New Mexico Cosmetology License Exam — All Questions

Which body issues and regulates cosmetology licenses in New Mexico?

• a.The National Cosmetology Association, a private trade group
• b.New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department)✓
• c.The local county health inspector's office
• d.The New Mexico Department of Motor Vehicles

Cosmetology licensing in New Mexico is handled by the New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department). A private trade association, the motor-vehicle agency, and a county inspector do not grant or revoke cosmetology licenses - the state board or agency does.

In New Mexico, a person who performs cosmetology services for pay without holding a current license is:

• a.Allowed for up to one year while training
• b.Engaging in unlicensed practice, which the board may penalize✓
• c.Allowed, as long as a licensed person owns the salon
• d.Exempt if the client signs a waiver

Practicing cosmetology for compensation without a valid New Mexico license is unlicensed practice. Owner supervision, training status, or a client waiver do not excuse it, and the board may impose penalties and stop the activity.

How does New Mexico typically structure its beauty-industry credentials?

• a.Licensing is issued and enforced entirely by the federal government
• b.Separate licenses exist for practitioners (such as cosmetologist, esthetician, and nail technician) and for the establishment✓
• c.A single all-purpose license covers every beauty and medical service
• d.Only salon owners are licensed; individual workers are not

Like other states, New Mexico issues distinct credentials by discipline - for example cosmetologist, esthetician, nail technician, and instructor - plus a separate license or registration for the salon or establishment. Each authorizes only the services in its scope.

What is true about keeping a New Mexico cosmetology license valid?

• a.It must be renewed on the board's cycle before it expires, or the holder may not keep practicing✓
• b.A license automatically renews whenever the holder changes salons
• c.Renewal is required only if the licensee moves to another state
• d.Once issued, a cosmetology license never has to be renewed

A New Mexico license stays valid only if it is renewed on the board's schedule before expiration. Working for pay on an expired license is prohibited. Exact renewal periods, fees, and any continuing-education rules are set by the board and should be confirmed from its official materials.

Which action is OUTSIDE the lawful scope of a New Mexico cosmetologist?

• a.Referring a client with a suspicious skin lesion to a physician
• b.Shampooing, cutting, and styling hair
• c.Diagnosing and treating a client's scalp disease✓
• d.Applying color and chemical texture services

Cosmetology is a beauty service. A New Mexico cosmetologist may cut, color, and style hair and should refer clients with suspected medical problems to a physician, but may not diagnose, treat, or claim to cure any disease or medical condition - that is the practice of medicine.

Which situation could lead the New Mexico board to discipline a licensee?

• a.Obtaining a license by fraud or operating in unsanitary conditions✓
• b.Using a brand of shampoo the board did not specify
• c.Serving more clients than a competing salon
• d.Taking a vacation without notifying the board

Boards may fine, suspend, or revoke a license for cause - for example fraud in obtaining the license, unlicensed practice, gross misconduct, or unsanitary operation. Ordinary business choices such as product brand, time off, or client volume are not disciplinary grounds.