Whether you are in Saint George, Salt Lake City or doing the nails of celebrities at Sundance, working as a manicurist in Utah offers a stable career with exciting prospects. In addition to using your talents to make your clients look and feel good, you will also appreciate the flexibility and job security that comes with being a nail technician in Utah. The statewide demand for nail care professionals will afford you the chance to work as an independent professional while doing something you enjoy.
Nail technicians are licensed and regulated by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. To kick-start your career and start working as a licensed nail technician, you will need to make your way through the following steps:
 | Complete Utah’s Nail Technician Training Requirements |
 | Complete Nail Technician Examination Requirements |
 | Apply for your Utah Nail Technician License |
 | Start your New Career as a Nail Technician in Utah |
Step 1. Complete Utah’s Nail Technician Training Requirements
Your first step will be to complete Utah’s nail technician training requirements. To accomplish this you will need to graduate from a program that offers at least 300 hours of manicurist courses.
Nail technician schools will offer a curriculum that covers subjects like:
- Personal, client and salon safety
- Tools and equipment
- Human immune system
- Anatomy and physiology
- Diseases and disorders of the nails and skin
- Pedicure and manicure techniques
- Science for nail technology
- Artificial nail techniques
- Business and salon management
- Legal issues
There are nine approved manicurist schools in Utah offering nail technician courses that meet the state’s education requirement. You can find a complete listing of approved schools on page 14 of the Utah Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB). Approved nail technician schools are located in:
- Cedar City
- Midvale
- Saint George
- Layton
- Ogden
- Roy
- Delta
- Salt Lake City
Utah also allows you to qualify through an approved apprenticeship program of at least 375 hours over at least three months.
Step 2. Complete Nail Technician Examination Requirements
Once you have completed your education you will be able to register for the two required examinations needed to become eligible for a manicurist license in Utah:
- Nail technician written exam
- Practical nail technician exam
Both exams are administered by the company PSI. You can find detailed information about your examinations in PSI’s Nail Technician Examinations Candidate Information Booklet for Utah. At the end of this booklet you will also find a registration form you can fill out to register for these exams, or you can register online.
Nail Technician Written Exam
You will have 90 minutes to complete this exam. Questions are taken from two main categories:
- Scientific concepts – 45 percent
- Infection control procedures
- Basic human anatomy and physiology
- Nail composition
- Basic chemistry of nails and nail products
- Nail Technology procedures – 55 percent
- General nail technology procedures
- Nail service tools
- Natural nail manicure and pedicure
- Basic massage
- Apply, repair and maintain nails
- Electric filing
- Specialty services
You can take the written exam at the following locations:
- Hurricane near Saint George
- North Orem near Provo
- North Salt Lake City
- Sunset near Ogden
Nail Technician Practical Exam
You will need to bring a mannequin and supply kit to complete your practical exam in front of an evaluator. You will have 100 minutes to perform the following procedures:
- Set up and client protection – 10 minutes
- Manicure – 20 minutes
- Nail tip application – 20 minutes
- Nail wrap – 20 minutes
- Sculptured nail procedure – 20 minutes
- Nail polishing – 10 minutes
You can take this exam at the following locations:
- Hurricane near Saint George
- North Salt Lake City
- Sunset near Ogden
Step 3. Apply for your Utah Nail Technician License
Within three business days of completing your exams, PSI will mail your results to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. At this point you will have met all the necessary nail technician license requirements and can file an Application for Licensure with the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. As detailed in your application, you will need to provide proof that you have completed an approved nail technician education.
Contained within your application is a Utah Nail Technician Law and Rule Exam. This is an open-book test you will need to submit with your application, and is designed to ensure you understand Utah’s manicurist license requirements and laws. You can find the answers for the exam by consulting the following regulations:
Out-of-State Nail Technicians
If you are an out-of-state licensed nail technician you can be eligible for licensure by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing if you can meet the following:
- You passed a written and practical nail technician examination to obtain your current license
- Your nail technician education was at least 300 hours in length, or you can substitute for this with equivalent work experience
- You are currently licensed
You can apply for licensure using the same application as in-state candidates, and will also need to fill out the following forms that are contained within that application:
- Request for Verification of License – to be completed by your home state’s nail technician licensing agency
- Verification of Work Experience – to be completed by your employer if you need to supplement your nail technician education with work experience to equal 300 hours
Step 4. Start your New Career as a Nail Technician in Utah
After you have earned your license from the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing you will be ready to start searching for manicurist jobs in Utah. Chances are you will need to begin by establishing your reputation before going to work at some of Utah’s best known salons. Some of the top nail salons in Utah include:
- Landis Salon at three locations in Salt Lake City
- Salon Bleu in Ogden
- Aspen Salon in Provo
In comparing the nail technician job description from each of these three salons, you can see that you will need to be somewhat flexible in terms of the services you provide. There are many nail studios throughout Utah that specialize in manicures and pedicures, and still many other full-service day spas that are searching for qualified nail technicians to work as part of a team.
While you are busy establishing yourself, remember that you will need to renew your license biannually by September 30th of odd-numbered years. You can do this either online or by submitting a paper renewal application to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
With hard work and dedication to your craft you will undoubtedly see your career take off. One of the advantages of working in the manicurist field in Utah is that you can decide the pace and intensity of your career. As you develop a loyal client base, you may even consider opening your own nail studio!