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To become a barber in Idaho, you need just 900 hours of barber school (or 1,800 apprenticeship hours), then NIC written and practical exams through Prov. That’s a short program: Idaho schools list about seven months full time. The practical includes a straight-razor shave, so alongside a cordless clipper like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, plan on a replaceable-blade razor early.
Idaho also has a second, longer license, the barber-stylist, for chemical services, and it changed several rules in 2026: you can now test after 80% of your hours, licenses are moving to two-year renewals, and mobile barbershops are allowed. Every detail below comes from the Idaho Code, the IDAPA rules, the licensing board and Prov.
Quick answer
- Barber: 900 school hours or 1,800 apprenticeship hours
- Barber-stylist: 1,500 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours
- Exams: NIC written ($88) and practical ($120) through Prov; 75 to pass
- Eligibility: Age 16½ at application; two years of high school
- License: $30 application + $60 license (from July 1, 2026); renews every two years on your birthday
Barber school kit picks
- Cordless fade clipper: Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, about $135–155 · Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price
- Outliner: Andis 04780 T-Outliner, about $60–80 · Check Andis 04780 T-Outliner Price
- Straight razor for the practical: Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit, about $50–60 · Check Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit Price
- Neck strips: Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack), about $12–18 · Check Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) Price
Who licenses barbers in Idaho
Barbers in Idaho are licensed by the Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). The law is the Barber and Cosmetology Services Act (Idaho Code 54-5801 to 54-5827), and the rules are IDAPA 24.28.01.
Idaho issues two barber licenses. Under Idaho Code 54-5802, barber-styling covers everything a barber does plus chemical work such as waving, straightening, bleaching and coloring. If you only want to cut and shave, the barber license is the quicker route.
Training hours: barber vs barber-stylist
| License | Barber school | Apprenticeship |
|---|---|---|
| Barber | 900 hours | 1,800 hours |
| Barber-stylist | 1,500 hours | 3,000 hours |
Source: Idaho Code 54-5810, checked Oct 2026.
Those 900 hours are well below the 1,500 that states such as Colorado, Hawaii and Arkansas require, which is why Idaho barber programs take about seven months full time. To apply, you must be at least 16½ and have completed two years of high school or the board’s equivalent, per Idaho Code 54-5810.
New in 2026: test at 80%. House Bill 514 amended the statute so a student can take the exam after completing 80% of the required education hours. You still need all the hours before you’re licensed, but you can get the exams out of the way sooner.
Crossover for cosmetologists
Idaho’s crossover is short. Under IDAPA 24.28.01, a currently licensed cosmetologist needs just 100 hours of barber-related instruction (barber theory, haircuts and shaving) for a barber license, or 100 hours of barber-stylist instruction for the barber-stylist license. It works the other way too: a licensed barber needs 700 hours of cosmetology instruction to add a cosmetology license, and a barber-stylist needs 300.
Nathan Layne Institute, for example, runs its 100-hour cosmetology-to-barber crossover in about five weeks at its Boise location.
The Idaho barber apprenticeship
Apprentices register with the board, meet the same age and education rules, and work under the immediate personal supervision of a licensed instructor; they can’t practice on their own. The instructor needs board approval of a curriculum first.
There are two time limits. Idaho Code 54-5817 says all apprenticeships must be completed within three years unless the board grants an extension. The IDAPA rule is tighter: a barber apprenticeship must be finished within 57 weeks and a barber-stylist apprenticeship within 94 weeks. Plan on full-time hours to meet the rule’s window.
“All apprenticeships must be completed within three (3) years from the time of commencement, unless an extension is approved by the board for good cause.”
Idaho Code 54-5817
The Idaho barber exams
Idaho Code 54-5809 requires “both a practical demonstration and a written test,” and the rules name the National-Interstate Council (NIC) exams. Prov administers them; your school registers you, or your instructor does if you’re an apprentice. Here’s what the Prov candidate bulletin lists:
| Exam | Format | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Barber written | 60 questions, 90 min | $88 |
| Barber practical | 80 min | $120 |
| Barber-styling written | 110 questions, 90 min | $88 |
| Barber-styling practical | 169 min | $120 |
Source: Prov, Idaho candidate bulletin, checked Oct 2026. Passing score is 75 on each.
Written exams can be taken remotely or at Prov centers, and come in English, Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese. Practicals are given only at designated Idaho practical sites. The barber written exam weighs scientific concepts at 40%, hair care services at 30%, facial hair and skin care at 20% and implements at 10%, drawing on Milady Standard Barbering (6th edition) and Pivot Point Fundamentals: Barbering.
The barber practical has five parts: work area and client preparation with supply setup, haircutting, new-client preparation, shaving with a straight razor, and a blood exposure procedure. The barber-styling practical adds permanent waving, a color strand test, relaxer and color retouch.
What to bring to the practical
NIC’s barber practical bulletin (the 2015 edition is the most recent we could retrieve, so check for updates) suggests a long list. The highlights: a mannequin head and table clamp (not pre-marked), an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant, labeled containers for items to be disinfected, soiled linens and trash, neck strips, a protective drape, hair clips, combs, a spray bottle, gloves and a first aid kit. For the haircut: shears, clippers, combs and guards. For the shave: non-aerosol shaving cream, a straight razor and wet steam towels.
The kit section below covers the tools on that list worth buying with care.
Idaho barber fees (from July 1, 2026)
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application | $30 |
| Barber or barber-stylist license | $60 |
| License by endorsement | $90 |
| Biennial renewal | $60 |
| Reinstatement | $35 |
| Apprentice registration | $30 (board page) or $60 (DOPL notice) |
Sources: DOPL board page and May 29, 2026 DOPL notice, checked Oct 2026. Exam fees are paid to Prov.
The two official sources disagree on the apprentice registration fee, so confirm it with DOPL. Budget about $298 for application, license and both barber exams if you pass first time.
Renewal: moving to every two years
Since July 1, 2026, DOPL has been moving barber and cosmetology licenses to biennial renewal, per its May 2026 notice. New applicants get at least a two-year license that expires on their birthday, and renewal costs $60. We found no continuing education requirement in the statute (54-5821), the rules or the board’s page.
Moving to Idaho: endorsement
Under Idaho Code 54-5816, you can be licensed by endorsement, without an exam, if your original state’s requirements weren’t lower than Idaho’s, or if you’ve practiced for at least one of the last three years. The endorsement license is $90.
If you don’t qualify, the rules give credit for experience: barbers get 100 student hours (or 200 apprentice hours) for every six months of practical experience, and barber-stylists get 200 (or 400).
Other 2026 changes: mobile barbershops
Rules effective July 1, 2026 define and allow licensed mobile establishments: a self-contained, enclosed vehicle, trailer or portable structure licensed to provide barbering and cosmetology services outside a fixed location, with hot and cold water. If you’ve dreamed of a barber van, Idaho now has a framework for it. A separate 2026 bill to cut cosmetology hours (HB 547) stalled in committee and didn’t affect barber hours.
What barbers earn in Idaho
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS data counted about 130 employed barbers in Idaho, with a median wage of $17.33 an hour (about $36,000 a year) and a mean of about $37,800. Most earned between about $21,900 (10th percentile) and $59,600 (90th percentile).
Self-employed barbers and booth renters aren’t in these figures, so they understate what an established barber with a full book can earn.
Barber schools in Idaho
These programs are verified on the schools’ own sites and College Navigator (checked Oct 2026). For a broader method, see our best barber schools guide.
Boise Barber College (Boise)
A barber-only school at 7709 W. Overland Rd., Boise Barber College offers barber, barber-stylist and instructor programs. Its 900-hour barber program runs Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a part-time option (program page). College Navigator lists it at seven months, with tuition and fees of about $11,100 and books and supplies of about $2,100 (2024–2025); it’s federal-aid eligible.
Nathan Layne Institute (Chubbuck and Twin Falls)
Nathan Layne offers a 900-hour barber program (about 31 weeks) at its Chubbuck and Twin Falls campuses, full time at 34 hours a week or part time at 25, with 2026 start dates of February 24, May 19, August 11 and November 3 (program page). College Navigator lists tuition and fees of about $11,700 and books and supplies of about $2,800 for the Chubbuck campus; it’s federal-aid eligible.
Austin Kade Academy (Idaho Falls)
College Navigator lists Austin Kade Academy as federal-aid eligible and among Idaho schools awarding barbering certificates. Navigator doesn’t show its barber program’s hours or tuition, so contact the school for details.
Barber school kit: what students need
Idaho schools price supplies at roughly $2,100 to $2,800 on College Navigator, and the NIC practical list above tells you what you’ll need on exam day. These are the tools on that list worth choosing carefully. Our best clippers for barber school roundup compares more clippers.
Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip
Idaho’s 900 hours take about seven months full time, and the practical haircut calls for clippers. The Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip is a smart first cordless fade clipper: its stagger-tooth blade is made for blending, and no cord ties you to the station on clinic days. Look for it around $135–155 on Amazon (the price at time of writing).
Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price
Andis 04780 T-Outliner
Hairlines, necklines and the area around the ears need a crisp edge on nearly every cut, Idaho’s practical haircut included. The Andis 04780 T-Outliner handles that with a wide T-blade on a corded body, and it’s among the least expensive tools in this kit. On Amazon it ran about $60–80 when this guide was written.
Check Andis 04780 T-Outliner Price
Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit
Idaho’s NIC practical includes a straight-razor shave, so a razor you can reload with a fresh blade belongs in your bag well before test day. The Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit is a widely used option built around disposable blades, not a permanent edge. Amazon listed it around $50–60 at publication.
Check Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit Price
Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors
Shears are on the haircut portion of the NIC supply list Idaho candidates work from, and shear-over-comb is taught in every program. For a practice pair, the Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors is an inexpensive 6.5-inch option to learn on before you spend on premium shears. Amazon listed it around $12–20 at publication.
Check Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors Price
BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle
A continuous-mist bottle keeps hair damp for scissor work. The BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle holds 16.9 ounces and sprays a fine, even mist. Price: about $8–12 on Amazon at the time of writing.
Check BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle Price
AIMIKE Sectioning Clips
Sectioning clips keep longer hair out of the way during scissor work. The AIMIKE Sectioning Clips are cheap and easy to replace. Price: about $6–9 on Amazon at the time of writing.
Check AIMIKE Sectioning Clips Price
Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack)
Idaho candidates will find neck strips on the NIC practical supply list, since they keep the drape off the client’s skin. The Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) bundle holds 12 packs of 60, plenty to last a 900-hour program. Amazon listed it around $12–18 at publication.
Check Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) Price
Bottom line: a fast path with a hands-on test
Idaho’s 900-hour barber license is a quick route into the trade, and the 80% rule lets you test before you finish. Just don’t underestimate the practical: a straight-razor shave and a blood exposure procedure are graded alongside the haircut. Build your kit around a dependable cordless clipper like the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip and a replaceable-blade razor, and see our barber starter kit guide for the rest.
FAQ
How long is barber school in Idaho? 900 hours for a barber license, which Idaho schools list at about seven months full time (Nathan Layne puts it at about 31 weeks). The barber-stylist license takes 1,500 hours.
What is the difference between a barber and a barber-stylist in Idaho? A barber-stylist can also perform chemical services such as waving, straightening, bleaching and coloring. It requires 1,500 school hours instead of 900.
Can you take the Idaho barber exam before finishing school? Yes. Since a 2026 law change, students may test after completing 80% of their required hours.
How much does it cost to get a barber license in Idaho? About $298 in state and exam fees: a $30 application, a $60 license, and $88 and $120 for the NIC written and practical exams. Tuition at Boise and Chubbuck barber schools is about $11,100 to $11,700.
Can a cosmetologist become a barber in Idaho? Yes, with just 100 hours of barber-related instruction covering barber theory, haircuts and shaving.
Sources
- Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (DOPL)
- Idaho Code 54-5810 (qualifications)
- Idaho Code 54-5817 (apprenticeship)
- IDAPA 24.28.01 rules
- Prov: Idaho candidate bulletin
- NIC barber practical bulletin (2015)
- DOPL May 2026 fee and renewal notice
- 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.
