California Barber — All Questions
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In California, barbering is regulated under the Barbering and Cosmetology Act by the:
- a.Board of Barbering and Cosmetology✓
- b.Department of Motor Vehicles
- c.Federal Trade Commission
- d.Local police department
The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, within the Department of Consumer Affairs, licenses and regulates barbers and shops. It enforces the Barbering and Cosmetology Act and its regulations in the Business & Professions Code and CCR Title 16.CA Business & Professions Code
To legally perform barbering services for pay in California, a person must:
- a.Simply own clippers
- b.Hold a current, valid barber license issued by the Board✓
- c.Have five years of unlicensed experience
- d.Have a business card
Practicing barbering for compensation requires a valid license issued by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Working without a license, or with a lapsed one, is a violation subject to enforcement.CA Business & Professions Code
A barber's license and the establishment license must generally be:
- a.Kept at the licensee's home
- b.Displayed or available at the licensed establishment✓
- c.Posted on social media only
- d.Mailed to each client
Licenses are required to be displayed or made available at the place of business so clients and inspectors can verify them. This transparency supports public protection and enforcement.CA Business & Professions Code
The main reason the Board regulates barbering is to:
- a.Protect the health and safety of the public✓
- b.Control advertising
- c.Set haircut prices
- d.Limit the number of barbers
Licensing laws and health and safety regulations exist chiefly to protect consumers from unsafe or unsanitary practices. Standards for disinfection, training, and establishment conditions all serve public protection.CA Business & Professions Code
During an inspection, a Board inspector may check that the establishment:
- a.Charges a set price
- b.Uses a specific brand of shampoo
- c.Has the most expensive equipment
- d.Follows disinfection and sanitation rules and has proper licenses✓
Inspectors verify compliance with sanitation, disinfection, and licensing requirements to ensure a safe environment. They do not dictate brands or prices; their focus is public health and legal operation.CCR Title 16 §979
If a barber changes the address of their establishment, they should:
- a.Only tell clients
- b.Wait until renewal years later
- c.Notify the Board and ensure the new location is properly licensed and inspected✓
- d.Do nothing
Establishment licenses are tied to a specific location, so a move requires notifying the Board and meeting licensing and inspection requirements at the new site. Operating an unlicensed location is a violation.CA Business & Professions Code
A barber license in California must be:
- a.Renewed periodically to remain valid✓
- b.Never renewed
- c.Renewed only once in a lifetime
- d.Renewed weekly
Barber licenses are issued for a set term and must be renewed on schedule, typically every two years, to stay valid. Practicing on an expired license is unlawful.CA Business & Professions Code
Establishment sanitation requirements in California include:
- a.Only a waiting area
- b.Only a clean front window
- c.Only background music
- d.Clean floors and surfaces, proper disinfection of implements, hot and cold running water, and clean linens✓
Barbershops must maintain clean premises, supply hot and cold running water, disinfect tools, and use clean towels and linens for each client. These conditions are inspected to safeguard public health.CCR Title 16 §979
Which is within the legal scope of practice for a licensed barber in California?
- a.Diagnosing skin diseases
- b.Performing surgery on the scalp
- c.Cutting hair, shaving, and trimming beards✓
- d.Prescribing medication
A barber may cut and style hair, shave and trim facial hair, and perform related grooming services. Diagnosing or treating disease is outside the scope of practice and is reserved for medical professionals.CA Business & Professions Code
If a client shows signs of a possible infectious disease, the law and safe practice require the barber to:
- a.Charge extra for the risk
- b.Decline the service and refer the client to a physician✓
- c.Keep no record of the incident
- d.Perform the service anyway
Barbers are prohibited from servicing clients who appear to have an infectious or contagious condition, both to protect others and to comply with health regulations. The appropriate response is to decline and refer the client to a physician.CA Business & Professions Code
How hard is the exam?
The California Barber written exam is 95 questions (85 scored plus 10 pretest) in 120 minutes. The Board publishes no passing percentage — 16 CCR §932(b) and PSI's bulletin both give a criterion-referenced method with no number. California made it written-only in 2022 — no practical exam — given at a PSI center. Combined application and license fees are about $125. Barbers earn a median of about $38,960/year (BLS, May 2024).
- Recommended study hours
- 40-80 hours of review for working students.
- Published pass rate
- 59% (the source does not say which attempts it counts) — California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, 2025 average of the monthly rates. The lowest of the five license types on the Board’s own slide, and the written theory exam only. The Board does not separate first attempts from retakes.Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Q1 2026 Town Hall, Exam Updates (PDF), slide “2025 Pass Rates” · California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Examination Results by School (quarterly pass/fail rates)
- Where to focus first
- Safety & Infection Control is the largest area at 29% — disinfection, blood-spill procedures and sanitation law.
Fees and salaries are approximate and change over time. The pass rate above is quoted from the source linked beside it, for the period that source covers — where we have not checked a source, we say so and give no number.