BPPE Compliance Checklist + Citation Response Playbook

Keep your institution and any branch or satellite locations in continuous good standing.

• Current Approval to Operate is on file and unexpired; the certificate is posted on premises.Approvals are time-limited. Track the expiration and renew well before lapse to avoid operating unapproved.
• Renewal application filed at least 90 days before expiration with the correct renewal fee.Late renewals can trigger penalties and a gap in approval status.
• All branch and satellite locations are separately approved and listed.Teaching at an unapproved address is a common, avoidable finding.
• Substantive changes were reported (ownership change, location move, new program, name change) using the required notice or approval before they took effect.
• Surety bond is current and at the correct amount for your annual tuition volume.
• BBC program approval is aligned with BPPE-approved programs (program names, clock hours, and curricula match across both agencies).

The #1 and #2 sources of citations. Treat the Annual Report deadline as immovable.

• BPPE Annual Report filed on time with the annual fee. Top citationA missed or late Annual Report is the single most common BPPE finding for beauty schools. Calendar it the day the prior one is filed.
• Reported student and financial data reconciles to your records (enrollment counts, charges collected, completion and placement numbers tie to source documents).
• A current SPFS exists for every approved program and for the correct reporting cohort or period. Top citation
• SPFS completion, placement, and license-exam pass rates are calculated correctly and match the methodology BPPE requires.Wrong cohort definitions and miscounted "available for graduation" denominators are frequent errors.
• Every enrolling student signs and dates the SPFS before signing the enrollment agreement, and the signed copy is retained in the file.
• Salary, earnings, and "gainful employment" claims on the SPFS are supported by documentation, not estimated.

"Incomplete student records" is a catch-all finding. A file that is missing one signed and dated form counts.

• Each file contains every required signed and dated document (enrollment agreement, SPFS, disclosures, attendance and clock-hour records). Top citation
• Proof of high-school graduation or equivalent (or ATB where applicable) is verified and documented. Enrollment gapMissing high-school-diploma verification is one of the most cited enrollment-eligibility failures.
• Clock-hour and attendance ledger is complete and current for every active and completed student.
• Financial ledger per student reconciles charges, payments, refunds, and balance owed.
• Records are retained for the required period and stored securely (with a transcript-permanency policy for academic records).
• Records are organized for fast audit pull so a reviewer can locate any required item in a file within minutes.

The enrollment agreement is a regulated contract. Every required element must be present and accurate.

• Enrollment agreement lists program name, total clock hours, and total charges itemized (tuition, STRF, registration, kits, books, fees).
• Cancellation and refund policy is stated, including the right to cancel and the pro-rata refund formula for clock-hour programs.
• "Notice Concerning Transferability of Credits/Hours" is included.
• Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) disclosure statement is included and signed.
• Current catalog is provided to and acknowledged by the student before enrollment.
• No charges collected before the agreement and required disclosures are signed.

STRF protects California resident students. Collection, remittance, and disclosure are all separately citable.

• STRF assessment is collected from each eligible student at the current per-$1,000 rate of institutional charges. STRF
• Assessments are remitted to BPPE on the required schedule with the STRF report.
• The mandated STRF disclosure language is given to every student and retained signed.
• STRF is shown as a separate line item on the enrollment agreement and ledger, not folded into tuition.

Marketing claims are held to the same accuracy standard as your disclosures.

• Ads identify the institution by its approved name and do not imply guarantees of employment or licensure.
• Placement, salary, and pass-rate claims in marketing match the SPFS and are substantiated.
• No misrepresentation of accreditation, approval, or program length (for example, advertising hours or credentials you are not approved to award).
• Website, social media, and third-party lead pages are reviewed for the same accuracy standards as print.