California Barbershops, Hair Salons & Barber Schools

1,258 barbershops, hair salons, barbers, and licensed schools across California, with intelligence not available on Google.

Schools average a 58 2026 score

Statewide Resources

Tools and guides that apply across California, not just one city.

Licensing, exams and earnings in California

Everything we've documented from the California Board of Barbering & Cosmetology — the Act, the board's 2026 report to the Legislature, and its letter to approved schools — sourced, dated, and separated by licence because the requirements genuinely differ.

Getting licensed

Six licences from 400 to 1,000 hours — including two, hairstylist and electrologist, that most states do not issue at all — plus the paid route that skips tuition.

Passing the exam

Written only — California dropped the practical for every licence type in 2022. PSI rewrote all five content outlines on 1 April 2026, and the comparison is published nowhere else.

Keeping your licence

$50 every two years for every licence type, $25 late — and no continuing education at all.

What the work pays

The board collects no earnings data. What it collects is hours — and that is what every published salary figure assumes.