Which agency administers cosmetology licenses?

• A. Texas Department of Public Safety
• B. Texas Board of Cosmetology
• C. Texas Department of Health
• D. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Answer: (C)

Licensing for cosmetology is a public health regulatory function. It exists to ensure that practitioners meet sanitation, infection-control, and safety standards before serving clients, and it maintains oversight through examinations, renewals, and disciplinary actions. The Texas Department of Health is the agency that administers these licenses, handling the process of credentialing and enforcing the health-related rules that protect the public. This connection to health protections is why it’s the best answer: it directly ties licensure to safeguarding client well-being. The other options don’t fit as well because public safety focuses on law enforcement, a professional board governs standards but typically doesn’t issue licenses by itself, and a broad licensing department covers many trades rather than specifically health-related licensing.