How to Become a Barber in Washington, DC: Hours, Cost & Schools

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To become a barber in Washington, DC, you now need 1,250 hours of barber training (down from 1,500 under rules finalized in May 2026), or a 500-hour classroom plus 2,000-hour apprenticeship route, then the NIC written exam through Prov and a practical exam held in Brookland. Plan on about a year of school, and a starter tool kit that includes a solid outliner such as the Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer.

DC’s barber rules changed a lot in 2026: fewer hours, no more separate manager license, and a new written-exam provider. Some school and board pages haven’t caught up yet, so this guide works from the amended regulations themselves (17 DCMR Chapter 37) and the DC Code, and flags where official pages disagree.

Who licenses barbers in DC

DC barbers are licensed by the Board of Barber and Cosmetology, part of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). It’s a combined board of 14 mayoral appointees: three barbers, three cosmetologists, three specialty cosmetologists, three body artists and two consumer members. Barber rules are in 17 DCMR Chapter 37; the core licensing law is DC Code Title 47, Chapter 28.

After the 2026 reform, the main credentials are the barber license, the barbering instructor license and a shop owner license. The separate manager license is gone: DLCP’s announcement says the reform eliminates the manager’s license requirement.

The 2026 rule changes, in brief

Final rules published May 22, 2026 (73 DCR 007846) changed Chapter 37 in several ways that matter to new barbers. Per DLCP’s announcement, the reform:

• cuts barber and cosmetology training from 1,500 to 1,250 hours;
• eliminates the manager’s license requirement;
• changes the requirements for an instructor’s license; and
• adds new wax technician licenses.

DLCP also moved its NIC written exams to Prov in May 2026. The board’s own web page still listed 1,500 hours when we checked in October 2026, and so did at least one school page, so confirm the hour count with the board before you enroll.

Training hours under the new rules

Section 3703.7 of the amended regulations requires 1,250 hours of barber training. The required subjects include 210 hours of haircutting, 100 hours of shaving and beard trimming, 200 hours of chemical straightening and 30 hours of shop management.

“An applicant for a license by examination as a barber shall furnish proof satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has acquired: (a) One thousand two hundred fifty (1,250) hours of training”

17 DCMR §3703, as amended May 22, 2026

Students can start working on clients in a licensed school’s clinic after finishing one-third of their course hours (§3714). And watch the clock after graduation: students must take the exam within two years of finishing school.

Crossover for cosmetologists and hairstylists. A licensed DC cosmetologist gets up to 1,000 hours’ credit toward the barber license and must complete 250 more hours in haircutting, shaving and beard trimming, and shop management, after having passed the cosmetology exams. Licensed hairstylists also need 250 more hours, with facial and massage work added.

The DC barber apprenticeship

DC’s apprenticeship route (§3704) is a hybrid of school and shop:

1. complete 500 hours of classroom theory first, at a board-approved school;
2. then log at least 2,000 hours of shop work, at least 20 hours a week, over one to two years, under a licensed barber instructor.

The rules are strict. Apprentices must be at least 18 and register with the board; registration lasts two years and can’t be renewed. Each instructor can take one apprentice, and the shop needs at least three operators per apprentice. Most important, you must sit for the exam within six months of finishing or “lose credit for all training and experience gained in the apprenticeship.”

Age and education: a conflict to check

The DC Code (§47-2853.12) sets the minimum age at 17 for a barber license, while the regulation (§3703.1) says applicants must be at least 18 and have completed 10th grade or higher. If you’re 17, ask the board which applies before you apply. The 10th-grade minimum comes from the regulation; schools can set their own admission rules (Bennett Career Institute, for example, asks for a high school diploma or GED).

The DC barber exams

There are two exams, and you need 70% on each.

Written: the NIC barber theory exam, now delivered by Prov at its computer-based test centers nationwide. Per DLCP, scores are emailed in one to three days, and the exam fee is $92, paid to Prov.

Practical: scheduled by the board’s exam coordinator and held at Bennett Career Institute, 700 Monroe St NE. DLCP doesn’t publish a practical supply list on its pages, so get the current exam instructions from the board when you’re scheduled, and pack a complete, sanitized kit with your own clippers, outliner, razor and disinfectant.

DC barber license fees

Fee	Amount
Initial application by exam	$175 ($65 application + $110 license)
Exam or re-exam (paid to Prov)	$92
Renewal (every 2 years)	$110
Late renewal	$50
Reinstatement	$210
Verification letter	$30

Source: DLCP Board of Barber and Cosmetology page, checked Oct 2026. Fees are non-refundable.

Renewal and continuing education

Every DC barber license expires on September 30 of odd-numbered years, no matter when it was issued, and renewal opens 90 days before. A license more than 60 days expired has to be reinstated ($210).

DC is one of the places that requires continuing education: six hours per two-year cycle from board-approved providers, with two of those hours in health, safety and welfare and four in general electives (§3730). Your first renewal is exempt, and DLCP’s CE requirements sheet reminded barbers that six CEs were due by the September 30, 2025 renewal.

Licensed elsewhere? DC endorsement

If you hold a license in another state, you can apply for a DC license by endorsement, which waives the exam. You upload your current license, and your state board must send a Letter of Certification directly to DC. Under the DC Code, the exam is waived for people in good standing from states with standards at least as high that treat DC licensees the same way, and the regulations add that you must show you actively practiced in the other jurisdiction.

What barbers earn in the DC area

BLS doesn’t publish a DC-only wage estimate for barbers. The closest official figure is the May 2025 OEWS estimate for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area (DC, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia): a median of $23.45 an hour, about $48,800 a year, and a mean of about $50,300. Most of the metro area’s barbers earned between roughly $35,200 and $58,200 (the 10th to 90th percentile).

As always with OEWS, self-employed and booth-renting barbers aren’t included, so treat it as the employee baseline.

Barber schools in DC

DC has a small number of barber programs. The one we could verify on College Navigator is also where the practical exam is held. For schools across the region, see our best barber schools guide.

Bennett Career Institute (Brookland)

Bennett Career Institute, at 700 Monroe St NE, offers a Barber Styling program (program page). College Navigator lists it at 1,500 clock hours over 13 months, with tuition and fees of about $17,100 and books and supplies of about $1,500, and the school is federal-aid eligible. Its page still reflects the pre-2026 1,500-hour requirement, so ask whether the program has been updated to the new 1,250-hour standard and what that does to cost and length.

If you’re thinking of training in Maryland or Virginia instead, ask the DC board how out-of-district hours will count before you enroll. Our barber school near me guide covers how to weigh schools against an apprenticeship.

Barber school kit: what students need

Bennett Career Institute lists about $1,500 for books and supplies, and DC’s curriculum includes shaving and chemical straightening along with cutting. These are the tools worth owning (and practicing with before the practical at Bennett). For more clipper options, see our best clippers for barber school roundup.

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip

Across DC’s 1,250 training hours, fade work is a daily request, which is why a cordless fade clipper tends to be the first upgrade students make to the school-issued kit. The Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip uses a stagger-tooth blade designed for blending and fading, and it runs without a cord. Expect roughly $135–155 on Amazon as of this writing.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price

Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer

Andis’s cordless T-blade trimmer, the Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer, is built for line-ups and beard work. It costs more than a corded outliner, but cordless helps on a busy clinic floor. On Amazon it ran about $105–125 when this guide was written.

Check Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer Price

Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver

The Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver is a lower-cost cordless foil shaver for finishing skin fades, at a fraction of the price of premium shavers. Price: about $45–60 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver Price

Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit

Plan to pack a razor in your sanitized kit for DC’s practical, and if training covers shaves or razor outlines, choose replaceable blades over a fixed edge. The Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit is a common choice that takes disposable blades. Expect roughly $50–60 on Amazon as of this writing.

Check Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit Price

Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz)

Sanitation is graded everywhere, and disinfectant belongs in the kit you pack for DC’s practical. The Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz) is an EPA-registered concentrate for immersing combs and tools; a pint mixes many batches, per the label’s directions. Expect roughly $12–18 on Amazon as of this writing.

Check Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz) Price

Barber Strong The Barber Cape

Per its listing, the Barber Strong The Barber Cape is cut from hair-repelling, water-resistant fabric. That keeps clippings off clients during clinic work in DC’s 1,250-hour program, and it doubles as a practice cape at home. Expect roughly $30–40 on Amazon as of this writing.

Check Barber Strong The Barber Cape Price

BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle

A continuous-mist bottle keeps hair damp for scissor work. The BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle holds 16.9 ounces and sprays a fine, even mist. Price: about $8–12 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle Price

Bottom line: confirm the new hours, then commit

DC’s 2026 reform makes the barber license quicker to earn, but not every page has caught up. Confirm the 1,250-hour standard with the board and your school, decide between school and the 500-plus-2,000 apprenticeship, and practice for the hands-on exam with your own kit, starting with an outliner like the Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer. Our barber starter kit guide covers the rest.

FAQ

How many hours do you need to be a barber in DC? 1,250 hours under the regulations amended on May 22, 2026, down from 1,500. Some official and school pages still show 1,500, so confirm with the board.

Can you do a barber apprenticeship in Washington, DC? Yes: 500 classroom theory hours at an approved school, then at least 2,000 hours of shop work over one to two years under a licensed barber instructor. You must test within six months of finishing.

Who gives the DC barber exam? Prov delivers the NIC written exam ($92) at test centers nationwide. The practical is scheduled by the board and held at Bennett Career Institute in Northeast DC.

Do DC barbers need continuing education? Yes. Six hours per two-year renewal cycle (two in health, safety and welfare), except for your first renewal.

Can a cosmetologist become a barber in DC? Yes. A licensed cosmetologist gets up to 1,000 hours of credit and completes 250 more hours in haircutting, shaving and beard trimming, and shop management.

Sources

• DLCP Board of Barber and Cosmetology
• 17 DCMR Chapter 37 (DC Regulations)
• DC Code §47-2853.12
• DLCP announcement on the 2026 reform and Prov
• DLCP CE requirements
• BLS OEWS: Barbers (39-5011), May 2025

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.