The biennial licensing period for cosmetology licenses begins on which date?

• A. On the first day of February of an even-numbered year to the last day of January of the next even-numbered year
• B. On the first day of February of an odd-numbered year to the last day of January of the next odd-numbered year
• C. On the first day of January of an odd-numbered year to the last day of December of the same year
• D. On the first day of January of an even-numbered year to the last day of December of the next year

Answer: (B)

Licensing cycles for cosmetology are arranged as two-year blocks. For Ohio, the two-year period starts on February 1 of an odd-numbered year and runs through January 31 of the next odd-numbered year. This setup creates a consistent renewal window that begins after winter and ends just before the next February start. Starting in February of an even-numbered year would shift the cycle to the even years, which isn’t how the board schedules renewals. Beginning in January would either end in December of the same year or the next year, producing a different two-year alignment. So the correct start date is February 1 of an odd-numbered year.