Do you need a license to braid hair in Illinois?

Who needs a license

Anyone who braids for clients in Illinois without a cosmetology license. The Act’s definition is wide: braiding, cornrowing, extending, lacing, locking, sewing, twisting, weaving and wrapping hair, with human hair, natural or synthetic fibers and extensions, and making custom wigs. It excludes chemicals of any kind, color and bleach, and cutting hair, though you may trim extensions and sewn-in weaves as the braiding needs.

How to get licensed, step by step

1. 1

   Take 300 hours of braiding school

   At a licensed hair braiding school, or a cosmetology school approved to teach hair braiding. The law splits the hours: 35 of basic training (sanitation, hair and scalp disorders), 35 of related concepts (braid removal, styling, consultation), 200 of practice with and without extensions, and 30 of business. You must be at least 16 and past compulsory school age, or hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.

2. 2

   Pass the school’s final exam

   A theory and a practical part, each passed at 75 or better. The practical covers single braids and cornrows with and without extensions, twists, knots, locking, weaving and sanitation. The school gives you at least three attempts.

3. 3

   Take the skin course

   Since January 1, 2026, every new applicant sends proof of an approved course on abnormal skin growths, melanoma included. IDFPR approves “Skinny on Skin” by Impact Melanoma, an online course with a certificate at the end.

4. 4

   Apply online and pay $30

   Apply in IDFPR’s online system, CORE, with your school’s official transcript and the skin course certificate, answer the personal history questions and pay the $30 license fee. An application stays open for three years.

What changes on January 1, 2027

An amendment to the Act (Public Act 104-478) takes effect: applicants must also pass an examination authorized by IDFPR, and an apprenticeship becomes a second way in, instead of school: 600 hours of practical training in a licensed salon, including 36 hours of related instruction, paid at least the Illinois minimum wage. IDFPR’s hair braider page doesn’t describe the new exam yet: check it before you apply.

Renewing

Every hair braider license expires on October 31 of each even-numbered year, whenever it was issued, so the next date is October 31, 2026. Renewal costs $25 a year. From the second renewal on, you need 10 hours of continuing education from a registered sponsor within the two years before the license expires; the first time, one of those hours covers domestic violence and sexual assault awareness.

Questions braiders ask