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

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To become a barber in Indiana, you need 1,500 hours in a barber program (or, since July 2025, a registered apprenticeship), then a written exam through PSI and a $40 license application. There’s no state practical exam, so your money goes into training and tools; even a budget outliner like the Andis 04780 T-Outliner gets daily use from your first month in clinic.

Indiana has a few quirks worth knowing up front: barber schools are licensed as “beauty culture schools,” licenses last four years, and the 2025 apprenticeship law gave the state a second road in. Here’s the full path, built from the Indiana Code, the Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) and the board’s own rules.

Who licenses barbers in Indiana

Barbers are licensed by the State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, which is staffed by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Barbers and cosmetologists share one board and one law, Indiana Code 25-8.

There’s a single barber license, with no master barber tier. Teaching requires a separate beauty culture instructor license (500 hours, high school graduate) on top of a primary license such as barber. One quirk of the law: outside a school, a barber may work only in a licensed beauty culture salon, with the license holder’s permission.

Steps to an Indiana barber license

1. Meet the age rule: 18, or 17 if you’ve graduated from high school.
2. Train: complete 1,500 hours in a barber program at a licensed beauty culture school, or finish a U.S. Department of Labor registered barber apprenticeship.
3. Pass the PSI written exam, which since 2013 has been part of graduating from school; your school submits your eligibility to PSI.
4. Apply to PLA online and pay the $40 nonrefundable application fee by card. Apprentices upload their apprentice number and completion certificate.

Training hours

Indiana requires 1,500 hours for a barber license, the same as for a cosmetologist, per PLA’s education chart. The programs below list about 11 to 14 months (see the schools below).

Coming from cosmetology? We found no official crossover hour figure for licensed cosmetologists in the statute or on PLA’s site. Some schools, including Summit Salon Academy Kokomo, offer crossover starts through admissions, so ask the school and check with the board how your hours will count.

“graduated with not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) hours of training in a barber program in a beauty culture school”

Indiana Code 25-8 (barber license requirements)

The Indiana barber apprenticeship (since July 2025)

House Enrolled Act 1320 (P.L. 35-2025) made a U.S. Department of Labor registered barber apprenticeship a route to the exam and the license, starting July 1, 2025. The legislature’s fiscal note counted only eight barber apprenticeships in Indiana in fiscal year 2024, so programs are still rare; you’ll need a shop with a registered program, not just a willing barber.

We found no apprenticeship hour count in the Indiana statute, so ask the registered program sponsor and PLA what the program requires. When you apply, you’ll upload your apprentice number and completion certificate to PLA.

The Indiana barber exam

Indiana uses a written exam only, delivered by PSI, and PLA lists no practical in its application requirements. The statute sets the passing grade at 75%, and a failed exam can be retaken without more barbering study.

PSI’s live bulletin wasn’t readable when we checked, so here’s what its September 2022 Indiana bulletin said: 100 general questions plus 10 state-law questions and 10 unscored experimental items, 120 minutes, with eligibility valid for one year and unlimited retests within it. The first content area, Rules, Regulations and Safety (safety, sanitation and disinfection, first aid and OSHA), is 30% of the test. The fee then was $44; check PSI for the current fee and bulletin before you book.

If you graduated before July 1, 2013 and never tested, you may need a waiver of the three-year deadline; ask PLA.

Indiana barber fees

Fee	Amount
License application	$40
Renewal (every 4 years)	$40
Reinstatement	$80
PSI exam	$44 in 2022 (check PSI)

Sources: PLA licensing page; 820 IAC 7-1-2 and 7-1-3; PSI 2022 bulletin. Checked Oct 2026.

The exam fee goes straight to PSI, not the state, under 820 IAC 7-1-2. With so few state fees, nearly all of your cost is tuition and supplies.

Renewal and continuing education

Indiana barber licenses renew every four years for $40; a 2025 amendment to 820 IAC 7-1-3 added barbers to the four-year renewal rule. PLA sends renewal notices about 90 days before expiration. If your license has been expired more than three years, you’ll need to reinstate it ($80), and after five years you must pass the written exam again.

We found no continuing education requirement for barbers in the statute or on PLA’s site, but no official source says outright that none applies, so check with the board when you renew.

Moving to Indiana: reciprocity

Out-of-state barbers can be licensed by reciprocity if their state’s requirements are substantially equal to Indiana’s. The board can combine education hours with licensed practice: one year of licensed work counts as 100 education hours if you have at least 1,000 hours of schooling. Your original state must have required at least 70% on written and practical exams.

If you come from a place that doesn’t license barbers, the statute provides a provisional license: you work under a licensed Indiana barber and then petition for a full license.

What barbers earn in Indiana

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates count about 370 employed barbers in Indiana, with a median wage of $16.15 an hour (about $33,600 a year) and a mean of about $40,800. The spread runs from about $29,700 (10th percentile) to $60,100 (90th percentile).

The mean sits well above the median, so a smaller group of higher earners pulls the average up. Self-employed barbers and booth renters aren’t included at all, so established barbers with a full book may earn more than these figures show.

Barber schools in Indiana

These programs are verified on the schools’ sites or College Navigator (checked Oct 2026). For what to compare, see our best barber schools guide.

Kenny’s Academy of Barbering (Indianapolis)

A barber-only school at 2150 Lafayette Road focused on state board preparation (school site). College Navigator lists its 1,500-hour program at an average of 11 months, with 2024–25 tuition and fees of about $20,100 and books and supplies of about $1,900.

Lil Lou’s Beauty and Barber College (Gary, Hammond, South Bend)

Lil Lou’s runs a 1,500-hour barber program; its site lists about $19,600 on the program card without saying whether that’s tuition only. College Navigator lists the Gary campus (4853 Broadway St.) at 13 months, with tuition and fees of $17,700 and books of $1,800.

Nurtur Aveda Institute (Indianapolis)

Its 1,500-hour Barbering program runs 62 scheduled weeks, with a night school option and an estimated total cost of about $24,700, including tuition, kit, sales tax, registration and other expenses (program page).

Summit Salon Academy Kokomo

Summit publishes a full breakdown for its 1,500-hour barber program: a $25 application, $75 registration, $3,200 for books and kit, and $18,000 tuition, for $21,300 total. Fall 2026 start dates included October 30 and November 25 (program page).

Weighing school against the new apprenticeship? Our barber school near me guide walks through the trade-offs.

Barber school kit: what students need

Indiana schools list roughly $1,800 to $3,200 for books and kit on College Navigator and their own pages. With no practical exam, buy for the work you’ll do on the clinic floor and in your first chair. Our best clippers for barber school roundup compares more options.

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior

If you cut a lot of thick hair, the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior takes on bulk removal so your fade clipper can stay on blending. It sits at the top of the student price range, so treat it as an upgrade, not a must-have. Price: about $175–195 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior Price

Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper

The Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper is the metal-housing barbershop clipper with an adjustable blade, listed at 14,000 strokes per minute. It’s corded, so there’s no battery to watch during a long practical session. Price: about $90–110 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper Price

Andis 04780 T-Outliner

Outlines are checked on nearly every haircut service, and the Andis 04780 T-Outliner is a corded T-blade trimmer built for exactly that: hairlines, necklines and edges. Price: about $60–80 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Andis 04780 T-Outliner Price

Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver

With no state practical in Indiana, buy for the clinic floor: the Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver is a cordless foil shaver for finishing skin fades, far cheaper than premium models. On Amazon it ran about $45–60 when this guide was written.

Check Andis TS-1 Pro Foil Shaver Price

Andis 01410 Master Dual Magnet Comb Set

Own an Andis Master or Fade Master, such as the Andis 01815 above? The Andis 01410 Master Dual Magnet Comb Set gives it magnetic guards that hold in place while you cut. Amazon listed it around $30–40 at publication.

Check Andis 01410 Master Dual Magnet Comb Set Price

Barbicide Disinfecting Jar (37 oz)

Sanitation sits in a 30% content area of PSI’s 2022 Indiana bulletin. The Barbicide Disinfecting Jar (37 oz) is a lidded 37-ounce glass jar with a tray for soaking combs and shears. Expect roughly $25–35 on Amazon as of this writing.

Check Barbicide Disinfecting Jar (37 oz) Price

Andis Cool Care Plus 5-in-1 Clipper Spray

The Andis Cool Care Plus 5-in-1 Clipper Spray is a 5-in-1 clipper spray for cleaning and cooling blades between clients, and a can lasts a long time on a student schedule. Price: about $10–15 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Andis Cool Care Plus 5-in-1 Clipper Spray Price

Bottom line: 1,500 hours, one written test

Indiana keeps the paperwork light: a single written exam, a $40 application and a four-year renewal. The real decision is how to get your 1,500 hours, in school or through one of the state’s few registered apprenticeships. Whichever you choose, start with a reliable outliner like the Andis 04780 T-Outliner, and see our barber starter kit guide for the rest.

FAQ

How many hours do you need to be a barber in Indiana? 1,500 hours in a barber program at a licensed beauty culture school. Since July 1, 2025, a U.S. Department of Labor registered barber apprenticeship also qualifies.

Does Indiana have a barber practical exam? No. PLA lists only the PSI written exam, which you must pass with 75%.

How much does an Indiana barber license cost? The application is $40 and renewal is $40 every four years. The PSI exam fee is extra ($44 in PSI’s 2022 bulletin; check the current fee). Published school costs run from about $17,700 in tuition to about $24,700 all-in.

How old do you have to be to get a barber license in Indiana? 18, or 17 if you’re a high school graduate.

Can I transfer my barber license to Indiana? Yes, by reciprocity, if your state’s requirements are substantially equal. One year of licensed practice counts as 100 education hours if you have at least 1,000 hours of school.

Sources

• Indiana PLA cosmetology and barber licensing information
• Indiana Code 25-8
• 820 IAC 7-1-2 (Cornell LII)
• 820 IAC 7-1-3 (Cornell LII)
• PSI Indiana bulletin (Sept 2022 archive)
• HEA 1320 fiscal note (2025)
• 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.