HF3528

Purpose

• Modernize and tighten Minnesota’s barbering regulation.
• Update who oversees barber licensing and how barbers, barber shops, and barber schools are governed.
• Set clear education, examination, and registration requirements to protect public health and safety in barbering.

What the bill changes (Main Provisions)

• Board structure and oversight
  • Creates a Board of Barber Examiners made up of four barber members and one public member appointed by the governor.
  • Barber members must have at least five years of practice and meet education and professional-organization criteria (including potential representation from a union of journeymen barbers and a professional barber organization).
• Registration and practice requirements
  • Registration to practice barbering becomes mandatory.
  • Barber shops and barber schools must be registered; instructors must be registered or hold a temporary permit.
  • Barber instruction must occur in registered barber schools.
• Definitions and scope of practice
  • Clarifies what constitutes barbering, including services like haircutting, shaving, beard trimming, coloring, and related services.
  • Adds explicit definitions for straight razors and waxing (waxing defined as a distinct service, not barbering).
• Education and hours
  • Requires a total of 1,500 hours to become a registered barber: 281 classroom hours and 1,219 practical hours, completed in a board-approved barber school.
  • Applicants must be at least 17 years old and have completed ten grades of education.
• Barber schools: admission, operation, and oversight
  • Schools must require prerequisites (ten grades of education or equivalent) and a course of instruction with specified hours and topics.
  • The board can review and deny barber school applications based on financial resources and ability to sustain operations and graduate students.
  • Public hearings are required for barber school registration applications.
• Examinations and credentials
  • Comprehensive examinations for barber registration include both practical and written components.
  • Practical portion scored 1–100; 75 minimum for the haircut portion; the rest of the practical components must average at least 75; written portion must be at least 75% to pass.
  • Examinations can be offered up to eight times per year (plus potential additional written exams as needed).
  • If a first-time applicant fails, they must complete an additional 500 hours of barber education before retaking the exam, and may retake as many times as needed after meeting requirements.
• Nonresidents and reciprocity
  • Nonresidents who meet all requirements may be issued a registration without examination if they have an active license or equivalent from another state or when credentials are evaluated as substantially equivalent.
  • If not eligible for automatic reciprocity, applicants must complete the 1,500 hours and pass the comprehensive examination, with a pathway that may involve completing 1,500 hours or more depending on prior credentials.
• Home Study Course for Barbers
  • A Home Study Course for Barbers is required in certain cases (e.g., restoration after non-renewal, or when pursuing reciprocity) to prepare for the comprehensive examination.
  • For those who fail, this course can be a prerequisite to retake the exam.
• Fees
  • Establishes a detailed fee schedule for examinations, registrations, renewals, shop and school registrations, and other services (specific dollar amounts are listed in the bill).
• Repeals and rule updates
  • Repeals several Minnesota Rules parts related to barber examinations and registration.
  • Appendix references to repealed rules are removed.

Key changes to existing law

• Shifts regulation from largely rule-based to statute-based oversight of barbering.
• Formalizes board composition to include a public member and expands roles for unions/professional organizations.
• Establishes a precise, higher education and training standard (1500 hours with a defined classroom/practical split).
• Creates explicit, public-facing procedures for barber school approvals, including public hearings and financial viability considerations.
• Introduces clear definitions for straight razors and waxing to delineate barbering from related services.
• Expands reciprocity pathways for nonresidents with clearer criteria and a Home Study Course requirement when applicable.
• Codifies a comprehensive, standardized examination process with specific passing standards.

Who is affected

• Aspiring barbers: must meet higher education and training hours, pass a comprehensive exam, and complete required prerequisites.
• Current registered barbers and licensees: may need to meet new or clarified requirements for renewal or restoration, including potential use of Home Study Course options.
• Barber schools: face new admission standards, oversight, financial viability checks, and public hearings; must align curricula with defined hour and topic requirements.
• Barbershop owners: must ensure shop registration and compliant supervisory requirements.
• Instructors and instructor-permits: subject to new registration rules and qualifications.

Implementation considerations

• Increased training time and costs for students seeking barber certification.
• Expanded regulatory oversight and potential administrative changes for schools and shops.
• New pathways for nonresidents to obtain licensure, potentially expanding the pool of applicants.

Relevant Terms

• Board of Barber Examiners
• registered barber
• barber shop
• barber school
• barber instructor
• comprehensive examination
• practical examination
• written examination
• certificate of registration
• home study course for Barbers
• straight razor
• waxing
• barber education hours (1500 hours; 281 classroom hours; 1,219 practical hours)
• nonresident reciprocity
• public member
• union of journeymen barbers
• professional organization of barbers
• application for examination
• barber school admission prerequisites
• public hearings
• license renewal and restoration
• related fees