Connecticut has regulated barbers and hairdressers since 1949. Currently, the Department of Public Health (DPH) issues one license to barbers and another to hairdressers and cosmeticians. Separate laws govern each license category (CGS Chapter 386 for barbers; CGS Chapter 387 for hairdressers and cosmeticians). But, the law allows licensed hairdressers to work in barbershops and, conversely, licensed barbers to work in hairdressing shops (CGS § 20-248).
The law establishes similar application requirements for both licenses. Applicants for both must pay a $100 fee and pass a DPH-prescribed exam. Additionally:
- barbers must complete (a) the eighth grade or pass an equivalency exam and (b) at least 1,000 hours of approved coursework and
- hairdressers must complete (a) the ninth grade or pass an equivalency exam and (b) at least 1,500 hours of approved coursework (PA 14-231).
The law generally allows a person licensed as a barber or hairdresser in another state or U.S. territory or possession to become licensed in Connecticut by endorsement (i.e., without examination) if the other jurisdiction required an exam, education, and training for a license. The fee for licensure by endorsement in Connecticut is $100 for barber applicants and $50 for hairdresser applicants. Hairdresser applicants trained in other countries must show that they have similar training to Connecticut’s requirements and pass an exam.
Currently, the state does not offer apprenticeship programs for barbers or hairdressers. In 2013, the legislature passed a bill (Special Act 13-12) requiring the Connecticut State Apprenticeship Council, in consultation with the DPH commissioner, to study the feasibility of establishing a barbershop apprenticeship program within the Labor Department. We contacted the council regarding the status of this report, but did not receive a response.
