Firstly, you have to attend a cosmetology school for a certain number of hours. The hours vary by state, for example I attended cosmetology school in Arizona and needed 1,600 hours to graduate. Generally there are different options for the time needed to graduate depending on your schedule. Because I attended cosmetology school and high school at the same time, it took me two years. It could take you anywhere from 8 months to two years depending on how many hours you go at a time. After completing the necessary amount of hours and graduating, you need to register for your state board exam. You have to take a practical and written exam and pass both in order to become a licensed cosmetologist. You prep for both exams all throughout cosmetology school, so you should feel confident by the time you graduate. Good luck! (: