How to Become a Barber in Virginia: 750 Hours, Cost & Schools

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Virginia just made it a lot faster to become a barber. On December 1, 2025, the state cut its barber training requirement from 1,100 hours to 750. A full-time student can now finish school in about five to eight months, then pass the NIC written and practical exams through Prov. Below is what changed, what you’ll pay, how the Master Barber license works now, and the kit to build, starting with a cordless clipper like the BaBylissPRO FX+ clipper.

The 750-hour change, explained

The Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), lowered the minimum training hours for all three barber programs. The new rule took effect on December 1, 2025. According to DPOR’s curriculum page and the final regulation in the Virginia Register:

Program	Old minimum	New minimum
Barber	1,100 hours	750 hours
Master Barber	400 hours	250 hours
Dual Barber/Master Barber	1,500 hours	1,000 hours

The current rule, 18VAC41-20-200, now reads that barber curricula “must be based on a minimum of 750 clock hours.” Schools could keep enrolling students in the old programs until November 30, 2025, and they had to submit updated curricula by March 1, 2026. If you started under the old rules, DPOR sets finish-by dates: December 31, 2026 for the 1,100-hour barber and 1,500-hour dual programs, and June 30, 2026 for the 400-hour master barber program.

What this means for you: if a Virginia school still quotes 1,100 hours, ask why. Some may keep longer programs, but the state minimum is now 750. At 30 to 35 hours a week, 750 hours takes about five to six months. Evening or part-time blocks take longer.

The same change ended the instructor program as a way to qualify for an instructor certificate. That matters only if you plan to teach later.

Barber vs. Master Barber

Virginia has two barber licenses, and the difference is chemical work. Under Code of Virginia § 54.1-700, a barber “shaves, shapes, or trims the beard; cuts, singes, or dyes the hair.” A master barber can also do waving, bleaching, relaxing and straightening, work on wigs and hairpieces, and scalp waxing. You can get the Master Barber license by completing 250 hours of master barber training after your barber license, or by doing a 1,000-hour dual program in one go. DPOR’s summary also lists a Virginia High School Master Barber Program and equivalent out-of-state programs.

The apprenticeship route

Virginia runs barber apprenticeships through Virginia Works, the state’s workforce development agency, and the board says you must contact Virginia Works directly to start one. Registered apprenticeships are open to high school students aged 16 or older. The registered-apprenticeship standards DPOR hosts (standards PDF) set a minimum term of 2,000 hours of full-time employment over 12 months, plus related study. Training is supervised by a licensed journeyworker, with no more than two apprentices per journeyworker. That document isn’t dated, so confirm the current term with Virginia Works now that the school hours have changed.

Cosmetologists and military barbers

Virginia doesn’t offer a reduced-hour crossover course, but it has an experience route instead. Under 18VAC41-20-20, a Virginia-licensed cosmetologist with at least two years of work experience can sit for the master barber exam, and a master barber with two years of experience can sit for the cosmetology exam. Two years of barbering experience in the US Armed Forces likewise makes you eligible for the exam.

Exams: NIC through Prov

Virginia uses the National Interstate Council (NIC) exams, both a theory exam and a practical exam. Since January 1, 2025, they’ve been administered by Prov, which took over from the previous vendor. The board’s page lists the fees: $99 for the written theory exam and $95 for the practical, paid to Prov. One deadline to note: if you don’t apply for your license within five years of passing both exams, you have to retake them. For the passing score and candidate handbook, use Prov’s current Virginia materials.

Fees

Under 18VAC41-20-140, the license application costs $120, and the same $120 applies to licensure by endorsement. Add the two Prov exam fees and a first license by exam comes to about $314, before any technology fee. From July 1, 2026, DPOR also adds a technology fee of $7.25 per year to certain fees under 2026’s House Bill 30, in place through June 30, 2030.

Renewal and continuing education

Virginia licenses expire two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued (18VAC41-20-160). Renewal is $120 for both barbers and master barbers. If you let a license lapse, reinstatement costs $240 (the renewal fee plus a reinstatement fee), and the board’s FAQ describes a 30-day grace period to renew without a penalty. We found no continuing education requirement for barbers in Virginia’s barbering regulations. Confirm with DPOR when you renew, in case that changes.

Licensed in another state?

Virginia licenses barbers by endorsement. Under 18VAC41-20-30, if you’re licensed elsewhere and completed training or an apprenticeship, plus written and practical exams substantially equivalent to Virginia’s, you can be licensed without testing. If your training doesn’t match, three years of licensed experience in another state can substitute for it. If you passed only one of the two exams, you can take the other one in Virginia. You’ll file the endorsement application with the $120 fee and have your home state mail a Certification of Licensure. Barbers whose home-state scope matches Virginia’s master barber license can be endorsed as master barbers.

Virginia has also joined the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, but that covers cosmetologists, not barbers, and the board says the compact isn’t expected to start until early 2027.

What barbers earn in Virginia

Virginia barbers on payrolls earn more than most. BLS’s May 2025 survey put the median at $22.47 an hour, or $46,730 a year, and the mean at $51,480, though the sample is small: about 160 payroll barbers (BLS OEWS 39-5011, May 2025). Many Virginia barbers are self-employed or rent booths, and the survey doesn’t count them.

Virginia barber schools

Here’s one school from our research list, plus a few Title IV schools we found on College Navigator. Note that the College Navigator figures are for 2024–25, before the 750-hour change, so programs may have been resized since. For more on comparing programs, see our guide to the best barber schools.

The Band of Barbers Academy (Waynesboro)

The Band of Barbers Academy (listed at 901 W Broad St, Waynesboro) already teaches a 750-hour barber program under the new rule. It runs 12 weeks of hybrid theory using Pivot Point’s online LAB platform, then 26 weeks of in-person practical training in four-hour blocks: mornings (8 to 12), afternoons (12 to 4) or evenings (4 to 8). Tuition is about $9,500, with payment plans. The school isn’t listed on College Navigator for federal aid (program page; tuition page, checked Oct 2026). Its website is still rough around the edges and doesn’t show a street address, so confirm the location when you call.

It has only two Google reviews (4.5 on Google, 2 reviews, Oct 2026), too few to read much into, but both praise the instructors and the exam prep.

“they’ve not only helped me prepare for my exam but also fostered a deeper understanding and appreciation of the barbering industry.”

— Angel O., Google reviewer, about Oct 2025

Other Virginia schools with federal aid

• Virginia Barber School (Richmond area): College Navigator listed a 1,100-clock-hour, 7-month program with tuition and fees of about $9,000 for 2024–25, and Pell and federal loan eligibility (College Navigator).
• Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy (Petersburg): College Navigator listed a 1,100-hour, 10-month program. Its cost table shows tuition and fees of about $16,000 for 2024–25, and the school is Title IV eligible (College Navigator).
• Tomorrow’s Image Barber and Beauty Academy (Newport News): College Navigator listed a 1,500-hour, 13-month barbering program (the old dual length) with tuition and fees of about $19,100 for 2024–25. It’s Title IV eligible (College Navigator).

Ask each of these schools whether it has moved to the 750-hour barber or 1,000-hour dual program, and what that does to the price. Fewer hours should mean lower tuition. Our barber school near me guide has more questions to bring.

Barber school kit: what students need

A shorter program means less time on the clinic floor, so good tools matter more. The NIC practical tests real services under time pressure, and your own kit is what you’ll practice with every day. If your budget stretches, the cordless BaBylissPRO FX+ clipper is an all-metal clipper with long battery life. A more affordable alternative is the Wahl 5 Star Magic Clip Cordless.

For detail work, the Andis Slimline Pro (33785) runs corded or cordless and is easy to control on line-ups. The Andis T-Outliner (04780) is the classic budget pick.

Bald fades start with a close-cutting clipper. The Wahl 5 Star Balding Clipper takes hair down to near-skin before the foil, and the Wahl 5 Star Vanish foil shaver finishes it smooth.

A good BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle keeps hair evenly damp for scissor work. Keep combs and shears in Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz) between clients.

Ranges above are recent Amazon prices and change often. Our best clippers for barber school guide compares more options.

FAQ

How many hours do you need to be a barber in Virginia?
750 hours at a licensed Virginia school, effective December 1, 2025 (it was 1,100). Master Barber takes another 250 hours, or you can do a 1,000-hour dual program.

When did Virginia change barber hours to 750?
December 1, 2025. Students already enrolled in a 1,100-hour program must finish it by December 31, 2026.

What exams do Virginia barbers take?
The NIC theory exam ($99) and the NIC practical exam ($95), both administered by Prov since January 1, 2025.

How much does a Virginia barber license cost?
The application fee is $120, plus $99 and $95 for the exams, about $314 in total before any technology fee. Renewal is $120 every two years.

Can I transfer my barber license to Virginia?
Yes, by endorsement, if your training and exams were substantially equivalent to Virginia’s. If your training doesn’t match, three years of licensed experience in another state can substitute for it.

How much do barbers make in Virginia?
The median was $46,730 a year in May 2025 (BLS), and the mean was $51,480. That’s based on a small sample of payroll barbers and doesn’t count self-employed barbers.

Licensing rules, fees and hours can change. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your state barber board before you enroll or apply.