Practical, sourced articles for California readers. Not legal or professional advice.
Training hours, eligibility, school or apprenticeship options, the state exam, applying through the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and keeping your license active.
Compare scope of practice, training hours, career paths and work settings for California cosmetologists and estheticians.
Approval and accreditation, pass rates, schedules, financial aid, contracts and student protections to compare before enrolling in a California beauty or barber school.
Eligibility, the 1,000-hour training requirement, schools vs. apprenticeships, the state exam, what barbers can do, and how barbering compares with cosmetology.
Step-by-step guide to California's manicurist license: training hours, school vs. apprenticeship, the state exam, health and safety rules, salon work and how to choose a nail program.
How Board-approved cosmetology and barber apprenticeships work in California: eligibility, finding a sponsor salon, related instruction, hours, pros and cons versus school, and getting licensed.
How to pay for cosmetology, barber, esthetics or nail school in California: FAFSA and Pell Grants, Cal Grants and the California Dream Act, community college fee waivers, loans, and student protections.
How licensed cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians and manicurists from other states or countries can get licensed in California: reciprocity, training credit, exams and military spouse options.