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

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To become a barber in Iowa today, you actually earn a combined barbering and cosmetology license: 1,550 hours of school (or a registered apprenticeship), the NIC theory exam through Prov ($83), and a $60 application. Iowa stopped issuing stand-alone barber licenses in 2024. Straight-razor shaving now needs its own 40-hour certificate, so a replaceable-blade razor like the Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit belongs in your kit from the start.

The merger changed almost everything, and a 2025 law added a third route through shop-based training. Below is the current path, from Iowa Code Chapter 157, the board’s rules (481 IAC chapters 940 and 941), the licensing department and Prov.

Quick answer

Training: 1,550 hours at an approved school, a registered apprenticeship, or 2,000 hours in a registered shop training program
Exam: NIC theory exam through Prov: 110 questions, 90 minutes, 75 to pass, $83
Shaving: Separate 40-hour shaving certificate to use a straight razor
Fees: $60 application; $60 renewal every two years
Renewal: Every two years (April 1 to March 31) with 6 CE hours

Barber school kit picks

Straight razor: Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit, about $50–60 · Check Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit Price
Cordless fade clipper: Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip, about $135–155 · Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price
Neck strips: Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack), about $12–18 · Check Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) Price
Spray bottle: BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle, about $8–12 · Check BeautifyBeauties Continuous Spray Bottle Price

Who licenses barbers in Iowa

The Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences, under the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), licenses barbers. The law is Iowa Code Chapter 157, and the rules are 481 IAC chapters 940 and 941.

A 2023 law (2023 Iowa Acts ch. 99) merged barbering into the cosmetology board, and the rules that took effect July 1, 2024 replaced the separate barber license with one combined barbering and cosmetology license. Barbers licensed under the old rules get the combined license when they renew.

“Any person previously licensed as a barber prior to July 1, 2024, pursuant to 645—Chapter 21 will, upon successful renewal of such license, receive a barbering and cosmetology license.”
481 IAC chapter 940

Steps to get licensed

Finish high school or its equivalent; Iowa Code 157.3 requires it. We found no separate minimum age in the statute or on DIAL’s page.
Train: graduate from a 1,550-hour approved barbering and cosmetology program, complete a registered apprenticeship, or log 2,000 supervised hours in a registered shop training program.
Pass the NIC theory exam through Prov with 75% or higher.
Apply to DIAL with the $60 nonrefundable fee.
Add the shaving certificate if you’ll use a straight razor.

Training hours: 1,550 for the combined license

The school rules set the curriculum at 1,550 hours (51 semester credit hours):

Area	Hours
Core life sciences	150
Barbering and cosmetology theory (incl. business)	440
Applied practical instruction	960
Total	1,550

Source: 481 IAC chapter 941, checked Oct 2026.

If you graduated from a “legacy” barber or cosmetology curriculum under the school rules in effect June 30, 2023, that education still satisfies the requirement. New students train to the 1,550-hour combined curriculum; the old barber-only hour requirement no longer applies.

The separate shaving certificate

This is the biggest change for barbers. The combined license doesn’t include straight-razor shaving; you need a board shaving certificate, earned through a 40-hour shaving program from (or sponsored by) an Iowa licensed school and taught by a licensed instructor. Barbers licensed in Iowa before July 1, 2023 are exempt. CTC Barber Academy in Ames, for example, sells its 40-hour shaving course for $499.

Apprenticeship and the new shop training program

Registered apprenticeship. DIAL’s license page accepts a registered apprenticeship: the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship sends the board your certificate of completion. The board doesn’t list the required hours, so get them from the apprenticeship sponsor.

Establishment training program (2025). 2025 Iowa Acts ch. 140 added a route in Iowa Code 157.3(3): complete 2,000 hours of supervised practice in a registered shop or salon training program and you can sit for the exam. Under section 157.12D, registered shops can employ unlicensed trainees under a licensee’s supervision, trainees first complete 2 hours of Iowa law, rules and sanitation education, and customers must get a written disclosure. We didn’t find a DIAL registration form for it yet, so ask the board whether it’s open.

The Iowa exams

Prov administers Iowa’s exams. Per its Iowa candidate bulletin, the written exam can be taken at Prov’s four Iowa sites, any Prov center in the US, or remotely.

Exam	Format	Fee
NIC Cosmetology theory	110 questions, 90 min	$83
NIC Barber practical	80 min, English only	$108

Source: Prov Iowa bulletin, checked Oct 2026. Passing score 75.

The theory exam covers scientific concepts (35%), hair care and services (45%), skin care (10%) and nail care (10%), in English, Spanish, Korean or Vietnamese.

Is there a practical? Prov’s bulletin also lists an NIC Barber practical with a straight-razor shave and a blood exposure procedure, but DIAL’s license page lists only the theory exam. Check with the board whether the practical applies to you (it may relate to the shaving certificate).

If you do take it, the NIC suggested supplies list includes a closeable kit, clippers (fully charged), guards, shears, combs, a straight razor, non-aerosol shaving cream, a steam towel, neck strips, a cape, a spray bottle with water, gloves, EPA-registered disinfectant wipes and a mannequin with clamp. Disinfectant and aerosol sprays aren’t allowed.

Iowa license fees

Fee	Amount
License application	$60
Renewal (every 2 years)	$60
Late fee (30-day grace)	$60
NIC theory exam (Prov)	$83
NIC Barber practical (Prov), if required	$108

Sources: DIAL license and renewal pages; Prov Iowa bulletin. Checked Oct 2026.

We didn’t find the endorsement application fee on the pages we loaded; check with DIAL.

Renewal and continuing education

Licenses run two years, from April 1 to March 31. Renewal opens 60 days before expiration, then a 30-day grace period with a $60 late fee, after which the license goes inactive. Per DIAL’s renewal page, you need 6 CE hours each cycle: at least 4 in your discipline and 2 in Iowa barbering and cosmetology laws, rules and infection control. Your first renewal is exempt.

Moving to Iowa: endorsement

Under 481 IAC chapter 940, you can get licensed by endorsement if you’ve held an active license in another state for at least 12 of the last 24 months, verified by your most recent licensing state. Out-of-state barbers approved this way receive the combined barber and cosmetologist license. If you graduated after January 1, 2000, you need a national theory exam; earlier graduates need their original state’s written and practical exams. If you don’t qualify, Iowa also offers licensure by verification or, from states that don’t license barbers, by work experience.

What barbers earn in Iowa

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates are the best public pay data for Iowa: roughly 130 barbers on payrolls, earning a median of $28.32 an hour, which works out to about $58,900 a year. The mean is lower, about $54,500, and the bottom and top tenths of earners sit near $31,200 and $81,700.

With only about 130 employees counted, those estimates are less stable than in big states. Self-employed barbers and booth renters aren’t included.

Barbering schools in Iowa

Because Iowa now trains to one combined license, “barber” and “cosmetology” programs both lead to it. These are verified on the schools’ sites or College Navigator (checked Oct 2026); see our best barber schools guide for what to compare.

CTC Barber Academy (Ames)

A barber-focused academy at 137 Lynn Ave. Its 1,550-hour barber program costs $20,100 in total: $100 registration, $2,000 for kit and smocks, and $18,000 tuition (programs page). Full time takes 47 weeks at 40 hours a week; half time takes 80 weeks (2026–27 catalog). It’s applied for NACCAS accreditation but isn’t yet federal-aid eligible.

The Salon Professional Academy (Cedar Falls)

College Navigator lists Barbering as this school’s largest program: 1,550 clock hours, an average of 12 months, tuition and fees of about $16,900 (2024–25) and books and supplies of about $4,000. It’s federal-aid eligible. Its listed website wouldn’t load when we checked, so confirm current details with the school.

Iowa School of Beauty (Des Moines area and Sioux City)

A cosmetology-focused school whose 1,550-hour program leads to the combined license. It takes 45 weeks at a minimum of 35 hours a week and costs about $23,900 in total: a $100 application fee, about $21,300 tuition and about $2,500 for equipment and textbooks (program page). 2026 start dates ran from January 19 to November 16, and College Navigator lists it as federal-aid eligible.

Our barber school near me guide covers how to choose between schools and shop-based training.

Barber school kit: what students need

Iowa programs price kits at about $2,000 to $4,000, and if a practical applies to you, the NIC supply list above is your shopping list. Note the exam bans disinfectant and aerosol sprays, so pack wipes for test day. Our best clippers for barber school roundup compares more clippers.

Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip

Iowa’s combined program sets aside 960 hours for applied practical instruction, and fade requests fill a good share of them. A cordless clipper with a stagger-tooth blade, built for blending, is the usual first add-on or upgrade to the school’s kit, and the Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip is exactly that. Budget about $135–155 on Amazon, the going price when this was written.

Check Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Price

Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper

Plugged in, the Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper won’t die on you at exam time, and its adjustable blade walks through a taper without swapping guards at each step. Budget about $90–110 on Amazon, the going price when this was written.

Check Andis 01815 Master Adjustable Blade Clipper Price

Andis 01410 Master Dual Magnet Comb Set

If your clipper is an Andis Master or Fade Master, the Andis 01410 Master Dual Magnet Comb Set adds magnetic guards that stay put through the cut. Price: about $30–40 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Check Andis 01410 Master Dual Magnet Comb Set Price

Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit

Iowa now ties straight-razor shaving to a separate 40-hour certificate, and for that work a swap-blade razor beats one with a permanent edge. Many students pick the Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit, which is designed for disposable blades. Budget about $50–60 on Amazon, the going price when this was written.

Check Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit Price

Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors

The NIC supply list for Iowa’s barber practical names shears, and shear-over-comb is core curriculum anyway. To learn on, the Equinox Professional Razor Edge Barber Scissors is a low-priced 6.5-inch pair to use before investing in premium shears. Budget about $12–20 on Amazon, the going price when this was written.

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

Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack)

A strip between cape and skin is basic sanitation, and neck strips sit on the NIC supply list for Iowa’s practical. At 12 packs of 60, the Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) should last your whole program. Budget about $12–18 on Amazon, the going price when this was written.

Check Graham Sanek Neck Strips (12-pack) Price

Bottom line: one license, plus a razor certificate

In Iowa, becoming a barber means earning the combined barbering and cosmetology license, then adding the 40-hour shaving certificate if a straight razor is part of your craft. Pick school, apprenticeship or a registered shop program, pass the theory exam, and keep up with your 6 CE hours. Start your kit with a solid razor like the Feather Standard Styling Razor Kit, and see our barber starter kit guide for the rest.

FAQ

Can you still get a barber license in Iowa? Not a stand-alone one. Since July 1, 2024, new applicants receive a combined barbering and cosmetology license; barbers licensed under the old rules convert at renewal.

How many hours is barber school in Iowa? 1,550 hours for the combined license. A registered apprenticeship or 2,000 hours in a registered shop training program are the alternatives.

Do Iowa barbers need a shaving certificate? Yes, to use a straight razor. It takes a 40-hour shaving program from an Iowa licensed school; barbers licensed in Iowa before July 1, 2023 are exempt.

What exam do you take for an Iowa barbering license? The NIC theory exam through Prov: 110 questions in 90 minutes, 75 to pass, $83. Ask the board whether the NIC Barber practical also applies to you.

Do Iowa barbers need continuing education? Yes. Six hours every two years, including 2 hours in Iowa laws, rules and infection control. Your first renewal is exempt.

Sources

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.