant for the full labeled contact time. Porous single-use items — emery boards, wooden pushers, disposable wax applicators — cannot be disinfected and must be discarded after one client. Only non-porous multi-use tools may be cleaned, disinfected, and reused.
Blood Exposure and Standard Precautions
If a client is cut and bleeds, the practitioner stops the service, wears gloves, cares for the injury, then cleans and disinfects any contaminated surfaces and tools and discards contaminated disposables. Treating every client's blood and body fluids as potentially infectious — standard precautions — is how the state prevents transmission of bloodborne pathogens between clients.
Salon Sanitation and Inspections
The board inspects establishments for clean workstations, properly stored disinfected tools, covered waste, clean linens and capes, hand-washing access, and safe storage and labeling of chemicals. Practitioners are expected to follow product and disinfectant label directions and to keep the shop in a sanitary condition at all times, not only on inspection day.
State-specific details
State exam facts
- Exam vendor
- Continental Testing Services (CTS), delivered via PSI
- Prelicensing education
- 1,500 hours (candidates may apply to test at a minimum of 1,200 hours)
How many training hours does Illinois require for a cosmetology license?
Illinois requires 1,500 hours before licensure; candidates may file to test after completing a minimum of 1,200 hours.
Who licenses cosmetologists in Illinois?
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) licenses cosmetologists. Unusually, the cosmetology exam is written by Continental Testing Services (CTS) rather than the NIC, and is delivered through PSI.
Does Illinois still require a practical exam?
No. Illinois uses a single computerized multiple-choice exam with no separate hands-on practical.
Sources: https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/cosmo.html, https://www.continentaltesting.net/downloads/511.pdf
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