Natural Hair Styling License

If you want to style hair, you need a license from the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS). This license is for people, not businesses. Businesses need a different license.

With this license, you can:

• Shampoo hair
• Style hair
• Cut hair
• Shave hair
• Twist hair
• Weave hair
• Braid hair

The license also lets you do styles that pull on hair roots. This includes some braiding, weaving and hair extensions. You must take a course for these styles.

To get this license, you must pass a test. You can get a temporary license before the test. If you have five years of experience, you might not need to take the test.

New regulations help keep workers safe. Read "Nail Salon Safety: What You Need to Know" for more details.