A comb falls on the floor of a Maryland salon. When may it be used again?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(32)
A Maryland cosmetologist pours more lotion than the service needs. What happens to the excess?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(16)
A Maryland cosmetologist serves a patron in a nursing home. Who supplies the sanitized and disinfected equipment?COMAR 09.22.01.01C(2)
A Maryland licensee's hands come in contact with blood. What comes next?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(22)
A Maryland salon does its own laundering. What must it have on the premises?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(19)
A Maryland wet sanitizer may hold an EPA-registered disinfectant that is effective against which viruses?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(12)
After disinfection, where is a complete set of manicuring implements stored in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(9)
An implement nicks a client's skin in a Maryland salon. What does the rule require for the implement?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(21)
Before a client's hands are dipped into paraffin wax in a Maryland salon, what must be done?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(11)
Besides a wet sanitizer, what must each Maryland work station in use have?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(13)
Besides an EPA-registered disinfectant effective against HIV and hepatitis viruses, what may a Maryland wet sanitizer contain?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(12)
Show all 143 questions (132 more)
Disinfection and sanitation, continued
Between clients, how is a pressing comb treated in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(23)
Chairs and beds used for eyelash extensions in Maryland must be made of or covered in what?COMAR 09.22.02.07B(3)
How are artificial nail products removed under Maryland's nail technician rule?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(18)
How are blood-contaminated materials disposed of in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(21)
How are clippers that cannot be immersed in disinfectant treated after each use in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(33)
How are creams taken from their container in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(20)
How are oils applied in a Maryland nail service?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(2)
How is lip color taken from its container in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(3)
How many combs and brushes must be on hand for each Maryland cosmetologist?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(26)
How many times may one sanding band be used on an electric file in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(12)
How much disinfectant must a Maryland wet sanitizer hold?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(12)
How often are lip and eyebrow pencils sharpened in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(2)
How often is the contact disinfectant on a Maryland esthetician's tray changed?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(7)
If bleeding occurs during a service in a Maryland salon, what is used to collect the blood?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(21)
In a Maryland salon, who wears protective eye glasses or goggles while acrylic is clipped, filed or shaped?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(17)
In what condition must a candidate's equipment be for the practical portion of a Maryland examination?COMAR 09.22.01.13C(4)(e)
On how many clients may one application of hair removal wax be used in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(5)
Under Maryland's salon rules, what is done to an implement used in direct contact with a client before it goes into the disinfectant?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(11)
What covers a head rest for each client in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(18)
What do the employees of a Maryland salon wear?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(8)
What does Maryland require of the needles in a microneedling service?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(9)
What grade of tape does Maryland require for eyelash extension services?COMAR 09.22.02.07B(9)
What happens to an emery board after its use on a client in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(6)
What happens to end papers after a permanent wave in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(29)
What happens to paraffin wax taken off a client's hands in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(11)(e)
What is done with a curling iron after its use on each client in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(24)
What is done with a shampoo bowl after each shampoo in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(28)
What is placed over the manicure cushion before each client in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(5)
What is used on each client to protect the neck in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(27)
What is written on a container of eyelash adhesive when it is first opened in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.07B(5)
What must the rest rooms of a Maryland salon have?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(7)
What water supply does Maryland's general sanitation rule require of every salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(3)
When are extraction lancets cleaned and disinfected in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(6)
When are nondisposable drapings laundered in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(8)
When are pedicure spas and foot bath basins disinfected in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(1)
When are soiled combs and brushes removed from the top of a Maryland work station?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(30)
When does Maryland's general sanitation rule say a licensee's hands are washed?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(9)
When is the contact disinfectant on a Maryland nail technician's table changed?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(8)
When must a Maryland licensee wear surgical latex gloves under the general sanitation rule?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(10)
When must hands be washed for an eyelash extension service in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.07B(2)
Where are cleaned and disinfected implements stored in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(14)
Where do used microneedling needles go in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.05B(9)(b)
Where does a Maryland salon keep its laundered towels?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(19)
Where does hair swept from the floor of a Maryland salon go?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(6)
Where may hairpins and clips never be placed under Maryland's sanitation rule?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(31)
Which of these may not be used on more than one client in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.04B(15)
Which tool may not be used in a Maryland nail service?COMAR 09.22.02.06B(13)
Who is responsible for the sanitary condition of an individual work station in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.01.01H
Within how many days of opening must a container of eyelash extension adhesive be thrown away in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.02.07B(5)
Prohibited services, citations and penalties 23
A client's scalp is inflamed. When may a Maryland licensee perform a service on it?COMAR 09.22.02.03C
A Maryland licensee knows of having a contagious disease that presents a hazard to salon patrons. What does Section 5-607 say?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-607(b)
How deep may a chemical peel go in a Maryland salon without a health occupation license?COMAR 09.22.02.03J(3)
How may a Maryland inspector find out whether a nail product is MMA?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-608.1(b)
The Maryland Board finds that a complaint alleges a violation of the sanitary practice of cosmetology. How long does the licensee have to correct it?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-314(e)
Under Maryland's citation schedule, what is the civil penalty for failing to wash implements before disinfection?COMAR 09.22.01.17C(1)(a)
Under Maryland's citation schedule, what is the civil penalty for having no wet sanitizer at a station?COMAR 09.22.01.17C(3)(k)
Under Maryland's citation schedule, what is the civil penalty for using hair removal wax on more than one client?COMAR 09.22.01.17C(3)(cc)
Under Section 5-608.1, what is the highest fine for MMA violations cited on a single day in Maryland?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-608.1(c)
Under Section 5-609(a), what is the longest jail term for violating Maryland's cosmetology title?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-609(a)
Under Section 5-610, the civil penalties in a Maryland inspector's citation may not exceed how much for all violations cited on a single day?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-610(g)
What does Maryland's citation schedule set for improper procedures after a cut or blood-related incident?COMAR 09.22.01.17C(2)
What does Maryland's citation schedule set for interfering with a Board inspector?COMAR 09.22.01.17F
What does Maryland's rule say about electrical muscle stimulator devices sold as nonsurgical face or body lifts?COMAR 09.22.02.03E
What does Maryland's salon rule say about selling a hairpiece that has been worn before?COMAR 09.22.02.03H
What may the owner of a Maryland beauty salon not knowingly do under Section 5-607?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-607(a)
Which animal may be on the premises of a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.03G
Which implement may not even be possessed in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.03I
Which nail product may not be used or possessed in a Maryland beauty salon?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-608.1(a)
Which of these is on Maryland's list of prohibited salon activities?COMAR 09.22.02.03F
Which service is prohibited in a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.03D
Within how many days of receipt must the civil penalty in a Maryland citation be paid, unless it is contested?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-610(d)
Without a health occupation license from the Maryland Department of Health, which device may a salon worker not use?COMAR 09.22.02.03J(1)
Salons, permits and inspections 16
A Maryland cosmetologist serves a patron who is confined at home by infirmity. How are the services arranged?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-605(b)
A person operates three beauty salons in Maryland. How many beauty salon permits are needed?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-501(c)
Before a Maryland salon permit is issued, what happens to the premises?COMAR 09.22.02.01E
Besides a permitted beauty salon, where may a Maryland licensee ordinarily practice cosmetology?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-605(a)
Besides the salon permit and the zoning certification, what must a Maryland salon display in full view of the public?COMAR 09.22.02.02C
How tall must the lettering be on the outside sign of a Maryland salon?COMAR 09.22.02.02B
May services be provided while a Maryland mobile salon unit is in motion?COMAR 09.22.02.01D(6)
Unless it is renewed, when does a Maryland beauty salon permit expire?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-506(a)
What entrance must a residential salon in Maryland have?COMAR 09.22.02.01B(3)
What must a Maryland mobile salon unit display on its outside?COMAR 09.22.02.01D(1)
What must the storage containers, cabinets and drawers of a Maryland mobile salon unit have?COMAR 09.22.02.01D(3)
What restroom does a residential salon in Maryland need?COMAR 09.22.02.01B(4)
When may a Board inspector enter and inspect a Maryland beauty salon?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-520(d)
Which change does NOT bring a new Board inspection of a Maryland beauty salon under Section 5-520?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-520(b)
Who accompanies the inspector during the inspection of a Maryland beauty salon?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-520(d)
Within how many days after it expires may a Maryland beauty salon permit be reinstated without qualifying for a new permit?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-506.1
Licenses, examinations and apprentices 21
A barber licensed in Maryland applies to become a cosmetologist. How much of the training requirement does the Board credit?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(a)(4)(ii)
A cosmetologist licensed in another state applies in Maryland. How long must the applicant have actively practiced there to meet the training requirement?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(a)(4)(iii)
After how many hours of school training may a Maryland applicant take the written examination?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-307(d)
After how many hours of training may a Maryland student practice cosmetology, without a license, at the school?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-302(a)
How long is the domestic violence awareness training a Maryland cosmetologist applicant must complete?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(a)(5)
How many hours a week must a Maryland cosmetologist apprentice train?COMAR 09.22.01.07C
How many hours of school instruction does Maryland ask for a limited license to provide esthetic services?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-305(b)
How many hours of school instruction does Maryland ask for a limited license to provide hair services?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-305(d)
How many hours of school instruction does Maryland ask for a limited license to provide nail technician services?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-305(f)
How many hours of training in a cosmetology school does Maryland ask of a cosmetologist applicant?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(a)(4)
How much experience as a licensed cosmetologist does a Maryland senior cosmetologist license take?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(b)
How old must a person be to register as an apprentice in Maryland?COMAR 09.22.01.12
How old must an applicant be for a Maryland license to practice as a cosmetologist?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(a)(2)
What must a Maryland licensee have available at all times, besides the license?COMAR 09.22.01.01B(3)
What must every Maryland licensee affix to the license?COMAR 09.22.01.01B
What schooling must a Maryland cosmetologist applicant have completed?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-304(a)(3)
What score does COMAR 09.22.01.13 require on the theoretical portion of a Maryland examination?COMAR 09.22.01.13G(1)
Where does a Maryland licensee display the license?COMAR 09.22.01.01B(1)
Which subject does COMAR 09.22.01.13 list first among the theory subjects of the Maryland cosmetologist examination?COMAR 09.22.01.13H(2)
Which subject does COMAR 09.22.01.13 list last among the theory subjects of the Maryland cosmetologist examination?COMAR 09.22.01.13H(2)(k)
Who supervises an apprentice who is learning to practice cosmetology in Maryland?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-404(a)
Renewal and continuing education 7
A Maryland license expired and was not renewed. After how long does reinstatement require passing the examination?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-312
How long before a Maryland license expires must the Board send the renewal form and notice?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-311(c)
How long before the existing license expires must a Maryland licensee submit the renewal application and payment?COMAR 09.22.01.15B
How long is the initial term of a Maryland cosmetology license?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-311
How many credit hours of continuing education does Maryland require of a licensee renewing a license?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-205(c)
Under Section 5-205, how many of a Maryland licensee's continuing education hours are in health, safety and welfare subjects?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-205(c)(2)
Within how many days must a Maryland licensee answer, in writing, a written communication from the Board?COMAR 09.22.01.18A
Scope of practice 8
A Maryland photography studio offers makeup as part of a photo package. What does the regulation require?COMAR 09.22.01.01E
By which means may a Maryland esthetician NOT remove superfluous hair?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-101(o)(1)
How does Maryland's definition treat braiding hair by hand with no dyes or reactive chemicals?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-101(n)(2)
How long may the needles of a cosmetic microneedling device be under Maryland's esthetician rule?COMAR 09.22.01.04D
What may a Maryland nail technician massage under the nail technician license?COMAR 09.22.01.05
Which of these is NOT the practice of cosmetology under Maryland's definition?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-101(n)
Which of these is outside esthetic services under Maryland law?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-101(o)(3)
Which service is NOT part of a Maryland limited license for hair services, blow drying?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-101(r)
The Board 8
By what name may Title 5 of Maryland's Business Occupations and Professions Article be cited?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-701
How long is the term of a member of the Maryland Board, and when does it begin?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-202(f)
How many members sit on the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-202(a)
How many of the seven members of the Maryland Board must be licensed cosmetologists?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-202(a)(2)
How often must the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists meet?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-204(c)
Where is the principal office of the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-204(f)
Which regulations must the Maryland Board adopt to prevent the spread of infectious and contagious diseases?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-205(a)(4)
Who appoints the members of the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists?Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 5-202(a)(3)
How this list was compiled: Code of Maryland Regulations, Title 09, Subtitle 22, Board of Cosmetologists, chapters 01 (General Regulations), 02 (Beauty Salons) and 04 (Continuing Education), regulation by regulation on the State's own Library of Maryland Regulations (https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/09.22); and the Maryland Cosmetologists Act, Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 5, section by section on the Maryland General Assembly's own site (https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbo§ion=5-101&enactments=false). Each question names its regulation or section and links to the page it is on. Read 2026-10-12. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the statute and rule text. Nothing comes from a testing vendor, a textbook, a prep course or an exam question pool.
How it works
This unofficial Maryland cosmetology practice test starts with disinfection: the Board's sanitation regulations (COMAR 09.22.02), then the rest of COMAR 09.22 and the Maryland Cosmetologists Act, read October 12, 2026. Textbook infection control theory is not here.
Read the full guide
What the Maryland disinfection questions cover
The first sixty questions are sanitation and disinfection as Maryland's salon regulations write them: washing before disinfecting, the two disinfectants a wet sanitizer may hold, closed dry storage, blood, towels, then the added rules for estheticians, nail technicians and eyelash extensions. Prohibited services, citations, salons, licensing, renewal and the Board follow.
How these rules meet the Maryland examination
The Board's regulation lists sanitation and disinfection first among the theory subjects of the cosmetologist examination, and laws and regulations last (COMAR 09.22.01.13). The examination takes its infection control questions from cosmetology textbooks, so use this page for Maryland's own rules, the ones an inspector cites.
Blood-contaminated materials go at once into a sealed, double-plastic bag (COMAR 09.22.02.04).
Clippers and scissors that cannot be immersed are cleaned and sprayed with an EPA-registered antimicrobial spray after each use (COMAR 09.22.02.04).
Eyelash adhesive is dated when first opened and thrown away within 30 days (COMAR 09.22.02.07).
Questions and answers
Is there a free Maryland cosmetology practice test on disinfection?
Yes. Every question here is free and shows the Maryland regulation or statute section behind its answer. The Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists did not write or review the page.
What does Maryland require for disinfecting salon implements?
Wash them in hot, soapy water, then immerse the parts that touch a client in an EPA-registered disinfectant effective against HIV and hepatitis viruses, or a hospital-grade tuberculocidal disinfectant. Store them in a closed, dry cabinet or drawer (COMAR 09.22.02.04).
What score passes the Maryland cosmetology theory exam?
Seventy-five percent or more, on the theoretical portion and on the practical portion alike (COMAR 09.22.01.13). That examination asks much more than these rules, so this page gives a score and no verdict.
Are these real Maryland state board exam questions?
No. None comes from an examination or a question pool. Each was written for this site from the public text of Maryland's regulations and statute.