Apprentice barber license

This page explains the steps to get licensed as an apprentice barber in North Carolina. If you have any questions about the process, please contact the board.

Important: this how-to guide is not for individuals who are licensed in another state. If you're a barber in another state, please contact the board for information on how to get licensed.

Become an apprentice barber in North Carolina

  • 1

    Attend an approved barber school

    You first must attend an approved babrer school. The required curriculum is 1528 hours.

    Approved barber schools

  • 2

    Submit the application

    You must submit a complete apprentice barber exam application. You may submit it either online or by paper. (Please note that online applications will be processed much faster.)

  • 3

    Request a temporary permit if you wish to work

    If you wish to work under a temporary permit while you're waiting to take the exams, you must submit a request online. Please note that temporary permits have restrictions, and we will not issue more than two. Also, we will not issue a temporary permit unless you submitted a complete application and we have evidence that you completed schooling.

    Before submitting the request, you'll need the following information:

    • Name of the barber shop where you wish to work
    • Barber shop permit number
    • Barber shop physical address

    Please make sure the shop and its licensed barber manager are currently licensed.

    Request a temporary permit

  • 4

    Check for notification that your exam has been scheduled

    Your exam will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis once your application is complete and we have verification from the school that you completed 1528 hours of training. We will not schedule exams without a complete application or evidence of the hours. Normally, the notification of your exam date will be available within a week of submitting your application, and often sooner.

    There are three ways we notify you of an exam date:

    • Exam portal - we urge you to use this option to keep track of exam dates and results (when posted). Mail can be unreliable, and email notifications may be flagged as spam.
    • Email - if you provide an email address, we will send an automated email notification. However, please note that some email providers may flag these emails as spam.
    • Mail - although we'll mail the exam notification, please do not rely on mail notifications. Unfortunately, mail has become slow and unpredictable. We will not reschedule exams simply because you received the mail close to the exam date, so please use the exam portal discussed above to keep track of exam dates.
  • 5

    Review exam instructions

    You can get yourself ready for the exam by reviewing the exam instructions. Although these instructions will be available in the Exam Portal and sent by mail, you can also review them at the link below. Select Apprentice barber exams from the list. (You will first be scheduled for the written and practical exams. You would be scheduled only for the practical exams or only for the written exam if you fail one of them on the initial attempt.)

    Please also review the Candidate information bulletin to see what information will be on the written exam.

    Barber exam instructions

  • 6

    Pay for apprentice barber license

    After you pass the exams, you can pay for your apprentice license. The fastest method is to pay online, but you can also pay by mail. The fee is $50.

    Pay your license fee online (external link)