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

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To become a barber in Connecticut, you need 1,000 hours at an approved barber school (or a state-registered apprenticeship), then one written exam through Prometric, and a $100 license from the Department of Public Health. There’s no practical exam, so most of your time and money goes into school and tools, starting with a cordless fade clipper like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip.

Connecticut is also one of the easier states to enter: the hour requirement dropped from 1,500 to 1,000 back in 2011 (some websites still quote the old number), the education minimum is eighth grade, and there’s no criminal background check for barber licensure. Here’s the full process from DPH, state law and Prometric’s current candidate handbook.

Who licenses barbers in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) issues barber licenses through its Practitioner Licensing section, while the Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians approves schools and handles discipline. State law, Chapter 386 of the General Statutes, calls the licensed professional a “master barber,” but there’s only one barber license, not a separate apprentice or master tier. Hairdressers and cosmeticians hold a different license.

Steps to a Connecticut barber license

1. Finish at least the 8th grade or its equivalent. DPH’s license-by-exam page lists no minimum age, and state law dropped its age-18 requirement decades ago (individual schools may set their own minimums).
2. Complete 1,000 hours at a school approved by the State Board, or an approved school in another state, or complete a Labor Department-approved apprenticeship.
3. Apply to DPH online with a photo and the $100 fee.
4. Pass the Prometric written exam. Scores go straight to DPH.
5. Renew every two years for $100.

Training hours: 1,000, not 1,500

If you’ve read that Connecticut requires 1,500 hours, that’s out of date. Public Act 10-117 cut the requirement to 1,000 hours, effective October 1, 2011, and DPH’s current page lists it as “a course of study of not less than 1,000 hours in a school approved by the Connecticut State Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians.” Hours from an out-of-state school count if that state approved the school.

School	Hours	Program length
Academy Di Capelli	1,000	11 months
Branford Academy	1,000	10 months
MC Barber Academy	1,000	8 months FT / 12 PT
Major League Barber Academy	1,000	Ask school

Sources: College Navigator (Academy Di Capelli, Branford) and the schools’ own sites, checked Oct 2026.

Connecticut doesn’t have a reduced-hour crossover for licensed hairdressers on DPH’s barber pages; if you’re switching licenses, ask DPH or your school how prior hours will count.

Textured hair is coming to the curriculum. Public Act 24-53, effective July 1, 2024, directed DPH to update the minimum barber-school curriculum to include training on textured (coiled, curly or wavy) hair. Ask any school you’re considering how it covers this.

The apprenticeship route

Connecticut law lets an apprentice qualify for the exam without barber school. Under Chapter 386, an applicant who is an apprentice must have finished the eighth grade and completed an apprenticeship approved by the state Labor Department under its apprenticeship statutes (sections 31-22m to 31-22u), then pass the written exam. That route was added in 2015. The statute doesn’t set an hour figure itself, so the Labor Department’s registered program standards decide the length; contact its Office of Apprenticeship Training before you start.

The Connecticut barber exam

Connecticut tests barbers with one written exam and no practical. DPH requires “successful completion of the Connecticut barber examination administered by Prometric,” offered in English and Spanish. Prometric’s current candidate handbook (version 7.2024) describes it as the National Barber Styling Theory Exam:

• 110 items, of which 100 are scored;
• 90 minutes;
• a passing score of 70%;
• content weighted toward hair care services (40%) and scientific concepts (35%), with implements and equipment at 10%.

“A score of 70 percent or above is required to pass the exam.”

Prometric, Connecticut Cosmetology and Barber written candidate handbook

Applications are valid for one year, and rescheduling costs $25. The current handbook doesn’t list the exam fee; Prometric’s older 2019 bulletin listed $65, so confirm the current amount when you register. Because there’s no practical, your school’s own clinic assessments are the only hands-on check before you’re licensed, which makes choosing a school with a busy clinic floor more important.

Connecticut barber license fees

Fee	Amount
Initial license (DPH)	$100
Renewal, every 2 years	$100
Reinstatement	$100
Exam reschedule (Prometric)	$25
Exam fee (2019 bulletin; confirm)	$65

Sources: DPH barber licensing page; Prometric handbooks. Checked Oct 2026.

Renewal and continuing education

Connecticut barber licenses renew every two years for $100, on a cycle tied to your birth month under the state’s general licensing law. The renewal statute (section 20-239) asks only for the application and fee; there’s no continuing education requirement for barbers.

Licensed in another state? Connecticut endorsement

DPH offers licensure based on an out-of-state license without an exam if you hold a current barber license in another state, DC or a US territory that was issued on the basis of education or training plus an exam. The fee is $100, and verifications must come from every state where you’ve ever been licensed. State law also allows licensure without an exam for anyone who has held a license elsewhere for at least 40 years.

One more difference from many states: Connecticut law says no barber applicant has to submit to a state or national criminal history records check as a condition of licensure.

What barbers earn in Connecticut

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates counted about 330 employed barbers in Connecticut, with a median wage of $19.90 an hour (about $41,400 a year) and a mean of about $42,100. The lowest-paid 10% earned under about $38,500 a year and the top 10% more than about $48,600.

Like all OEWS data, that leaves out self-employed barbers and booth renters, and much of their tip income, so it’s best read as a baseline for shop employees.

Barber schools in Connecticut

Costs vary a lot in Connecticut, from about $8,000 to $16,000 in tuition before tools. All figures are from College Navigator or the school’s own site (checked Oct 2026); see our best barber schools guide for how to compare programs.

Academy Di Capelli (Wallingford)

Per College Navigator, Academy Di Capelli’s 1,000-hour barbering program takes 11 months, with tuition and fees of about $15,700 and books and supplies of about $1,400 (2024–2025). Its students receive federal aid.

Branford Academy of Hair & Cosmetology (Branford)

College Navigator lists a 10-month, 1,000-hour barbering program at the Branford campus, with tuition and fees of about $7,900 and books and supplies of about $3,300 (2024–2025), and federal aid recipients. Navigator’s barbering list also shows a Bridgeport campus.

MC Barber Academy (Berlin)

MC Barber Academy runs a 1,000-hour Class A Barber program: 8 months full time or 12 months part time, with new classes starting the first Tuesday of each month. It asks for a $1,000 down payment, a high school diploma or GED (or an ability-to-benefit exam), and applicants aged 17 or older. Total tuition isn’t on the page, and the school isn’t in College Navigator’s Connecticut barbering list, so ask about cost and aid.

Major League Barber Academy (East Haven)

Major League Barber Academy publishes all-in pricing for its state-approved 1,000-hour program: $8,500 tuition, a $1,100 equipment kit and a $400 book bundle, $10,000 in total, with a $3,000 minimum deposit. It isn’t listed on College Navigator for federal aid.

Barber school kit: what students need

School kit costs vary as much as tuition here: Major League Barber Academy prices its kit at $1,100, and Branford’s books and supplies run about $3,300 on College Navigator. With textured-hair training being added to the curriculum, fade and finishing tools get heavy use. These are worth owning or upgrading to; our best clippers for barber school roundup goes deeper.

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip

Since textured-hair training joined Connecticut’s required curriculum, fade tools see heavy use, so the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip is a smart first purchase. Its stagger-tooth blade is made for blending, and with no cord you move freely when the school clinic gets busy. About $135–155 on Amazon at last check.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior

The Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior is the cordless version of Wahl’s Senior, a heavier clipper meant for bulk removal. Students usually add it alongside a fade clipper rather than in place of one. Price: about $175–195 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior Price

Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li

For a cordless outliner, the Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li pairs a T-wide blade with a cordless body. It costs more than a corded T-blade trimmer, so it’s an upgrade. Price: about $110–130 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li Price

Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver

A foil shaver finishes skin fades and bald heads. The Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver is a cordless foil shaver listed for head and face, and it’s worth adding once fades are a regular part of your clinic work. 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)

For clipper blades you can’t soak, the Clippercide 5-in-1 Clipper Spray (3-pack) is a spray that, per its listing, cleans, lubricates, cools, helps prevent rust and disinfects. It comes as a 3-pack. Price: about $30–40 on Amazon at the time of writing.

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

Barber Strong The Barber Cape

Connecticut has no practical exam, so the school clinic floor is where your cutting gets checked. The Barber Strong The Barber Cape, which its listing says is water-resistant and repels hair, keeps those cuts cleaner and suits home practice. Roughly $30–40 on Amazon at last check.

Check Barber Strong The Barber Cape Price

Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors

Scissor work is on every barber curriculum. The Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors is an inexpensive pair to learn on before you spend more on shears. Price: about $12–20 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors Price

Bottom line: a short path, so choose the school carefully

Connecticut’s route is short: 1,000 hours and a single written exam. That puts more weight on the school: compare total cost, schedules and how much live clinic work you’ll get. Start your kit with a reliable cordless fade clipper like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, and use our barber starter kit guide for the rest.

FAQ

How many hours do you need for a barber license in Connecticut? 1,000 hours at an approved school. The requirement was 1,500 until Public Act 10-117 lowered it in 2011.

Is there a practical exam for barbers in Connecticut? No. Connecticut requires one written exam, the National Barber Styling Theory Exam, administered by Prometric, with a 70% passing score.

Can you be a barber in Connecticut without a high school diploma? State licensing requires only the eighth grade or its equivalent, though some schools, such as MC Barber Academy, ask for a diploma, GED or ability-to-benefit test to enroll.

How much does barber school cost in Connecticut? Published figures run from about $7,900 in tuition and fees at Branford Academy to about $15,700 at Academy Di Capelli, before tools and books. Major League Barber Academy lists $10,000 all in.

Can I transfer my barber license to Connecticut? Yes, if your current license was issued based on training plus an exam. You apply to DPH for $100, with verifications from every state you’ve been licensed in.

Sources

• CT DPH: barber licensing
• CT DPH: license by examination
• CT DPH: licensure based on out-of-state license
• CT General Statutes Chapter 386
• Prometric CT written candidate handbook (v7.2024)
• 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.