Barber License Requirements in Nevada
- Training hours
- 1500 hrs
- Upfront cost
- $100
- Exam
- Nevada Apprentice (Barbering) Examination, Nevada Barber Examination
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Issuing board
- Nevada State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Be at least 16.5 years old, High school diploma or its equivalent (NAC 643.010); the Board's licensing page cites at least a 10th-grade education for experienced 'registered' out-of-state applicants. Minimum age is 16 1/2 for the Apprentice license and 18 for the full Barber license (NRS 643.080, 643.070), plus good moral character and temperate habits. No fingerprint/criminal background check is required, but an applicant ever convicted of a felony must appear at a Board hearing and bears the burden of showing a license should issue (NAC 643.010). Health requirements: a physician's certificate with a chest X-ray showing the applicant is not tuberculous and a blood test showing the applicant is not a carrier of communicable diseases (NRS 643.090). Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawfully entitled to live and work in the U.S. Verified via archive snapshots (leg.state.nv.us blocks automated fetches). [3]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete 1500 hours of training (including 1300 clinical hours) at a state-approved program. Nevada tiers barber licensure: graduating from a Board-approved barber school (1,500 hours of instruction, of which 1,300 must be practical work on patrons in a barber's chair and roughly 200 theory, completed within 1 year of enrollment — NAC 643.010, 643.660) qualifies you for the Apprentice license exam; a Licensed Apprentice must then complete 18 months of full-time apprenticeship (at least 40 hours/week) under the direct supervision of a licensed barber before taking the barber exam (NAC 643.030, NRS 643.070). Crossover: a Nevada-licensed cosmetologist with 400 hours of specialized training at a Board-approved barber school may take the barber exam directly, skipping the apprentice stage (NRS 643.085). NRS/NAC pages are Cloudflare-blocked to automated fetches; verified via archive snapshots 2026-02-01 (NRS 643) and 2025-06-03 (NAC 643). [1]
- 3
Nevada Apprentice (Barbering) Examination
Pass the Nevada Apprentice (Barbering) Examination. Practical exam in two segments (one hour for shampoo, haircut, and shave on a live model; 10 minutes for hairstyling) plus a written/oral test (45 multiple-choice and 5 oral questions on barber science, Nevada law and regulations, one hour); 75% required on each of the written and practical portions The examination fee is $100 (NAC 643.070); per the Board's exam-information page the $100 covers the application and exam when applying online through the Barber Portal ($15 deposit plus $85 balance for paper applications). Applicants must present a physician's health certificate (chest X-ray showing no tuberculosis and a blood test). Fee recorded as null here to avoid double-counting the same charge twice in this record's upfront-cost total: the $100 is a combined application/examination fee and is already counted under the application fee. [2]
- 4
Nevada Barber Examination
Pass the Nevada Barber Examination. Practical demonstration plus written and oral test covering subjects taught in Board-approved barber schools (NRS 643.100); 75% required on each portion Taken after the 18-month supervised apprenticeship (or by cosmetologist-crossover and experienced out-of-state applicants). Examination fee $100 (NAC 643.070). Retaking within 1 year of the initial exam requires no additional apprenticeship practice (NRS 643.110). Fee recorded as null here to avoid double-counting the same charge twice in this record's upfront-cost total: the $100 is a combined application/examination fee and is already counted under the application fee. [1]
- 5
Submit your application
Submit your application to Nevada State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board with the $100 application fee. [1]
- 6
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Nevada State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board issues your Licensed Apprentice (Barbering) for Nevada.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [1] | $100 |
| License fee [1] | None specified |
| Renewal fee [1] | $60 |
| Nevada Apprentice (Barbering) Examination [2] | None specified |
| Nevada Barber Examination [1] | None specified |
| Restoration of expired license (within 2 years) [1] | $120 |
| Replacement of lost license [1] | $20 |
| Apprentice (barbering) application/examination fee, paid earlier at the apprentice-license stage [1] | $100 |
The $100 application/examination fee (online via the Barber Portal) covers both the application and the Board exam. No separately published initial license-issuance fee exists — NAC 643.160 addresses only proration of the initial license fee ($3/month when issued within 6 months of the renewal date) without stating a standalone amount, so 'license' is null. Renewal is $60 (NAC 643.160; NRS 643.140 caps it at $60). NRS/NAC verified via archive snapshots (2026-02-01 / 2025-06-03) because leg.state.nv.us blocks automated fetches.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 2 years.
Biennial renewal: every licensed barber and licensed apprentice in active practice renews on or before April 1 of each even-numbered year (NRS 643.140); a license not renewed by May 1 of that year expires. Renewal fee $60. No continuing-education requirement appears in NRS 643 or NAC 643, so ceHours is null. An expired license may be restored within 2 years for a $120 restoration fee; verified via archive snapshots (leg.state.nv.us blocks automated fetches).
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.
Multiple routes for out-of-state barbers: (1) License by endorsement (NAC 643.025) for holders of a corresponding, valid, unrestricted U.S. license with substantially similar qualifications, per NRS 622.530; the Board publishes an 'Application to Receive Registered Barber License by Endorsement'. (2) NRS 643.120: a licensee from a jurisdiction with substantially the same requirements must be admitted per Board regulations. (3) The Board's 'Registered Examination' route for barbers with 5+ years of licensed work experience within the last 10 years. Out-of-state applicants approved to sit the exam may practice under supervision before the exam via a temporary exemption (NRS 643.130). Foreign-trained barbers with 5 years' experience and a current foreign license may substitute a 250-hour refresher course for the 1,500 school hours (NAC 643.060). No interstate barbering compact exists or is referenced. Verified via archive snapshots (leg.state.nv.us blocks automated fetches).
Cost calculator
- $100
Frequently asked questions
How do I become a licensed barber in Nevada?
Complete 1,500 hours at a Board-approved barber school, pass the apprentice exam to become a Licensed Apprentice, work 18 months full-time (40+ hours/week) under a licensed barber's direct supervision, then pass the barber exam given by the State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board.
Who administers Nevada's barber exams and what do they cost?
The Nevada State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board administers them directly, at least three times a year. The application and exam fee is $100 online; a 75% score is required on both the written/oral and practical portions.
Is there a shortcut for licensed cosmetologists?
Yes — a Nevada-licensed cosmetologist who completes 400 hours of specialized training at a Board-approved barber school may take the barber exam directly, without the apprentice license or 18-month apprenticeship.
When do Nevada barber licenses renew?
Biennially, on or before April 1 of each even-numbered year, for $60. There is no continuing-education requirement. Licenses unrenewed by May 1 expire, and can be restored within 2 years for $120.
What health requirements does Nevada impose on barber applicants?
A physician-signed certificate that the applicant is free of tuberculosis (chest X-ray) and communicable diseases (blood test) must be filed with the exam application.
Sources
- [1] leg.state.nv.us/nac/NAC-643.html — accessed 2026-07-11
- [2] barber.nv.gov/exam-information/ — accessed 2026-07-11
- [3] leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-643.html — accessed 2026-07-11