How to Become a Barber in Wyoming: Hours, Exams & Schools

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Researching how to become a barber in Wyoming? First, pick your license. A “Barber” license (no chemical services) takes a 1,000-hour course. A “Barber Stylist” license, which adds perms, relaxers and color, takes 1,250. Either way, you can start at 17 with two years of high school, and the board’s rules require at least 150 hours of shaving and beard trimming, so get comfortable with a straight razor like the Black Widow Professional shavette. Here’s every step, checked against the Wyoming Board of Barber Examiners’ rules and the statute.

Who licenses barbers in Wyoming

The Wyoming Board of Barber Examiners is separate from the cosmetology board but is run out of its office at 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 302, in Cheyenne (barber board: 307-777-8572). Its about page says the board “is made up of three (3) members, each holding a current Wyoming Barber license,” with day-to-day work handled by an executive secretary under contract with the Board of Cosmetology. Barbers are governed by Title 33, Chapter 7 of the state statutes and the board’s rules.

Requirement	Wyoming rule	Source
School hours	1,000 (Barber) / 1,250 (Barber Stylist)	Board Rules Ch. 8
Age and education	17, two years of high school	W.S. 33-7-209
Apprenticeship	None in law	W.S. 33-7
License and renewal	$75 a year	Renewal form
Endorsement	$150 + $75 license	Endorsement application

Checked October 2026. Confirm with the board.

Barber vs Barber Stylist

Under Board Rules Chapter 4, a Barber may shave and trim beards; cut, singe, trim, style and shampoo hair; and give cosmetic treatments to the face, neck and scalp. A Barber Stylist can do all of that plus “chemical waving, straightening, bleaching, tinting, coloring or similar functions to the hair or beard.” If you want to offer color or texture services, train for the Barber Stylist license from the start. It’s 250 more hours.

Training hours by subject

Wyoming’s rules set minimum hours for each subject. Here’s the 1,250-hour Barber Stylist course:

Subject	Minimum hours	In the 1,000-hour Barber course?
Hair cutting	450	Yes, 450
Shaving and beard trimming	150	Yes, 150
Chemical re-arranging, perms, relaxers	150	No
Infection control	100	Yes, 100
Shampoo, rinses, scalp treatments	100	Yes, 100
Hair coloring	100	No
Hairstyling / facial services / shop management	50 each	Yes, 50 each

Source: Board Rules Ch. 8, Course of Study. Listed minimums total 1,200 and 950, and the rest is school-assigned.

Wyoming allows remote learning for theory: “A student may earn any non-clinical floor hours by synchronous remote education.” Transfer credits convert at 30 clock hours per credit hour, as long as they’re less than five years old. Under the statute, you must also graduate from an approved barber school and have “an education equivalent to the completion of the second year of high school,” and you must be “at least seventeen (17) years of age.”

No apprenticeship route

Wyoming’s barber statute has no apprenticeship provision. In 2025, House Bill 0257 proposed creating a barber apprenticeship program, but it was never taken up by the full House and died on February 10, 2025. For now, school is the only path to a license.

Cosmetologist and hairstylist crossover

Licensed cosmetologists and hairstylists have short crossover programs under Board Rules Chapters 4 and 8:

• Cosmetologist crossover: 150 hours (50 of clipper technique and 100 of shaving and beard trimming).
• Hairstylist crossover: 200 hours (the same plus 50 hours of facial services).

After the program, you sit for the Barber exam.

The exams

Both licenses start with the NIC theory exam, scheduled through Prov. After the board approves your application, Prov emails you instructions to schedule and pay. What comes next depends on your license, according to the board’s exam page:

• Barber Stylist: “Wyoming requires the NIC theory and written-practical examinations for all barber stylist,” taken at testing centers around the state.
• Barber (no chemicals): after theory, you take the NIC hands-on practical, and “All hands-on practical exams are conducted at the board office located at 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 302, Cheyenne,” by appointment only. The board’s fee is $50.

The board posts NIC candidate bulletins for the Barber 1 (No Chemical) theory and practical exams (effective November 1, 2023) and the Barber Stylist written-practical exam. Prov’s exam fees, the passing score and retake rules weren’t published on the pages we read, so check with the board. The statute says a candidate who fails may test again at the next exam, and exams are given at least every six months. You need your license in hand before you work.

Wyoming barber fees

Fee	Amount	Notes
License (with exam application)	$75	Money order or cashier’s check
Hands-on practical exam	$50	Barber (no chemicals)
Annual renewal	$75	Due by June 30
Late renewal fee	$30	After June 30
Endorsement (reciprocity)	$150 + $75 license	$225 total
Duplicate license	$10

Source: Board Rules Ch. 3, Fees and board forms, checked October 2026. Prov exam fees are separate.

The board’s rules state: “Under no circumstance will the Board refund fees.”

Renewal and continuing education

Wyoming barber licenses renew every year. The renewal form lists $75 for a one-year personal license and a $30 late fee after June 30, and it now asks for a passport-type photo. An expired license can be restored within five years. After that, you’ll need to retest unless you qualify by endorsement. Wyoming’s barber law and renewal form list no continuing-education requirement.

Moving to Wyoming with a barber license

Under W.S. 33-7-203, a barber licensed elsewhere who “meets or exceeds the requirements” for a Wyoming license can be licensed by endorsement without an exam. You’ll need a current license, official certifications of record from your original and current licensing states, proof you graduated from a licensed school or state-approved apprenticeship, proof you passed a state exam, and a notarized application with $225 ($150 endorsement plus $75 license). Endorsement isn’t available if your state had no board exam or you didn’t graduate from a state-approved program. In that case you can get one temporary permit to work under supervision until the next exam. The board lists no minimum years licensed. Note that it doesn’t issue military temporary practice permits under W.S. 33-1-117(e).

Recent changes

• New NIC bulletins (November 1, 2023): for the Barber 1 (No Chemical) theory and practical exams.
• Prov: now handles exam scheduling and payment.
• Renewal photo: renewals now require a headshot.
• Apprenticeship bill died (2025): HB 0257 didn’t advance.

We found no 2023–2026 amendments to the barber statute.

What barbers earn

There’s no Wyoming wage figure to quote: the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS survey left the state without a barber estimate. Nationally, the midpoint was $38,210 a year ($18.37 an hour). Those numbers exclude booth renters and self-employed barbers, so for a real read on chair income in your town, ask local shop owners.

Barber schools in Wyoming

The board’s school list names five barber schools: Cheeks International (Cheyenne), Chopped Beauty Academy (Lovell), Eastern Wyoming College (Torrington), Higher Elevation Salon Academy (Powell) and Rocky Mountain Academy (Casper). Here are three we could verify. For broader advice, see our best barber schools guide.

Cheeks Beauty Academy (Cheyenne)

Cheeks is “NOW Enrolling Barber Students!” with classes Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. College Navigator lists both tracks for 2024–25: 1,250 hours over 10 months for about $15,900 in tuition and fees, and 1,000 hours over 8 months for about $10,800. Each adds about $2,000 for books and supplies. The school reports federal aid data.

Rocky Mountain Academy of Hair, Skin and Nails (Casper)

Rocky Mountain Academy’s programs page lists prices well below most private barber schools: barbering (1,000 hours) at a total of about $8,000 and barber styling (1,250 hours) at about $9,000, both with the kit and books included. We didn’t find it on College Navigator, so don’t count on federal aid. The schedule isn’t published on that page.

Eastern Wyoming College (Torrington)

Eastern Wyoming College is a public college whose Cosmetology and Barbering department offers a Barbering Technician Certificate and a Barber Stylist Technician Certificate. Hours and tuition for the barber certificates weren’t on the program page we read, so contact the department. EWC is on College Navigator.

Visiting schools? Our barber school near me guide has the questions to ask.

Barber school kit: what students need

Rocky Mountain Academy includes its kit and books in tuition, and Cheeks budgets about $2,000 for books and supplies. With 450 hours of haircutting and 150 of shaving required, these are the tools that matter most.

A heavy-duty clipper

The Oster Classic 76 is a corded clipper built for bulk removal. Some students prefer something lighter and cordless, like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Magic Clip Cordless.

A cordless trimmer

Beard trimming is part of those 150 shaving hours. A cordless trimmer like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Detailer handles outlines and beard shaping well.

A straight razor

A Black Widow Professional shavette uses replaceable single-edge blades, so every client gets a fresh edge. That makes it a practical choice for shave practice.

Draping and infection control

Infection control is 100 hours of the course. A Barber Strong The Barber Cape and Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12 packs) cover client prep.

Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz) takes care of your implements. See our barber starter kit guide for more.

Is Wyoming a good place to start?

Wyoming is easy to get into: you can start at 17 with two years of high school, and school runs 1,000 or 1,250 hours. Tuition can be as low as about $8,000 at Rocky Mountain Academy, and renewal is $75 a year with no CE found. The catches are that there’s no apprenticeship and Barber practicals are held only in Cheyenne. If you want to do color and chemical services, choose the Barber Stylist track. Either way, practice your shaving with a Black Widow Professional shavette early.

FAQ

How many hours do you need to be a barber in Wyoming? 1,000 hours for the Barber license (no chemicals) or 1,250 hours for the Barber Stylist license, at a board-approved school.

How old do you have to be to be a barber in Wyoming? At least 17, with an education equivalent to completing the second year of high school.

Where is the Wyoming barber practical exam? For the Barber (no chemicals) license, the hands-on practical is at the board office in Cheyenne by appointment, and the board fee is $50. Barber Stylists take the NIC written-practical at a testing center.

Can a cosmetologist become a barber in Wyoming? Yes, through a 150-hour crossover program (200 hours for hairstylists), followed by the Barber exam.

How much does it cost to renew a Wyoming barber license? $75 a year, with a $30 late fee after June 30. We found no continuing-education requirement.

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.