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

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To become a barber in Illinois, you need 1,500 hours of barber school over at least nine months, then a single written exam, the NIC Barber Theory test ($112, taken at PSI centers), and a $30 license from IDFPR. There’s no practical exam, but school means plenty of hands-on clinic time, so a dependable clipper such as the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip is worth owning early. Full-time Chicago-area programs run about 10 to 16 months.

Illinois is changing fast: a melanoma-awareness course became mandatory for new applicants in 2026, the exam went multilingual on October 1, 2026, and a paid 3,000-hour apprenticeship route opens on January 1, 2027. Here’s the whole path from the statute, IDFPR’s own qualifications sheet and the testing service.

Who licenses barbers in Illinois

Barbers are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), with the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Board advising it. The law is one combined act (225 ILCS 410), which is set to sunset on January 1, 2031 unless the legislature extends it. Applications go through IDFPR’s CORE online system, launched in October 2024.

The credentials are simple: barber, barber teacher, barber school and shop registration. There’s no separate master barber tier.

Steps to an Illinois barber license

1. Meet the basics: at least 16, with a high school diploma or equivalent, or be beyond compulsory school age (225 ILCS 410/2-2).
2. Complete 1,500 hours at a licensed barber school (or a cosmetology school approved to teach barbering), over at least nine months, and pass the school’s final exam.
3. Take the melanoma course. Since January 1, 2026, original applicants must complete an IDFPR-approved course in abnormal skin growth education, such as Impact Melanoma’s online “Skinny on Skin.”
4. Apply to test through Continental Testing Services (CTS), then pass the NIC Barber Theory exam at a PSI center.
5. Apply for your license in CORE and pay the $30 fee.

“All applicants who submit an application for original licensure on or after January 1, 2026, must submit proof of completion of a course approved by the Department in abnormal skin growth education, including training on identifying melanoma.”

IDFPR, Barber qualifications for licensure

Training hours and transfer credit

The 1,500-hour requirement comes with a minimum calendar length: nine months. A licensed barber school can also accept up to 1,000 hours of prior cosmetology school training toward the 1,500, so someone who started in beauty school and switched doesn’t start from zero.

Already a cosmetologist? Licensed cosmetologists and cosmetology teachers can take a 500-hour supplemental barber program instead, over at least three months (225 ILCS 410/2-3).

Route	Hours	Minimum length
Barber school	1,500	9 months
Cosmetologist supplement	500	3 months
Apprenticeship (from 2027)	3,000	Set by rule

Sources: 225 ILCS 410/2-2, 2-3 and 1-15; IDFPR qualifications sheet. Checked Oct 2026.

The new barber apprenticeship (January 2027)

Until now, Illinois had no apprenticeship route. Public Act 104-478 changes that from January 1, 2027. Under 225 ILCS 410/1-15:

• apprentices get at least 3,000 hours of practical training in a sponsoring licensed salon or shop;
• that includes 180 hours of related supplemental instruction;
• apprentices must be paid at least the state minimum wage;
• the supervising licensee needs at least three years of licensed experience (or a teacher license) and no discipline in the previous 10 years.

IDFPR still has to publish the enrollment rules, so check for them before lining up a shop sponsor.

The Illinois barber exam

Illinois tests barbers with one written exam: the National-Interstate Council (NIC) Barber Theory exam, given by computer at PSI test centers, with applications handled by Continental Testing Services. Per the CTS candidate bulletin, you get 90 minutes, and you must test within 60 days after CTS approves your application. Content covers scientific concepts (infection control, tools, anatomy, chemistry, electricity, skin, hair and scalp), facial and shaving services, haircutting and styling, and chemical services, with Milady’s Standard Professional Barbering as the reference text.

The passing score is 75. If you fail a third time, you must complete a 100-hour (or 250-hour) refresher course before a fourth attempt, under the IDFPR rules. From October 1, 2026, the exam is offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, and the fee is $112 in every language, with no refunds.

We found no state practical exam in any current Illinois source; the hands-on assessment is your school’s own final exam.

Illinois barber fees

Fee	Amount
NIC Barber Theory exam (CTS)	$112
License	$30
Renewal	$25 per year ($50 per cycle)
Endorsement (out of state)	$45
Restoration	$50 + lapsed renewal fees (max $200)

Sources: IDFPR barber page; 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175; CTS. Checked Oct 2026.

So the state side costs about $142 to get licensed. Tuition is the real expense: Chicago-area barber schools list about $18,500 to $20,500 before supplies (details below).

Renewal and continuing education

All Illinois barber licenses expire on July 31 of odd-numbered years, whatever the issue date. Barbers have a light CE load: per IDFPR’s CE fact sheet, barbers and barber teachers complete one hour of sexual harassment prevention training each cycle (cosmetologists need 14 hours in total). Barber teachers owe 10 more hours on teaching-related subjects.

Moving to Illinois: endorsement, not reciprocity

Illinois licenses out-of-state barbers by endorsement if your license is the same as or substantially similar to Illinois’s. It does not reciprocate, and IDFPR says a license you got in another state through reciprocity may not qualify. You’ll need official certification from your original licensing state and your current state, and IDFPR may ask for transcripts or proof of work experience. The fee is $45. Barbers licensed in another country need three years of practice within the five years before applying.

What barbers earn in Illinois

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates put the state’s median barber wage at $31.46 an hour, about $65,400 a year, with a mean of about $55,500. BLS didn’t publish an Illinois employment count for barbers that year.

Those numbers are for wage-and-salary barbers. Self-employed barbers and booth renters aren’t counted.

Barber schools in Illinois

These programs are verified on the schools’ sites and College Navigator (checked Oct 2026). Our best barber schools guide explains what to compare.

Larry’s Barber College (Chicago and Joliet)

Larry’s publishes its full price on its requirements and tuition page: about $18,500 tuition, $1,100 for books and supplies and a $100 application fee, about $19,700 in total for the 1,500-hour program. Full-time day classes run 14 months (30 hours a week, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or 16 months (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and a full-time evening option takes 16 months (3 to 8 p.m. plus Saturday afternoons). It also offers 1,000- and 500-hour barber instructor programs and accepts the Post-9/11 GI Bill. College Navigator lists three federal-aid-eligible campuses: 10456 S. Halsted St. and 701 E. 79th St. in Chicago, and 929 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

Tricoci University of Beauty Culture (Bridgeview and Chicago)

Tricoci’s 1,500-hour barber program runs at its Bridgeview and Norwood Park (Chicago) campuses, 10 to 12 months full time or 17 to 20 months part-time evening. It’s NACCAS accredited, says it’s Title IV eligible, and includes the barber kit in tuition (program page). It doesn’t publish a price, but College Navigator lists tuition and fees of about $20,000 at Bridgeview, with about $2,700 for books and supplies, and about $20,500 at the Chicago campus.

City Colleges of Chicago: Olive-Harvey and Truman

Olive-Harvey College and Harry S Truman College offer a 65-credit-hour Associate in Applied Science in Barbering, built to IDFPR standards, plus an advanced certificate (catalog). Olive-Harvey, at 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave., is a public two-year college with federal aid data on College Navigator. We didn’t verify their barbering tuition or clock hours, so check with the colleges directly.

Barber school kit: what students need

Some Illinois schools roll the kit into tuition (Tricoci includes clippers, shears and tools), while others list supplies separately (Larry’s puts books and supplies at $1,100). Either way, these are the tools students most often add or upgrade during 1,500 hours of clinic work. Our best clippers for barber school roundup goes deeper.

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip

Illinois skips the practical exam, yet 1,500 school hours still put a clipper in your hand on most clinic days, and fades are a constant request. That is why the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, a cordless model whose stagger-tooth blade was designed for fading and blending, is a frequent first addition to (or upgrade over) the school kit. Amazon listed it around $135–155 at publication.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price

BaBylissPRO FX+ Cord/Cordless Clipper

The BaBylissPRO FX+ Cord/Cordless Clipper is BaBylissPRO’s metal cord/cordless clipper. It costs more than most kit clippers, so it makes most sense once you know you’re sticking with the trade. Price: about $230–270 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check BaBylissPRO FX+ Cord/Cordless Clipper Price

Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer

The Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer is Andis’s cordless T-blade trimmer for line-ups and beard work, an upgrade over a corded outliner rather than a first purchase. Price: about $105–125 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Andis GTX-EXO Trimmer Price

Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver

Skin fades need a foil shaver to finish clean. The Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver is Wahl’s cordless foil shaver for head and face. It’s optional in your first months; add it once you’re cutting fades regularly. Price: about $110–135 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver Price

Clippercide 5-in-1 Clipper Spray (3-pack)

Clipper blades can’t go in a soak jar, so they need a spray. Its listing says the Clippercide 5-in-1 Clipper Spray (3-pack) cleans, lubricates, cools, disinfects and helps prevent rust, and it’s sold as a set of three cans. Expect roughly $30–40 on Amazon as of this writing.

Check Clippercide 5-in-1 Clipper Spray (3-pack) Price

Barber Strong The Barber Cape

Its listing describes the Barber Strong The Barber Cape as hair-repelling and water-resistant, a useful combination across 1,500 hours of Illinois clinic cuts, and it’s just as handy for practicing on friends at home. Amazon listed it around $30–40 at publication.

Check Barber Strong The Barber Cape Price

Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors

Every barber program teaches scissor cuts and shear-over-comb, and Illinois students log plenty of both across 1,500 hours, practical exam or not. To start, the Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors is a 6.5-inch budget pair to practice on ahead of a premium set. On Amazon it ran about $12–20 when this guide was written.

Check Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors Price

Bottom line: 1,500 hours now, or wait for the 2027 apprenticeship

For most people, the fastest route is still a 1,500-hour barber school, the melanoma course, and the NIC theory exam. If you’d rather earn while you learn, the paid apprenticeship opens in January 2027. Either way, Illinois’ high employee wages reward getting licensed. Build your kit around a dependable cordless clipper like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, and see our barber starter kit guide for the rest.

FAQ

How long does barber school take in Illinois? At least nine months by law, for 1,500 hours. Chicago-area schools list 10 to 12 months full time at Tricoci and 14 to 16 months at Larry’s Barber College, with part-time evening options running longer.

Is there a practical exam for barbers in Illinois? No state practical. Illinois requires the NIC Barber Theory written exam plus a passing grade on your school’s final exam.

Can you become a barber in Illinois through an apprenticeship? Starting January 1, 2027, yes: a paid apprenticeship of at least 3,000 hours in a licensed shop, including 180 hours of related instruction. IDFPR rules for enrolling are still to come.

How much does a barber license cost in Illinois? The exam is $112 and the license $30, then $25 a year to renew. Tuition at private Chicago schools runs roughly $18,500 to $20,500.

Can a cosmetologist become a barber in Illinois? Yes. Licensed cosmetologists can complete a 500-hour supplemental barber program over at least three months, then take the barber exam.

Sources

• IDFPR barber page
• IDFPR barber qualifications for licensure
• 225 ILCS 410/2-2
• 225 ILCS 410/2-3
• 225 ILCS 410/1-15 (apprenticeship)
• 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175
• CTS NIC candidate bulletin
• IDFPR CE fact sheet
• 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.