How to Become a Barber in Vermont: Hours, Exams & Fees (2026)

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If you’re figuring out how to become a barber in Vermont, you’ll find one of the shortest paths in the country. Straight-razor shaves are a core barber skill here, and cosmetologists aren’t allowed to use straight razors on the face or neck at all, so expect plenty of time with a razor like the Feather Standard Styling Razor kit. The training is 750 hours of barber school or a 1,125-hour apprenticeship in a Vermont shop. After that come written and practical exams through Prov, and a license that costs $120 to apply for and $155 every two years after that. Here’s every step, checked against Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation and the statute.

Who licenses barbers in Vermont

Vermont barbers are licensed by the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), working with the Barber and Cosmetology Board. OPR is at 89 Main Street, 3rd floor, in Montpelier (802-828-1505). The law is Chapter 6 of Title 26 (26 V.S.A. chapter 6), and the administrative rules took effect December 22, 2020. Applications are online through OPR’s Online Services system.

Vermont defines barbering broadly. Under Rule 4-1, a barber cuts, shampoos and styles hair; shaves the face, ears and neckline; trims facial hair; does facials, skin care and scalp massage; and bleaches, colors, straightens or perms hair. The rule adds:

“Barbering also includes esthetics.”

Vermont Administrative Rules for Barbers and Cosmetologists, Rule 4-1

The razor line runs the other way, too: “A cosmetologist may not use straight razors upon the face or neck” (Rule 5-1). Barbers can work in cosmetology shops, and a shop can display a barber pole if a barber is on duty for at least half its operating hours.

Requirement	Vermont rule	Source
School hours	750	26 V.S.A. 276
Apprenticeship	1,125 hours, within 2 years	OPR FAQ
Education	High school diploma or equivalent	Rule 4-2
Exams	Written + practical (Prov)	OPR forms page
Renewal	$155 every 2 years	OPR fee chart

Checked October 2026. Confirm with OPR.

750 hours of barber school

Vermont’s 750-hour minimum is written into the statute, and Rule 4-2 requires the course to be at a school accredited by an authority recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or one the Director recognizes as substantially equivalent. The rules list the core skills: shampooing, straight razor shaves and beard trims, basic facials, hair lightening and coloring, haircutting and styling, clipper cutting, hair analysis and scalp treatments, sanitation and sterilization, anatomy and hygiene, safe chemical storage, law and ethics, and the history of the profession.

Since July 2025, 26 V.S.A. 281 has required schools to teach “the care, styling, and treatment of textured hair,” meaning hair that is “coiled, curly, or wavy.” That includes “cultural competency and historical education on the significance of textured hair in diverse communities.” The same section also bars schools from requiring a non-compete agreement as a condition of training. Regional technical centers can teach barbering too, but their hours count only if the courses meet the Director’s standards.

The 1,125-hour apprenticeship

Vermont caps apprenticeships at 150% of the school requirement, so barber apprentices need 1,125 hours. Before you start, apply online with an apprenticeship plan:

“No apprenticeship may commence until the apprenticeship plan is approved and an apprenticeship license is issued to the apprentice.”

Rule 9-1

The apprentice license costs $50 and doesn’t renew, and the plan must be finished within two years. Your supervisor needs at least three years of experience and can oversee only one full-time apprentice, or part-timers adding up to no more than 40 hours a week. Clerical work, reception and cleaning can be no more than 10% of your hours. OPR’s FAQ adds that you can’t apprentice in another state: Vermont apprentices must train under a Vermont licensee in a Vermont-licensed shop.

Cosmetologist crossover

Licensed cosmetologists can become barbers with 150 school hours or a 300-hour crossover apprenticeship (Rule 4-4). The training covers straight razor shaves and beard trims, barber-specific facials and clipper cutting, and the history of barbering.

The exams

To get licensed, you pass “written and practical barbering examinations recognized by the Director.” OPR’s forms page says: “As of November 1, 2023, the National Exams for Barber & Cosmetology is Prov.” (The FAQ page still names the previous vendor.) Once OPR approves your application, it emails you and sends your information to the testing vendor, which emails you registration instructions. Licensed schools and technical centers can serve as testing sites if they’re approved.

We couldn’t confirm Vermont’s exam fee, passing score or practical kit list. Prov’s Vermont page was unavailable when we checked, so check with OPR or Prov after you’re approved.

Vermont barber fees

Fee	Amount	Notes
Barber license application	$120	Set by statute
Biennial renewal	$155	September 30, even years
Apprentice license	$50	No renewal
Barber shop	$355 application	$285 renewal

Sources: OPR fee chart (updated July 1, 2025) and 3 V.S.A. 125. Checked October 2026.

Late renewals are subject to reinstatement fees under 3 V.S.A. 127(d), which can sometimes be waived.

Renewal and continuing education

Barber licenses run in fixed two-year periods and expire September 30 of even-numbered years. The most recent deadline was September 30, 2026, so the next one is September 30, 2028. If your first license is issued 90 days or less before a renewal date, it runs through the next full two-year period. Vermont’s rules include no continuing-education requirement for barbers, only for instructors, but confirm with OPR. If you’ve been out of practice five years or more, the Director decides case by case and “may require re-training, testing, or re-application.”

Moving to Vermont with a barber license

Vermont’s endorsement law is friendly. Under 26 V.S.A. 285, OPR issues a license without an exam to anyone in good standing in a jurisdiction with substantially equal requirements. It also does so for jurisdictions with “materially less rigorous” requirements if you have 1,500 documented hours of practice over at least a year. A separate law (3 V.S.A. 136a) caps the experience requirement for endorsement at three years of practice in good standing anywhere in the U.S., and OPR runs a Fast Track Endorsement for people licensed in another state for the last three years.

Recent changes

• November 1, 2023: national exams moved to Prov.
• June 2024: an act (2023, No. 158) amended the sections on the Director’s duties, shops, exams and licenses. We haven’t confirmed the specific changes.
• July 1, 2025: Act 58 (2025) added textured-hair training to the school-standards section (26 V.S.A. 281). The same section already barred schools from requiring non-compete agreements.
• July 1, 2025: OPR updated its fee chart.

What barbers earn

Federal data won’t tell you what a Vermont barber makes: in its May 2025 OEWS survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has no estimate for the state. Its national median, $38,210 annually or $18.37 hourly, is the closest yardstick. Booth renters and the self-employed fall outside OEWS, so ask shop owners where you plan to work what a chair really earns.

Barber school in Vermont

We found only one dedicated barber program in Vermont. College Navigator lists no other, though regional technical centers may offer barbering. If you can’t get to Williston, the apprenticeship is the realistic alternative. Our best barber schools guide covers how to evaluate any program.

O’Brien’s Aveda Institute (Williston)

O’Brien’s barbering program is a “comprehensive 750-hour program” taught three days a week (24 hours, 8:30 to 5). Upcoming starts are November 16, 2026, January 13, 2027 and March 15, 2027. It uses Milady Standard Barbering alongside Aveda’s men’s curriculum, and it also offers a barber crossover program. Its Vermont Department of Labor training-provider listing shows in-state tuition of about $12,800 plus books, supplies and registration, for a total of about $16,400 over 32 weeks. The listing isn’t dated, so confirm current costs. Financial aid includes Pell Grants, federal loans and VSAC grants and loans. The institute is on College Navigator.

Visiting? Our barber school near me guide lists questions to ask.

Barber school kit: what students need

O’Brien’s listing budgets about $1,800 for supplies and tools and about $1,700 for books. Vermont’s core skills lean on clipper cutting and straight-razor work, so start there.

A clipper for clipper cutting

The Wahl Professional 5 Star Legend (corded) is a corded fade clipper. A cordless alternative is the Wahl Professional 5 Star Magic Clip Cordless.

A straight razor

Straight razor shaves and beard trims are a core skill in Vermont. The Feather Standard Styling Razor kit is a styling razor kit, and the Black Widow Professional shavette is a budget option with single-edge blades.

Shears

For haircutting and shaping, an inexpensive practice pair like the Equinox Razor Edge Series barber shears can sit alongside your kit shears. Equinox thinning shears help with blending.

Maintenance and sanitation

Sanitation and sterilization are on the core list. Oil your blades daily with Wahl clipper blade oil (4 oz).

Disinfect implements in Barbicide Disinfectant Concentrate (16 oz). For a full checklist, see our essential barber tools guide.

Is Vermont a good place to start?

Vermont’s requirements are light, with 750 hours of school, a 1,125-hour apprenticeship option and no CE. Its broad endorsement rules also make it easy to move here with a license. The challenge is access: we found only one barber school, in Williston, so many people will look at the apprenticeship. Whichever route you take, get comfortable with straight-razor work using a Feather Standard Styling Razor kit, because that skill is the line between barbers and cosmetologists in Vermont.

FAQ

How many hours do you need to be a barber in Vermont? 750 hours at an accredited barber school, or 1,125 hours in an OPR-approved apprenticeship.

Do you need a high school diploma to be a barber in Vermont? Yes. Rule 4-2 requires a high school diploma or the equivalent. We found no minimum age in the statute or rules.

Can a cosmetologist use a straight razor in Vermont? No. Rule 5-1 says a cosmetologist “may not use straight razors upon the face or neck.” Cosmetologists can cross over to barbering with 150 school hours or a 300-hour apprenticeship.

How much is a Vermont barber license? $120 to apply and $155 to renew every two years. Apprentice licenses are $50.

Do Vermont barbers need continuing education? No. Vermont’s rules have no CE requirement for barbers, though instructors have their own requirements.

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.