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

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To become a barber in Hawaii, you need 1,500 hours of barber school or a 3,000-hour paid apprenticeship, then the Barber Styling Theory exam, which PSI has run since January 1, 2026. Full-time school takes about 10 to 12 months on Oahu. Plan your toolkit early, too; a cordless detailer like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li handles the line work you’ll do on every cut.

Hawaii has no reciprocity, no continuing education, and only one barber license, with a temporary permit that lets you work while you wait to test. Here’s the whole process, sourced from the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology’s own FAQ, application forms and 2026 exam memo.

Who licenses barbers in Hawaii

The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, licenses barbers. The law is HRS Chapter 439A, the Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Act, and the barber rules are HAR Chapter 16-73 (statutes and rules page).

There’s one barber license, plus a barber apprentice registration and a one-time temporary permit. Only barbers are trained and allowed to use a razor, which matters if you’re coming from cosmetology (see the crossover section).

Who can apply

Per the board’s FAQ, you must be at least 16 and a high school graduate (or have the equivalent education). You don’t have to live in Hawaii, but you must be a US citizen, US national or authorized to work in the US.

One wrinkle: the older compiled text of HAR §16-73-18 on Cornell LII (compiled 2022) says seventeen. The board’s current FAQ and its December 2025 application both say 16. Schools set their own minimums too; Hawaii Institute of Hair Design requires students to be 17 or older.

Three ways to qualify

The board’s barber license application (December 2025 edition) lists three training pathways:

1. 1,500 barber school training hours;
2. 3,000 barber apprenticeship training hours; or
3. six months of licensed barber experience in another jurisdiction.

A combination of school and apprenticeship hours may be accepted after the board evaluates it.

Cosmetologist to barber. There are no fixed crossover hours. Training in the cosmetology hairdresser category may count toward the barber requirement after board evaluation, but razor training still has to come from barber training.

“only barbers are trained and are allowed to use a razor”

Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology FAQ

The Hawaii barber apprenticeship

Hawaii doubled its barber apprenticeship in 2022. Act 073 raised it from 1,500 to 3,000 hours, with a transition for permits in effect before July 1, 2023. Under the board’s apprenticeship application:

• training lasts no more than 42 months, at a minimum of 20 hours a week;
• it happens in a licensed shop, under a licensed supervisor with at least a year of Hawaii-licensed experience who trains one apprentice at a time;
• apprentices must be paid at least the Hawaii minimum wage;
• only a licensed barber may train a barber apprentice in shaving, moustache and beard trims (licensed cosmetologists may teach the hair portion);
• registration costs $57 ($20 application plus $37 registration).

Being paid while you train is a real advantage over school. The catch is length: at the 20-hour weekly minimum, 3,000 hours takes close to three years.

The Hawaii barber exam

As of January 1, 2026, PSI Services is Hawaii’s testing vendor for the Barber Styling Theory examination, replacing Prometric, per the board’s 2026 vendor memo. You can test at any of PSI’s centers nationwide, including Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui and Kauai. Once approved, you have 12 months to test, and you can register by phone at (833) 333-4754 (exam page).

The board’s 2026 materials list only the written theory exam; we found no state practical exam in any current official source. PSI’s current question count and fee weren’t readable on its site when we checked. For reference, the old Prometric bulletin (2015) described a 110-question, 2.5-hour, closed-book test needing 75% to pass, at $90, and Hawaii Institute of Hair Design’s catalog still lists a $90 exam fee. PSI’s figures may differ, so check the candidate bulletin when you apply.

If you’ve already passed the NIC or PSI barber exam in another state, you may qualify for an exam waiver. You have one year from application to pass; after that you must reapply.

Working on a temporary permit

While you wait to pass, you can apply for a temporary permit ($37 extra with your application) and work under supervision. It’s valid for one year and is issued only once, so it can’t be renewed or reissued if you don’t pass in time.

Hawaii barber fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$20
Temporary permit	$37
Apprentice registration	$57
License, odd-numbered year	$86
License, even-numbered year	$159
Biennial renewal (active)	$146
Late restoration (active)	$196

Source: Hawaii barber license application (Dec 2025) and board page, checked Oct 2026. Exam fees are paid to PSI.

The odd/even split exists because every license expires on the same date, so the even-year fee includes half a renewal. The license fee breakdown on the application is the $20 application, a $16 license fee and a Compliance Resolution Fund charge, plus that half-renewal in even years. The application prints these totals for applicants who already passed the NIC exam; if you test through PSI, pay the amount on the “Fees Due” notice the board sends you.

Renewal and continuing education

Every Hawaii barber license expires on December 31 of odd-numbered years, regardless of when it was issued. Active renewal is $146 (inactive is $12), and late restoration of an active license costs $196. The board’s FAQ is direct: “No, a barber does not have to take any continuing education in order to renew the license.”

Moving to Hawaii with a barber license

Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements. Out-of-state barbers must qualify and apply like anyone else, but six months of licensed experience elsewhere satisfies the training requirement, and a passing NIC or PSI score from another state may get your exam waived. Expect to pay the regular application and license fees.

What barbers earn in Hawaii

Hawaii has no official barber wage figure. BLS’s May 2025 OEWS data has no Hawaii or Urban Honolulu row for barbers, and the state labor department’s Occupational Employment and Wages 2025 report lists none either. The closest official number covers hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists: about 930 employed statewide in May 2025, with a mean of $22.08 an hour ($45,920 a year) and a median of $16.85 ($35,040). That’s a different occupation, and like all OEWS-based data it excludes the self-employed, so treat it as a loose reference.

Barber school in Hawaii

College Navigator lists just one barbering program in Hawaii, which is why the apprenticeship carries so much weight here. For schools on the mainland, see our best barber schools guide.

Hawaii Institute of Hair Design (Honolulu)

Hawaii Institute of Hair Design offers a 1,500-clock-hour Barber Styling course that takes 10 to 12 months full time (an average of 49 weeks), at 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. About 334 hours are theory and 1,166 are practical (program information). Its April 2026 catalog lists a $25 registration fee, tuition of about $15,900 and a kit of about $1,700, for about $17,600 total.

Enrollment requires age 17 or older, a high school diploma or GED, TB clearance and immunizations, and formal classes start on the second Wednesday of January, March, May, June, July, September and November (school site). The school is ACCSC accredited and federal-aid eligible (College Navigator).

Not near Honolulu? An apprenticeship in a licensed shop on your island is the main alternative. Our barber school near me guide walks through choosing between the two.

Barber school kit: what students need

Hawaii Institute of Hair Design is one of the few schools that publishes its kit contents: a clipper, edger, two shears, a razor, a blending shear, three mannequins, a flat iron, a hair dryer, a curling iron, combs, brushes, a cape, styptic powder, clipper oil, a spray bottle, a lockable tool trolley, a textbook and a laptop. Apprentices build their own kit, so here are the tools worth choosing carefully. Our best clippers for barber school roundup covers more clipper options.

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip

At Hawaii’s only listed barbering school, about 1,166 of the 1,500 hours are practical, and much of that clinic time goes to fades. Students often add (or swap in) the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip for exactly that job: it’s cordless, and its stagger-tooth blade is built for blending. On Amazon it ran about $135–155 when this guide was written.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price

Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li

Line work comes up on every cut, and the Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li brings a T-wide blade to a cordless outliner. Because it’s pricier than a corded T-blade trimmer, treat it as a step up rather than a starter tool. Amazon listed it around $110–130 at publication.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li Price

Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver

Skin fades and bald heads get their final pass from a foil shaver. Listed for both head and face, the cordless Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver makes sense once fades become routine in your clinic hours, whether at school or in a 3,000-hour apprenticeship. On Amazon it ran about $110–135 when this guide was written.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Vanish Foil Shaver Price

Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit

Hawaii tests theory only, but if your school’s training covers shaves or razor outlines, plan on a straight razor with changeable blades rather than a solid one. The Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit is a popular pick that runs on disposable blades. On Amazon it ran about $50–60 when this guide was written.

Check Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit Price

Equinox Razor Edge Thinning Shears

Thinning shears soften lines and remove bulk. The Equinox Razor Edge Thinning Shears is a low-cost pair that works with your cutting shears. Price: about $12–18 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Equinox Razor Edge Thinning Shears Price

Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz)

Disinfection is part of every barber exam. The Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz) is an EPA-registered concentrate you mix in a jar for combs and tools, following the label’s dilution and contact time. Price: about $12–18 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz) Price

GAMMA+ Magnetic Barber Mat

A magnetic mat keeps clippers from sliding off a crowded station. The GAMMA+ Magnetic Barber Mat also works as a station organizer, which helps when you share space at school. Price: about $60–75 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check GAMMA+ Magnetic Barber Mat Price

Bottom line: school on Oahu, apprenticeship everywhere else

If you can get to Honolulu, a 1,500-hour program gets you to the PSI theory exam in about a year. On the neighbor islands, a paid 3,000-hour apprenticeship is the realistic path. Either way, a temporary permit lets you work while you test. Build your kit around a cordless clipper and a sharp detailer like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Li, and see our barber starter kit guide for the rest.

FAQ

How long does it take to become a barber in Hawaii? About 10 to 12 months of full-time barber school (1,500 hours), or a 3,000-hour apprenticeship that can take up to 42 months, plus time to pass the PSI theory exam.

Does Hawaii have a barber practical exam? The board’s 2026 materials list only the Barber Styling Theory written exam, and we found no practical exam in current official sources.

Can I transfer my barber license to Hawaii? There’s no reciprocity, but six months of licensed experience elsewhere meets the training requirement, and a passing NIC or PSI score may waive the exam.

Do barber apprentices get paid in Hawaii? Yes. The board requires apprentices to be paid at least the Hawaii minimum wage.

Do Hawaii barbers need continuing education? No. The board’s FAQ says no continuing education is required to renew a barber license.

Sources

• Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology
• Board FAQ
• Barber license application (Dec 2025)
• Apprenticeship application
• 2026 exam vendor memo (PSI)
• Exam page
• Hawaii DLIR Occupational Employment and Wages 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.