In this guide
- Home visits are allowed by appointment, with the employing salon’s permission.
- The salon must keep a record of each outside visit: date, time, place and fee.
- The salon is responsible for equipping the technician and following the rules.
Not everyone can get to a salon. A parent recovering from surgery, a grandparent in a care home or a friend who cannot leave the house may still want their nails done, and in some cases need foot and nail care they can no longer manage themselves. Pennsylvania’s cosmetology rules allow for this, but with conditions. Knowing them helps you book a home visit with a licensed professional rather than an informal arrangement.
What the rules allow
Pennsylvania’s State Board of Cosmetology has a short section on activities outside a salon. It says a cosmetologist or holder of a limited license, which includes a nail technician, may, with the permission of the employing salon, provide services by appointment to people at their homes. It also allows services for people who are confined to institutions because of illness, imprisonment, old age or similar circumstances.
Three conditions are built into that sentence. The work is by appointment. The technician must be employed by a salon. And the salon must give permission.
What the salon has to do
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The technician keeps complete records at the employing salon for each outside service: date, time, place and fee charged | The visit is part of the salon’s records, like any appointment in the shop |
| The salon that books outside appointments must make sure the technician is fully supplied and equipped | The technician should arrive with proper tools and supplies, not borrow yours |
| All other requirements of the chapter still apply | Sanitizing tools after each use, clean towels and handwashing apply at home too |
In other words, a home visit is meant to be the salon coming to you, with the same standards it keeps in the shop.
Why licensing still matters at home
Pennsylvania’s Cosmetology Law makes it unlawful to practice nail technology for pay without a license or limited license, whether in a salon or anywhere else. Practicing without complying with the law can bring a fine of up to $300, up to three months in jail, or both, with higher limits for repeat offenses, and the Board can impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 after a hearing.
The rules also prohibit renting booth space within a salon, and the home-visit rule is written around a technician who has an employing salon. So asking which salon a technician works for is a normal question, and the answer tells you whose records the visit goes into.
Tip: Before the visit, check the technician’s license and the salon’s license online. Our guide to How to Check a Pennsylvania Nail Technician or Salon License shows how.
Questions to ask when you book
- Which salon do you work for, and does the salon arrange home or care home visits?
- Will you bring your own tools and supplies, and how are they cleaned between clients?
- What services can you do at home, and which need the salon’s equipment?
- Is the visit recorded and paid through the salon?
- For a care home: does the home have its own rules for outside visitors?
Hygiene at home
The sanitation rules that apply in the salon do not switch off at the front door. Tools that touch the client must be sanitized immediately after each use. Towels must be clean, and used ones should not be reused. The technician should wash their hands immediately before starting. And the rule on illness still applies: a technician must refuse to serve someone they believe has an infectious or contagious condition unless the client has a physician’s certification that they do not.
If the person receiving the service has diabetes, poor circulation, a wound or a thick, discolored nail, check with their healthcare provider before booking. Some foot and nail problems need a podiatrist rather than a pedicure. Our guide to Thick, Discolored or Brittle Nails: Fungal Infections and When to See a Doctor explains when a nail needs a doctor’s look.
Hospitals and care homes
The rule’s mention of people confined to institutions because of illness or old age covers hospitals and long-term care. Facilities often have their own arrangements and policies for visitors and outside services, so ask the facility first. Then make sure the technician who comes is licensed and works through a salon, just as for a home visit.
If something goes wrong
A home visit has the same protection as a salon appointment. If you believe the service was unsafe, or that the person was not licensed, the Pennsylvania Department of State accepts complaints from anyone, including complaints about unlicensed practice. See Filing a Complaint About a Pennsylvania Nail Salon or Technician. To find a salon to start with, browse the Salons and call the salons near you to ask whether they arrange outside visits.