California Board of Barbering & Cosmetology
California barber license
1,000 hours, age 17, the 10th grade, and $125 in board fees — every one of which is identical to cosmetology. The question worth answering is not how long it takes but which of the two licences covers the work you actually want to do.
Training hours
1,000
Identical to cosmetology. The two licences differ in what they cover, not in how long they take.
Minimum age
17
Plus the 10th grade or its equivalent. No high school diploma required.
Application + exam
$75
Covers the application and your seat at the PSI written exam.
First licence
$50
Then $50 every two years, with no continuing education.
Barber or cosmetology? The statute is specific
Section 7316 defines both in the same breath, and the lists are not the same. The practice of barbering is:
- Shaving or trimming the beard, or cutting the hair
- Facial and scalp massages or treatments with oils, creams, lotions or other preparations, by hand or by mechanical appliance
- Singeing, shampooing, arranging, dressing, curling, waving, chemical waving, hair relaxing, dyeing the hair, or applying hair tonics
- Applying cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, powders, oils, clays or lotions to the scalp, face or neck
- Hairstyling of all textures of hair by standard methods current at the time
Shaving is in that list and is not in the cosmetology one. Working the other way: nail work, treating the hands and feet, and removing superfluous hair are all enumerated in the cosmetology definition and are not enumerated in the barbering one. Everything else — cutting, colouring, chemical texture services, scalp and facial treatment — appears in both.
Neither licence is a subset of the other, which is exactly why the board runs a crossover course between them. If you already hold one, you take the crossover rather than another 1,000 hours.
Getting to the exam
Be at least 17, have completed the 10th grade or its equivalent, and not be subject to denial under section 480. Then one of four routes, per BPC 7321.5:
- A 1,000-hour barbering course at a board-approved school.
- An approved apprenticeship programme in barbering.
- Practice outside California, credited at 3 months of work to 100 hours of training — 400 hours a year for someone already working.
- A barbering crossover course, if you hold or have completed cosmetology.
What the board charges
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application and examination | $75 | Before you sit |
| Initial barber licence | $50 | After you pass |
| Renewal | $50 | Every 2 years |
| Barbershop establishment licence | $50 | If you open a shop |
The establishment licence is the one to remember later: it belongs to the shop rather than to you, renews on its own date for $40, and lapses without affecting your personal licence at all.
The exam, and shaving
95 questions, 85 scored, 120 minutes, written only. Shaving is 22% of it — roughly 19 scored questions, and a subject no other California licensing exam tests at all.
The outline changed on 1 April 2026. Chemical Texture Services fell from 18% to 7% while Haircoloring became a topic of its own at 7%, having previously been folded inside it — so the total chemical content barely moved, but how it is examined did. All five licences, 2020 against 2025.
Common questions
How many hours is barber school in California?
1,000 hours, under Business and Professions Code section 7362.5 — the same section and the same figure as cosmetology. The two licences take equally long; they cover different work.
What is the difference between a barber and a cosmetology license in California?
Scope. Section 7316 lists shaving and beard trimming in the barbering definition and not in the cosmetology one, and lists nail work, hand and foot treatment and hair removal in the cosmetology definition and not in the barbering one. Both cover cutting, colouring, chemical texture work and scalp and facial treatment. The board runs a crossover course between the two, which is the clearest evidence that neither is a subset of the other.
Can a California barber do nails?
Nail work is enumerated in the cosmetology scope, not the barbering scope. A barber who wants it can take the cosmetology crossover course rather than a full 1,000-hour programme — that route exists specifically for this.
How much does a California barber license cost?
$75 for the application and examination, then $50 for the licence — $125 in board fees before tuition. Renewal is $50 every two years. If you open your own shop, the establishment licence is a separate $50.
Is there a practical exam for California barbers?
No. California stopped requiring a practical for all licence types on 1 January 2022. The barber exam is 95 questions, 85 scored, in 120 minutes, written only.
What is on the California barber exam?
Under the outline effective 1 April 2026: Safety and Infection Control 31%, Shaving 22%, Client Consultation and Hair and Skin Analysis 15%, Haircutting 8%, Haircoloring 7%, Chemical Texture Services 7%, Hairstyling 5%, Skin Care 5%. Shaving being nearly a quarter of the paper is unique to this licence — no other California exam tests it at all.
Apply on BreEZe
Applications and renewals both run through BreEZe, the Department of Consumer Affairs system — not through barbercosmo.ca.gov.
Go to BreEZe