Electrologists perform permanent hair removal by inserting a fine probe into the hair follicle and delivering an electric current to the follicle. The occupation is licensed in many states, but the agency that does the licensing is not the same everywhere. Some states regulate electrology through a dedicated statute administered by the state health department. Others fold the credential into a general cosmetology board alongside estheticians and nail technicians. A number of states have no electrology specific license at all. Because the licensing structure varies this much, the background check rule that comes with it varies too, and no single national standard controls what an applicant or an employer should expect.
This post looks at two states that license electrology through different kinds of agencies, Florida and Oregon, to show how a health department model and a dedicated licensing office model each handle criminal history review, disclosure, and reciprocity. It also covers what an employer such as a salon, medical spa, or dermatology practice should know about running its own background check on top of license verification, since the Fair Credit Reporting Act places separate duties on the employer regardless of what the state board requires.
Who actually licenses electrologists
In Florida, electrology is licensed under its own chapter of state law, the Electrolysis Practice Act, administered by the Department of Health. The department’s electrologist licensing page outlines the process, and oversight runs through the Electrolysis Council, an advisory body that functions under the Board of Medicine. Oregon regulates the occupation through a dedicated set of statutes enforced by the Health Licensing Office’s Board of Electrologists and Body Art Practitioners, an agency that also oversees tattoo artists and body piercers. Other states fold electrology into a general cosmetology board’s specialty list, and some states leave the occupation unlicensed entirely, so an employer in one of those states will not have a state license to verify at all. Confirm the current rule for the specific state where the work happens rather than assuming either the Florida or Oregon model applies.
Florida: a health department model
Under section 478.45 of Florida law, an electrology license applicant must be at least eighteen years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, show good moral character, complete a board approved electrolysis training program, pass a written examination, and submit to background screening. That last requirement is not a simple records review. Under section 456.0135, which applies broadly across the health professions the department licenses, applicants must submit fingerprints electronically for state processing, and the state forwards them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check. The department may also run additional national checks at renewal using the fingerprints it retains on file.
Disclosure matters because of how the disciplinary statute is written. Section 478.52 lists being convicted of, found guilty of, or entering a plea of nolo contendere to a crime that directly relates to the practice of electrology as grounds for discipline, which can also affect the good moral character standard applied at initial licensure. The word directly matters here. A conviction unrelated to patient or client safety in the practice of electrology is treated differently than one the board finds relevant, though the statute does not list every qualifying offense, so a specific record should be checked against the current text of the law rather than assumed from a general description.
Florida also offers a reciprocity path. Under section 478.47, the department issues a license by endorsement to an applicant who meets the criteria in section 456.0145. Those criteria include holding an active, unencumbered license in a similar scope of practice issued by another state, a passing score on a national exam or a recognized national certification, at least two years of practice during the four years before applying, and no discipline in the five years before applying. An applicant who meets all of these generally does not have to repeat Florida’s full application process from the beginning.
Oregon: a dedicated licensing office model
Oregon licenses electrology under a set of statutes in ORS chapter 690, which define the practice, set examination and training standards, and require both a practitioner license and a facility license. These sections do not themselves set a criminal history or fingerprint rule specific to electrology. That authority sits in a separate, more general statute. ORS 676.303 allows a health professional regulatory board, a category that reaches the boards and programs under the Health Licensing Office, to require the fingerprints of a license applicant for a state or nationwide criminal records check. The statute frames this as an authority the board may use rather than a mandate that applies automatically to every credential the office issues. Whether an Oregon electrology applicant is actually fingerprinted is best confirmed directly with the Health Licensing Office rather than assumed from the general statute alone, since the electrology specific chapter is silent on the point.
| Licensing model | Example | Background screening approach | Reciprocity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated health department statute | Florida, Chapter 478 | Fingerprint based state and FBI criminal history check required of all applicants under section 456.0135, plus disciplinary review for crimes that directly relate to the practice | Licensure by endorsement available for an applicant with an active out of state license, exam or national certification, and recent practice experience |
| Dedicated licensing office statute | Oregon, ORS 690 | Electrology specific chapter sets no fingerprint rule; a separate general statute gives the board discretionary authority to require fingerprints for a criminal records check | Not addressed in the electrology specific chapter; confirm directly with the Health Licensing Office |
| Cosmetology board specialty | Varies by state | Typically a criminal history question on the license application, with fingerprint requirements varying by state and sometimes shared with esthetician and nail technician licensing categories | Varies by state board |
| No dedicated license | Varies by state | No state screening requirement exists; any background check comes from the employer’s own hiring policy | Not applicable |
Employer screening in salons and medical spas
Electrologists work in a range of settings, including standalone electrolysis studios, full service salons, day spas, medical spas, and dermatology or plastic surgery practices. When an employer in one of these settings hires an electrologist as an employee, it generally sits in two roles at once. It should confirm the state license is active, through the state board’s own verification tool where one exists, and if it also chooses to run its own background check through a background check company, it takes on separate duties under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Under the FCRA, codified at 15 U.S.C. 1681b, an employer that orders a consumer report for employment purposes must give the applicant a clear, standalone written disclosure that a report may be obtained and get written authorization before requesting it. The joint guidance from the EEOC and FTC walks through the rest of the process. Before taking an adverse action based on the report, the employer generally must give the applicant a copy of the report and a copy of the Summary of Rights and a chance to respond, and only after that can it send a final adverse action notice if it proceeds. The same guidance notes that a blanket policy excluding anyone with a criminal record, without weighing the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and the job’s duties, can raise a disparate impact concern under federal nondiscrimination law, apart from anything the FCRA itself requires. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Regulation V implements the FCRA’s procedural rules for consumer reporting agencies and the employers that use them.
None of this replaces license verification, and license verification does not replace a background check. A clean consumer report says nothing about whether a candidate actually holds a current, unencumbered electrology license in the state where the job is located, and a license in good standing says nothing about an unrelated criminal matter a consumer report might surface. An employer that wants a complete picture generally needs both pieces.
Frequently asked questions
Do all states require a license to practice electrology?
No. Some states license electrology under its own statute, some fold it into a cosmetology board, and some states have no dedicated electrology license at all. Check the specific rule in the state where the work happens rather than assume a license is required everywhere.
Does Florida require a fingerprint based background check for electrologists?
Yes. Under section 456.0135 of Florida law, electrology license applicants, like applicants in the other health professions the Department of Health licenses, must submit fingerprints electronically for state and FBI processing as part of the application.
Can an electrologist transfer a license from one state to another?
It depends on the state. Florida offers licensure by endorsement for an applicant who holds an active license elsewhere, meets exam or certification requirements, and has recent practice experience with no recent discipline. Other states, including Oregon’s electrology specific chapter, do not address reciprocity the same way, so the rule varies and should be confirmed with the specific board.
Will a criminal conviction automatically disqualify someone from an electrologist license?
Not necessarily. Florida’s disciplinary statute treats a conviction as grounds for discipline when it directly relates to the practice of electrology, rather than applying to any conviction regardless of its nature. The specific standard and any disqualifying offenses vary by state.
Does a salon or medical spa need to run its own background check on an electrologist it hires?
A state license, where one exists, does not substitute for an employer’s own hiring process. A salon or medical spa that runs a background check through a consumer reporting company takes on separate duties under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, including disclosure, written authorization, and pre adverse action and adverse action notices.
Can an employer reject every applicant who has a criminal record?
Federal guidance from the EEOC and FTC cautions that a blanket exclusion policy, applied without regard to the offense, how long ago it occurred, and the job’s duties, can raise a disparate impact concern. Employers generally should evaluate records individually rather than apply an automatic bar.
Related reading
For how a related personal care license handles criminal history review, see Esthetician License Background Checks: State Cosmetology Boards, Criminal History Review and Salon Hiring. For another cosmetology adjacent credential, see Nail Technician License Background Check: State Board Rules. Employers building or reviewing a screening policy for salon or spa staff can start at Reveal Background.
This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. Employers should consult qualified counsel about their specific screening obligations.
