StateLicensed

Barber License Requirements in Connecticut

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
1000 hrs
Upfront cost
$100
Exam
Connecticut Barber Written Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (with the Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Successful completion of the eighth grade or its equivalent. CGS §20-236 sets no minimum age for barber licensure — only the eighth-grade education requirement — so minAge is null. Background check is explicitly NOT required: §20-236(c) states 'No person applying for licensure as a barber under this chapter shall be required to submit to a state or national criminal history records check as a prerequisite to licensure.' A license will not issue to an applicant with pending professional disciplinary action or an unresolved complaint. cga.ct.gov timed out in the automated sweep and has no Wayback snapshot for this URL; direct curl access on 2026-07-11 confirmed the page is reachable (HTTP 200), but content was not independently reverified in this pass. [3]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 1000 hours of training at a state-approved program. Not less than 1,000 hours of study at a barber school approved under CGS Chapter 386 (or an out-of-state school with equivalent requirements), documented by an Affidavit of Hours from the school. Alternative route: completion of a Connecticut Labor Department-approved apprenticeship conducted under CGS §§31-22m to 31-22u (statute states no separate hour count for the apprenticeship). Licensed practitioners are termed 'master barbers' in the statute. [1]

  3. 3

    Connecticut Barber Written Examination

    Pass the Connecticut Barber Written Examination. Written examination, offered in English and Spanish; scores are submitted by Prometric directly to the Department. Only a written examination is required (CGS §20-236 — no practical exam). Candidates register directly through Prometric's website. Prometric charges its own exam fee at registration, but the amount is not published on an accessible official page (prometric.com blocks automated fetches and the archive snapshot only captured a bot-check shell), so the fee is recorded as null rather than guessed. [1]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (with the Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians) with the $100 application fee. [2]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (with the Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians) issues your Barber License for Connecticut.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [2] $100
License fee [2] None specified
Renewal fee [2] $100
Connecticut Barber Written Examination [1] None specified

The $100 fee paid with the online (eLicense) application is the initial licensure fee set by CGS §20-236 — there is no separate license-issuance fee, so license is null. Reinstatement of a lapsed license is also $100. The Prometric exam fee is separate and paid to the vendor.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years.

CGS §20-239: all master barber licenses are renewed once every two years for a $100 fee, expiring in accordance with CGS §19a-88 (DPH's standard birth-month schedule). No continuing-education requirement for barbers appears in Chapter 386 or on the DPH barber licensing pages, so ceHours is null. cga.ct.gov timed out in the automated sweep and has no Wayback snapshot for this URL; direct curl access on 2026-07-11 confirmed the page is reachable (HTTP 200), but content was not independently reverified in this pass.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

No interstate compact covers barbering. CGS §20-236(a)(2): a person holding a current barber license from any other state, DC, or a US commonwealth/territory that was issued on the basis of completing an education/training program and an examination is entitled to a Connecticut license WITHOUT examination for the $100 fee; license verifications must be sent from every state of licensure. §20-236(a)(3) adds a route for practitioners who have held an out-of-state license for not less than forty years, eligible for licensure without examination regardless of the exam basis. (DPH's site navigation labels this route 'licensed in another state for at least 4 years,' but the 2025 statute text says forty years.) cga.ct.gov timed out in the automated sweep and has no Wayback snapshot for this URL; direct curl access on 2026-07-11 confirmed the page is reachable (HTTP 200), but content was not independently reverified in this pass.

3 state-approved training providers in Connecticut — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $100
Total$100

Frequently asked questions

How many training hours does Connecticut require for a barber license?

At least 1,000 hours of study at an approved barber school, or completion of a Connecticut Labor Department-approved barber apprenticeship. You must also have completed the eighth grade.

Who regulates barbers in Connecticut?

The Connecticut Department of Public Health, advised by the Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians. Applications go through the state's eLicense portal.

Who administers the Connecticut barber exam?

Prometric, under contract with the Department of Public Health. Only a written exam is required (available in English and Spanish); scores go directly to the Department.

How often is a Connecticut barber license renewed?

Every two years, for $100.

Can an out-of-state barber get a Connecticut license without retesting?

Yes. If your current out-of-state license was issued based on completing a training program and passing an exam, you're entitled to a Connecticut license without examination for the $100 fee, once your license verifications are sent to DPH.

Sources

  1. [1] portal.ct.gov/dph/practitioner-licensing--investigations/barber/license-by-examination — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] portal.ct.gov/dph/practitioner-licensing--investigations/barber/barber-licensing — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] cga.ct.gov/2025/pub/chap_386.htm — accessed 2026-07-11