StateLicensed

Barber License Requirements in Florida

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
900 hrs
Upfront cost
—
Exam
Florida Barber Written Examination
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Florida Barbers' Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 16 years old. Fla. Stat. §476.114 requires applicants to be at least 16 years of age. No fingerprint or criminal-history background check is required for barber licensure in Chapter 476. Graduating students who pass the exam may work under a licensed barber's supervision before the license is issued (subject to a 180-day exam-passage window). [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete 900 hours of training at a state-approved program. Barber: minimum 900 hours of training at a board-approved barbering school, public program, or government-operated facility (Fla. Stat. §476.114). A candidate may sit for the written exam after 600 actual school hours if the school certifies readiness — passing satisfies the full requirement, but failing means completing all 900 hours before retesting. Restricted Barber (cutting/styling, no chemical services): minimum 600-hour course (75 hrs Florida laws/rules, 325 hrs safety/sanitation/sterilization, 150 hrs hair structure/cutting/cleansing, 50 hrs shaving and beard/mustache trimming). Applicants must also complete a board-approved initial HIV/AIDS course (at least 2 hours, within 2 years before applying). [1]

  3. 3

    Florida Barber Written Examination

    Pass the Florida Barber Written Examination. Closed-book, 100 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours, covering seven content areas (largest: Safety, Sanitation, and Sterilization at 30%); available at Pearson VUE test centers and via OnVUE online proctoring. Florida has no practical (hands-on) barber exam — written only. The exam fee is paid directly to Pearson VUE; the Candidate Information Booklet defers to Pearson VUE's current fee page (fees increased January 3, 2023) without stating an amount, so fee is null rather than guessed. After three failed attempts the board may impose rescheduling timeframes and additional training. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Florida Barbers' Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation). [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Florida Barbers' Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) issues your Barber License for Florida.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] None specified
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] $75
Florida Barber Written Examination [2] None specified
License certification (for out-of-state verification requests) [3] $25

The Barbers' Board pages list renewal fees ($75 barber, $75 restricted barber, $110 barbershop) but do not publish the initial application/examination or initial license fee amounts on the pages reviewed — the DBPR online licensing portal computes them at application time — so application and license are null rather than guessed. (The board FAQ elsewhere shows a $70 renewal figure; the current main board page lists $75, which is recorded here.)

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 2 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Licenses renew biennially (Fla. Stat. §476.154); all barber licenses expire July 31 of even-numbered years, and DBPR emails a renewal notice about 90 days before expiration. The only continuing-education requirement is a board-approved HIV/AIDS course (at least 2 hours) each renewal cycle.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

No interstate compact covers barbering. Florida licensure by endorsement (Fla. Stat. §476.144): available to a barber holding a current, active license in another state who passed a comparable (or more stringent) licensing exam and completed at least 900 training hours or equivalent; out-of-country credentials require evaluation by a NACES-member agency. Apprentice licensees are not eligible for endorsement. Applicants who don't qualify can take the Florida examination route instead.

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

Frequently asked questions

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

900 hours at an approved barbering school for the full Barber license, or 600 hours for the Restricted Barber license (no chemical services). You can sit for the exam after 600 hours if your school certifies you're ready.

Does Florida have a practical (hands-on) barber exam?

No. Florida requires only a written exam — 100 multiple-choice questions over 3 hours, administered by Pearson VUE at test centers or via online proctoring.

What is a Florida Restricted Barber license?

A license limited to haircuts, styling, shampooing, beard/mustache trimming, and facials — no chemical services beyond tonics and sprays. It requires a 600-hour course instead of the full 900 hours.

When do Florida barber licenses expire?

July 31 of every even-numbered year. Renewal costs $75 and requires a board-approved HIV/AIDS continuing-education course (at least 2 hours) each cycle.

Can an out-of-state barber transfer their license to Florida?

Yes, by endorsement — if you hold a current, active license, passed a comparable exam, and completed at least 900 training hours or the equivalent. Apprentice licenses don't qualify for endorsement.

Sources

  1. [1] leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm — accessed 2026-07-11
  2. [2] www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/barb_cib.pdf — accessed 2026-07-11
  3. [3] www2.myfloridalicense.com/barbers/ — accessed 2026-07-11
  4. [4] www2.myfloridalicense.com/barbers/faqs/ — accessed 2026-07-11