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If you’re figuring out how to become a barber in Maryland, the short version is 1,200 hours of barber school or a 2,250-hour apprenticeship under a master barber, PSI’s theory and practical exams, and, new since January 2026, a one-hour domestic violence awareness course. Full-time students can be licensed in about eight to ten months, usually with a kit built around a cordless clipper like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip.
Maryland also has a three-tier ladder (apprentice, barber, master barber) and a reciprocity list that shuts out several big states, so the details matter. Here’s the path from the Maryland State Board of Barbers and the state code, with the board’s fees, Maryland pay data and schools with published prices.
Quick answer
- Training: 1,200 school hours, or a 2,250-hour apprenticeship within 2 years (half credit for Maryland-licensed cosmetologists)
- Exams: PSI barber theory and practical, $77 for both
- Extra requirement: 1-hour domestic violence awareness training from an approved provider
- License: $56 for two years
- Time to license: about 8–10 months through school; up to 2 years as an apprentice
- Board: Maryland State Board of Barbers, Maryland Department of Labor
Barber school kit picks
- Cordless fade clipper: Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, about $135–155 · Check Wahl Magic Clip Cordless Price
- Adjustable-blade workhorse: Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper, about $90–110 · Check Andis Master Adjustable Price
- Outlining trimmer: Andis 04780 T-Outliner, about $60–80 · Check Andis T-Outliner Price
- Neck strips for the station: Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack), about $12–18 · Check Graham Sanek Neck Strips Price
Maryland’s barber licenses
Maryland issues three practitioner licenses through its Board of Barbers, plus two apprentice permits. The board’s requirements page lays them out:
- Barber: 1,200 school hours or 2,250 apprentice hours, plus the board’s exam.
- Barber-stylist limited: 900 school hours or 1,650 apprentice hours, plus the exam.
- Master barber: 15 months as a licensed barber plus the master barber exam.
The difference between the first two is chemical work. Under the state’s definitions in the Business Occupations and Professions Article, §4-101, a barber may cut, razor cut, style, relax, body wave, shampoo and color hair, shave and trim beards, and massage the face. A barber-stylist covers cutting, razor cutting, styling, shaving, beard trimming and facial massage, but not relaxers, waves or color. Most people aiming for a full barbershop career go for the barber license.
Requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Barber license |
|---|---|
| School route | 1,200 hours at an MSDE- or MHEC-approved school |
| Apprentice route | 2,250 hours within 2 years under a master barber |
| Apprentice minimum age | 16 |
| Extra training | 1-hour domestic violence awareness course |
| Exams | PSI theory + practical |
| License term | 2 years, $56 |
| Continuing education | None |
Route 1: 1,200 hours of barber school
Under §4-302, the school route is at least 1,200 hours at a barber school approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (public programs) or the Maryland Higher Education Commission (private career schools), in consultation with the board. The board’s education page explains the split: MHEC authorizes private schools, and the board reviews and approves the curriculum they teach.
Already a cosmetologist? If you’re trained and currently licensed as a cosmetologist in Maryland, the law requires the board to credit you with half of the school requirement, and the board decides how that credit is applied. That cuts the barber program roughly in half.
There’s also a provision most guides miss. If you trained in a barber school inside a Maryland detention center or correctional facility with an approved (or similar) curriculum, the board may credit up to 600 of those hours toward an apprenticeship.
Route 2: the 2,250-hour apprenticeship
Maryland runs a true shop-floor apprenticeship. From the board’s apprenticeship page:
- You must be at least 16 to register.
- A master barber sponsors you, and both of you sign the apprenticeship sponsorship form; the shop owner signs too.
- You need 2,250 hours with at least 30 hours a week, and the board accepts no more than 240 hours in a month. The statute requires the hours within two years, in a shop with a barbershop permit.
- The apprentice permit is a two-year license with one two-year renewal, and it costs $11.
- A master barber can supervise no more than three apprentices at once, and sponsors certify your training hours online every month.
The board publishes an approved sponsor list, which is a practical starting point if you’re looking for a shop. The 240-hour monthly cap means even a hard-working apprentice needs about ten months; most take longer.
The domestic violence awareness course
This is the newest piece of the puzzle. House Bill 1547 of 2025 (Chapter 286, effective January 1, 2026) added a one-hour domestic violence awareness training to the qualifications for a barber, barber-stylist or master barber license. The board’s training page says applicants for an original license and licensees renewing must complete it through a Department-approved provider; courses from anyone not on the approved list don’t count.
Email your certificate of completion to the board with your name, license type and registration number (or a note that you aren’t licensed yet), and keep a copy in case of an audit.
PSI exams
PSI Services runs Maryland’s barber exams. Per the board’s exam page:
- Applications go through PSI’s online application only; since March 31, 2025, PSI no longer processes mailed, faxed or emailed applications.
- The barber theory and practical together cost $77; either one alone is $47. The master barber theory exam is $47.
- Your eligibility doesn’t expire and you can retest as often as you need, but you must pass the theory and practical within two years of each other.
- Interpreters (from the Maryland Judiciary’s approved list) are allowed for the theory exam only.
After you pass both parts, PSI sends your results to the state, and the board emails instructions for getting your license within about ten working days. Licenses now arrive as PDFs by email; the board stopped mailing paper licenses in March 2024.
Fees
Maryland’s license fees, from the board’s forms and fees page, are low. All are non-refundable.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Apprentice permit | $11 |
| PSI theory + practical | $77 |
| Barber license (original) | $56 |
| Renewal (2 years) | $56 |
| Late renewal | $112 |
| Master barber license | $56 |
| Barbershop permit (original) | $225 |
A school graduate pays about $133 to the exam vendor and the state, plus whatever the approved domestic violence course costs.
Renewal and continuing education
Barber licenses run two years. The board mails renewal information about 60 days before expiration, and the renewal fee covers a two-year term if you renew on time; an expired license triggers a $56 reinstatement fee. The board’s education page states there’s no continuing-education requirement, though the domestic violence course applies at renewal. One rule to know: under §4-605, you must be affiliated with a licensed barbershop or salon to perform services, so a license alone doesn’t let you freelance from home.
Becoming a master barber
A master barber license is what lets you sponsor apprentices. You need at least 15 months of experience as a licensed barber, and you pass only the theory portion of the master barber exam ($47). To get the letter that lets you test, email the board with your name, registration number and mailing address, as the exam page explains. The license itself is $56.
Reciprocity: moving to Maryland
Maryland offers licensure by endorsement, and its endorsement page is specific. You need a current, active license in good standing from a state with comparable requirements, an official license certification sent directly by that state (including exam details and program clock hours), and proof of at least six months of work experience in the field, such as an employer letter or W-2s. Maryland work experience doesn’t count, since you can’t legally work there unlicensed. If approved, the theory and practical exams can be waived, and the application fee is $56.
The catch is the exclusion list. Applicants from Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York must pass both Maryland exams, with no exceptions. Foreign-trained applicants need a NACES-accredited credential evaluation first.
What barbers earn in Maryland
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, Maryland barbers earned a median of $17.02 an hour ($35,400 a year) and a mean of $21.48 an hour ($44,680). BLS didn’t publish a statewide employment count for Maryland barbers. Nationally, the median is $38,210.
Those figures cover wage-and-salary employees. Booth renters and shop owners aren’t included, and tips are often under-reported, so many working barbers earn differently from these numbers in either direction.
Barber schools in Maryland
Maryland’s private barber schools are approved by MHEC, which publishes program costs for many of them. Here are two schools with published details, checked in October 2026.
Bladensburg Barber School (Bladensburg, Prince George’s County)
Open since 1968, Bladensburg Barber School at 4810 Annapolis Road offers a 1,200-hour barber program with full-time and part-time schedules, about seven miles from Washington, D.C. MHEC’s program record lists tuition of about $6,500 plus about $1,400 in other costs, about $7,900 in total, and shows the program as approved for veterans’ benefits.
Baltimore Beauty & Barber School II (Timonium)
At 29 Greenmeadow Drive in Timonium, Baltimore Beauty & Barber School II runs a 1,200-hour professional barbering program that it says can be completed in 7.5 months, taught through theory classes, practical training and work on real clients. College Navigator lists it as eligible for Pell Grants and federal loans. The school doesn’t publish barber tuition on its site (College Navigator’s cost figures are for its larger cosmetology program), so ask admissions for the barber total.
To compare programs more broadly, see our guide to the best barber schools and how to compare them.
Barber school kit: what students need
Your school kit covers the basics, and PSI publishes kit-preparation instructions for the practical exam, so check both before buying extras. Bladensburg’s MHEC record shows about $1,400 in non-tuition costs, so ask any school exactly what its fees cover. These are the items students most often add or upgrade.
A cordless clipper for fades. The Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip has a stagger-tooth blade popular for blending, at about $135–155.
Check Wahl Magic Clip Cordless Price
An adjustable-blade clipper. The Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper puts an adjustable blade on Andis’s long-running Master clipper body, at about $90–110.
Check Andis Master Adjustable Price
A trimmer for line-ups. The corded Andis 04780 T-Outliner has a T-blade built for outlines, at about $60–80.
A foil shaver. For finishing skin fades, the Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver runs about $45–60.
Check Andis TS-1 Foil Shaver Price
Sanitation and draping. Infection control is part of every practical. A Barbicide Disinfecting Jar (37 oz) for combs and guards and a pack of Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) for every client cover the basics, at about $25–35 and about $12–18.
Check Graham Sanek Neck Strips Price
A cape that repels hair. The Barber Strong The Barber Cape is water-resistant and hair-repelling, at about $30–40.
Check Barber Strong Cape Price
For more by budget, see our best clippers for barber school and our best barber starter kit picks.
How to choose your route
School if you want speed. At 1,200 hours, a full-time student can finish in under a year, and Maryland’s exam and license fees are low.
An apprenticeship if you have a sponsor. You’ll need 2,250 hours at 30 or more a week under a master barber who has room (three apprentices maximum). It takes longer, but you learn in a working shop and build clients as you go.
Barber-stylist only if you’ll never do chemical work. It saves 300 school hours, but you can’t relax, wave or color.
Check aid and veterans’ benefits. Look up each school on College Navigator and MHEC; Bladensburg is VA-approved and BBBS II is Pell-eligible.
FAQ
How many hours do you need to be a barber in Maryland? 1,200 hours of barber school or 2,250 hours as an apprentice within two years. The barber-stylist limited license takes 900 school hours or 1,650 apprentice hours.
How long does it take to get a barber license in Maryland? Through school, about eight to ten months including exams; Baltimore Beauty & Barber School II says its program can be finished in 7.5 months. Apprentices take at least ten months because of the 240-hour monthly cap.
How much is a barber license in Maryland? $56 for a two-year license, plus $77 for PSI’s theory and practical exams. The apprentice permit is $11.
Do Maryland barbers need domestic violence training? Yes. Since January 1, 2026, applicants and renewing licensees must complete a one-hour domestic violence awareness course from a Department-approved provider.
Does Maryland have barber reciprocity? It licenses by endorsement for barbers from states with comparable requirements and six months of work experience, but applicants from Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York must pass both Maryland exams.
What’s the difference between a barber and a master barber in Maryland? A master barber has 15 months of licensed experience and has passed the master barber theory exam, and only a master barber can sponsor apprentices.
The bottom line on becoming a barber in Maryland
Maryland’s path is straightforward and cheap on the state’s side: 1,200 hours or a 2,250-hour apprenticeship, the new domestic violence course, two PSI exams and a $56 license. Pick the route that fits your life, take the domestic violence course before you apply, and go in with a clipper you trust, like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip. If you’re still weighing programs, our guide to choosing a barber school near you covers what to ask on a tour.
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.
