Proposed Rule Expands Exemption of Salon Licensure to Some Assisted Living Settings

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Bobbie Guidry

The Minnesota Board of Cosmetology is proposing changes in rules related to certain salon licensing and practice requirements that could exempt some assisted living settings. The revised language states: 

A salon as defined in Minnesota Statutes that​ is in a nursing home, housing with services entity, or​ assisted living facility is required to be licensed if any cosmetology services are provided​ to anyone other than the homebound residents of the nursing home, housing with services​ entity, or assisted living facility. A resident of a housing with services entity receiving​ comprehensive home care services and residents of an assisted living facility receiving​ assisted living services are considered to be homebound residents. All residents of a nursing​ home are considered homebound for the purposes of this part. ​

A salon as defined in Minnesota Statutes, located in a nursing home, housing with services entity, or assisted living facility is not​ required to be licensed if

• only homebound residents are served by the salon, and non-homebound​ residents, staff, family members, or the public are never served by the salon; and​
  • the use of the unlicensed salon is restricted to: ​
  • board-licensed practitioners of cosmetology services who have​ homebound service permits and provide services for homebound residents of the facility; ​
  • staff employed by the facility providing services to homebound​ residents of the facility, and the services are limited to washing hair, setting hair, trimming​ hair, filing nails, applying and removing nail polish, and makeup applications; ​
  • family members providing services to their own homebound family​ members who are residents of the facility; and​
  • volunteers providing services without compensation to homebound​ residents of the nursing home, housing with services entity, or assisted living facility. ​

The Board expects the proposed rules to be adopted after January 2020. To review the proposed rules, see

Draft Rules R-4552. Comments received may lead to changes in these proposed rules. You may also review the Notice of Intent to Adopt Rules With or Without a Hearing, which explains how to comment or request a hearing and the legal authority of the Board to adopt and amend rules. The SONAR includes the reasons for each rule change. Explanations of changes begins on page 10.

You can also find the rules draft, SONAR and Notice at: https://mn.gov/boards/cosmetology/laws-and-rules/rule-making/. Questions? Contact Rebecca Gaspard at Rebecca.Gaspard@state.mn.us or 651-201-2751.