Texas Health & Safety Requirements
for Lash Studios

TDLR inspections are unannounced. The first one typically arrives within three months of opening. And every client who walks through your door before that inspection deserves the same compliant, sanitary environment they'd expect on day one of business.

Most lash artists know the basics — clean your tools, store products properly, display your license. But TDLR's requirements go deeper than that. Missing a required sign, having the wrong type of flooring, or failing to keep a sanitation log can result in fines of $500–$5,000 or more.

This guide covers every Texas health and safety requirement that applies to lash studios in 2026, sourced directly from TDLR's own rules, the Texas Administrative Code (16 TAC Chapter 83), and TDLR's published equipment and inspection guides.

The Foundation: Your Studio Must Be Licensed

Before any health and safety requirements apply to your space, the space itself must be licensed. Your personal Eyelash Extension Specialist License authorizes you to perform services. It does not authorize the location.

• Full-Service Establishment License — $78 non-refundable fee. Required for standalone studios offering lash extensions as part of a broader service menu.
• Mini-Establishment License — $70 non-refundable fee. For individual suite operators inside a larger licensed facility (the suite-complex model).
• Establishment license is tied to a specific address — have a signed lease or proof of ownership before applying. You cannot apply without a confirmed location. If the establishment relocates, a new license must be applied for and all fees paid again.

Required Equipment & Facility Standards

The following are verified directly from TDLR's Required Equipment page and Texas Administrative Code Section 83.102. Every item below must be present and functional before your first client appointment.

Sanitation Standards — What the Rules Actually Require

TDLR's health and safety rules under 16 TAC §83.102 establish the baseline sanitation requirements for all cosmetology practitioners and establishments. For lash artists, these translate into a specific set of daily practices.

Lash-Specific Equipment (per TDLR Required Equipment Page)

For eyelash extension establishments specifically, TDLR requires the following equipment for each license holder providing services:

• Facial bed, chair, or massage table that allows the consumer to lie completely flat — a regular chair does not satisfy this requirement
• Lamp — dedicated task lighting for lash work
• Stool or chair for the practitioner
• Mirror

Lash-Specific Sanitation Rules (16 TAC §83.115)

• Hand washing — a practitioner must wash hands with soap and water (not just sanitizer) prior to performing services on a client (§83.115(a)). Note: the general cosmetology rule §83.102(a) allows hand sanitizer as an alternative for other services — but for lash extension services specifically, soap and water is required.
• Employee hand washing facilities — hot and cold running water must be provided for all employees (§83.102(k))
• Chairs and beds, including headrests, must be cleaned and disinfected after each client and must be made of or covered in a non-porous material that can be disinfected (§83.115(c))
• After each client: tweezers, nasal aspirator or electric eyelash dryer, and similar implements must be cleaned and disinfected (§83.115(d))
• Adhesive — practitioners must use only properly labeled semi-permanent glue and semi-permanent glue remover, applied according to manufacturer's instructions (§83.115(g))
• Items replaced with clean items for each client — disposable and terry cloth towels, hair caps, headbands, brushes, gowns, and spatulas that contact skin or products from multi-use containers (§83.115(f))
• Lash extension storage — extensions must be stored in a sealed bag or covered container and kept in a clean, dry, debris-free storage area (§83.115(h))

Implements & Tools

• All multi-use items (tweezers, lash tiles, reusable tools) must be properly cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized prior to each service
• Disinfection — reduces microorganisms to a safe level using an EPA-registered disinfectant or ultraviolet sanitizer
• Sterilization — eliminates all forms of bacteria using an autoclave or dry heat sterilizer (required for nail services; recommended best practice for lash tweezers)
• Single-use items — per 16 TAC §83.115(e), the following must be discarded after each client and never reused: disposable gloves, tissues, disposable wipes, fabric strips, surgical tape, eye pads, lash extensions, cotton swabs, face masks, brushes, and extension pads
• Used implements must be stored separately from clean ones at all times

Disinfectants

• Must be EPA-registered and appropriate for the surface or implement being disinfected
• Alcohol is no longer an approved disinfectant in Texas cosmetology establishments as of January 1, 2023 — do not use alcohol-based products as a substitute for EPA-registered disinfectants
• Disinfectant solution must be changed and containers cleaned regularly — stale or diluted solution is a common inspection citation

Client Screening

• A licensee may not perform services if a client has an open wound, inflamed or broken skin, or a contagious condition such as conjunctivitis or ringworm in the area to be treated (16 TAC §83.102(b))
• This includes the eye area — never apply lash extensions if there are signs of active eye infection

Required Signage — All Five Must Be Posted

Texas law requires five specific items to be displayed in every cosmetology establishment. Missing any one of them is a citable violation. These must be in place from day one of operation — not just when an inspector is expected.

Additionally, TDLR's Health & Safety Rules (§83.100–83.115) must be accessible to all practitioners in the establishment. This requirement is met by placing the Barbering and Cosmetology Laws and Rules Book where all practitioners can access it at all times (per Section 83.22). This book is provided free with each new license and renewal. Additional copies can be ordered from TDLR for $14 each. The current edition is the 2025 publication.

TDLR Inspections — What to Expect

• No pre-inspection before opening — you can begin serving clients as soon as your establishment license is issued
• First inspection is unannounced — TDLR will conduct a periodic unannounced inspection after opening. Inspectors present a State ID and business card; you can verify their identity by calling TDLR customer service at 800-803-9202
• Risk-based schedule afterward — studios with consecutive clean inspections may be inspected less frequently; those with violations are inspected more often
• Inspections are unannounced — during normal business hours, with no advance notice required
• Non-cooperation is a violation — failure to cooperate with an inspector results in a direct-to-enforcement violation reported to a prosecutor (Class C)
• Inspection reports are public — must be made available to clients on request

Fines & Penalties

TDLR enforcement actions follow a structured penalty framework under 16 TAC §83.90. Violations are divided into Classes A through D — Class A being least severe, Class D most severe. Penalties increase with each successive violation of the same type.

For the full current violation matrix, visit TDLR's penalties and sanctions page.

Continuing Education — The Sanitation Requirement

Texas law requires every Eyelash Extension Specialist to complete continuing education as a condition of license renewal:

• Under 15 years experience: 4 CE hours every two years — must include 1 hour sanitation + 1 hour human trafficking prevention + 2 hours barber and/or cosmetology related information (effective September 1, 2025)
• 15+ years experience: 2 CE hours every two years — 1 hour sanitation + 1 hour human trafficking prevention (effective September 1, 2025)
• CE must be completed through TDLR-approved providers within the two-year period immediately preceding the renewal date
• Keep proof of completed CE — TDLR conducts random audits of completed hours after renewal