(1) The board shall admit to examination for a cosmetology license any person who has made application to the board in proper form, has paid the required fee, and who (a) is at least seventeen (17) years of age, (b) can read, write and speak English, (c) has successfully completed no less than fifteen hundred (1500) hours over a period of no less than nine (9) months in a licensed school of cosmetology, and (d) has a high school education or its equivalent or has been successfully enrolled in a community college.

(a) The board may, in its discretion, issue to any student who has completed the prescribed hours in a licensed school and paid the required fee a temporary permit until such time as the next examination may be held, but such student shall be issued only one (1) temporary permit. Application for an examination and license shall be accompanied by two (2) passport photographs of the applicant. No temporary permit will be issued to an applicant from any other state to operate a beauty salon or school of cosmetology in this state unless in case of emergency.

(b) Applicants for the cosmetologist examination, after having satisfactorily passed the prescribed examination, shall be issued a cosmetology license which until June 30, 2001, shall be valid for one (1) year, and after July 1, 2001, shall be valid for two (2) years, and all those licenses shall be subject to renewal.

(c) Any barber who can read, write and speak English and has successfully completed no less than fifteen hundred (1500) hours in a licensed barber school, and who holds a current valid certificate of registration to practice barbering and who holds a current valid license, is eligible to take the cosmetology examination to secure a cosmetology license upon successfully completing five hundred (500) hours in a licensed school of cosmetology. All fees for application, examination, registration and renewal thereof shall be the same as provided for cosmetologists.

(2) Each application or filing made under this section shall include the social security number(s) of the applicant in accordance with Section 93-11-64.

(3) Any licensed cosmetologist, esthetician, or manicurist who is registered but not actively practicing in the State of Mississippi at the time of making application for renewal, may apply for registration on the “inactive” list. Such “inactive” list shall be maintained by the board and shall set out the names and post office addresses of all persons registered but not actively practicing in this state, arranged alphabetically by name and also by the municipalities and states of their last-known professional or residential address. Only the cosmetologists, estheticians and manicurists registered on the appropriate list as actively practicing in the State of Mississippi shall be authorized to practice those professions. For the purpose of this section, any licensed cosmetologist, esthetician or manicurist who has actively practiced his or her profession for at least three (3) months of the immediately preceding license renewal period shall be considered inactive practice. No cosmetologist, esthetician, or manicurist shall be registered on the “inactive” list until the person has furnished a statement of intent to take such action to the board. Any licensed cosmetologist, esthetician, manicurist or wigologist registered on the “inactive” list shall not be eligible for registration on the active list until either of the following conditions have been satisfied:

(a) Written application shall be submitted to the State Board of Cosmetology stating the reasons for such inactivity and setting forth such other information as the board may require on an individual basis and completion of the number of clock hours of continuing education as approved by the board; or

(b) Evidence to the satisfaction of the board shall be submitted that they have actively practiced their profession in good standing in another state and have not been guilty of conduct that would warrant suspension or revocation as provided by applicable law; and

(c) Payment of the fee for processing such inactive license shall be paid biennially in accordance to board rules.