Basically, my girlfriend is good at doing makeup, hair, and nails. She is looking to make business cards to promote herself locally and be able to have appointments and charge for her work. She just came back from Mexico, after finishing school there for nails. She does not have a hair or makeup license, but she does those in professional quality.
She just wanted to know if it was illegal to charge for her service. She charges a lot cheaper than actual salons of course, and she uses her own materials and accessories.
Please let me know soon! Thanks
Pretty sure it’s illegal. Licenses are generally mandatory, they’re not like certificates people choose to get to feel good about themselves. if it were up to us, we’d never fork over the dough and take those stupid tests– we’d just drive, or practice law, or operate businesses. But it’s not up to us, we don’t get to elect whether we want to drive with a license, (even if we’re great drivers!) we have to get the damn license.
Now, I think the questions you really want answered are: does she need the license (based on the work she’s doing) and what will happen if she does business w/o the license?
I don’t know the specifics when it comes to cosmetology, but she can find out quickly from the state website whether the work she wants to do requires she be licensed. What with all the MaryKay and Avon ladies on the loose, I think her work may not require the license.
As to consequences: With general contractors they can’t sue to get paid if they do work w/o a license– the homeowner can sue them!
Non-attorneys can go to jail for practicing law w/o a valid license. But more commonly, they’re barred from ever obtaining a license in the future.
The consequences can be real bad. Get the license if you really need it.
I don’t know for sure if that’s specifically illegal. But in California, you can rest assured that running any kind of a business without a license is probably illegal. Most states require a general “business license” just for running a business (mainly so that tax information is properly reported), and additional licenses for whatever specific type of work you’re involved in.
Gotta love bureaucracy :-/