The office is open for walk-in business from 8:00 a.m. to 1200 p.m. and phone calls from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays.
There are occasions when staff may not be available to assist you, such as during Board meetings, examinations, and training. If staff are not available, instructions regarding where you may go for assistance will be posted at the office.
Be a Minnesota registered barber for the prior three years
Complete instructor training classes from the Board approved instructor training program at Southwest Minnesota State University or from an accredited college or university program, including the following courses or their equivalent as determined by the Board: Introduction to Career and Technical Education Teaching, Philosophy and Practice of Career and Technical Education, Course Development for Career and Technical Education, Instructional Methods for Career and Technical Education, and Human Relations
Submit a completed Instructor Examination application and fee to the Board office
Pass the Instructor exam. Instructor exams are given in May and November; the exam consists of: a 50-question multiple choice written exam covering Minnesota Statute and Rules; a written lesson plan submitted by the barber outlining a barbering lesson that would be taught in barber school; and a 10- to 15-minute presentation based upon the lesson plan
You may look up current registrations by selecting the Registration Verification function in the Registrations section. When conducting a search, you may search by a full or partial first or last name and/or any one or combination of the available fields. The less information you enter, the broader the search. You may also call the office at 651-201-2820 for information.
In Minnesota, there is no credit given between cosmetology and barber training. Therefore a cosmetologist must complete 1500 hours of barber school to become a barber, and a barber must complete 1550 hours of cosmetology school to become a cosmetologist.
Yes. Go to Online Services or go to the home page and click on "Take me to my Online Services." If you haven't yet set up an online account for your barber registration or your shop registration, please read the Account Registration Instructions.
Important Please Note: Individual barber and individual barber shops are separate accounts and need to be set up/registered for separately with different passwords for each. You can use the same username for both. During checkout for online renewal, if you do not enter your payment information (credit card and billing information), the process will not be complete. Payment confirmation will be emailed to the email address you provide during the payment process. Your renewal will not be complete if you do not complete the entry of payment information and receive a confirmation number via email.
Barber students can obtain their hours from the school they're attending per their enrollment agreement with the school. Each barber school in Minnesota is required to submit monthly reports of student hours to the Board for the purposes of verification to other schools and/or states if a student transfers schools or moves out of state.
No. Barber students have enrollment agreements with barber schools, and any issues that may arise under those agreements need to be worked out between the students and the schools. The Board has no jurisdiction over those agreements.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have their own regulations and issue licenses, registrations or certificates individually. You must contact the State you will be moving to for their requirements to transfer or get a license there.
NO. You must hold a Minnesota certificate (license) to work as a barber in Minnesota.
Minnesota evaluates requests for license by licensed barbers from other states or countries on a case by case basis. Please use the Barber Reciprocity Application found in the applications section or contact the office to apply.
Read the website's Complaints section to learn about the Board's jurisdiction, the complaint process, and what actions the Board can take by law.
Complaints must be in writing. A complaint form is available to print out under the website's Complaints section. The form needs to be filled out completely. Incomplete complaint forms will not be considered.
The Board reviews complaints concerned with public safety and public health. For example, a complaint from someone who has been injured directly or has been a direct witness to injury by a barber or barber shop. Another complaint example concerns possible unlicensed barbers or barbershops, or possible unsanitary conditions in a shop. These examples are not the only possible complaints.
Mail the completed complaint form to the Board's office, or drop it off in person. Be sure to include your current contact information on the form so the Board can contact you for further information, if needed.
Each step in the complaint process takes time, and therefore, it may take several months for a final resolution.
If you have received a penalty letter from the Board, it is important that you:
Read the entire letter carefully. If you don't understand any part of it, call the Board with your questions.
Follow the instructions in the letter.
Respond in writing within the specified time period. If the letter requests that you sign an enclosed stipulation and order, read that document carefully. If you want to sign it, be sure to do it with a notary public in order to have it notarized. If you do not want to sign it, you need to submit a letter to the Board explaining the reason(s) you are refusing to sign the document.
Opening a barber shop is establishing a business in Minnesota. Before establishing any business, it's advisable to seek both legal counsel and advice from an accountant.
For the shop location, the Board requires verification that the local building and zoning authority has reviewed and approved the location to insure that it meets all zoning requirements.
All businesses in Minnesota are required to register with the Secretary of State. In order to register, you need to choose a business structure: sole proprietorship, general partnership, Limited Liability Partnership, corporation, or Limited Liability Company. You will also need to register the business's name with the Secretary of State's office. Please contact the Minnesota Secretary of State for more information about registering a business in Minnesota.
Other things to do for establishing a business in Minnesota:
Barber shops must be licensed by the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners which requires the owner to apply for a new shop license, and that includes verification that the shop meets all local building and zoning codes.
Barber shop applications must be submitted to the Board at least 30 days prior to the scheduled shop opening.
You will need to carry various kinds of insurance such as property, liability, and employee insurance for Workers compensation and unemployment.
Whether or not you will hire employees or work with independent contractor barbers in the shop is another consideration.
An accountant or tax specialist can also help with the taxes on your business.
For more information about establishing a business in Minnesota, consult the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's publication A Guide to Starting a Business in Minnesota and/or online at https://mn.gov/deed/business/starting-business.
As a barber shop owner, you are responsible for the following:
Ensure the barber shop is licensed by the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners, and license renewals are done each year by June 30.
Name a designated barber as shop manager.
Ensure every barber working in the shop holds a current barber license from the Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners.
Ensure that sanitation and disinfection procedures are followed by everyone working in the shop.
Ensure the Sanitation Rules as well as the licenses are posted where customers can see them.
If you have employees, you are responsible to pay them, to carry Workers compensation insurance and unemployment insurance.
Abide by the laws governing businesses in Minnesota and your city.
If you change your shop location or change ownership, you need to notify the Board by submitting a completed change of location or ownership application.
If you change the name of your shop, ensure that the Secretary of State and the Board are informed.
The Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners inspects every barbershop in the state. To help prepare for your shop inspection and to maintain compliance with Minnesota laws and rules, read and print out or download the Self-Inspection guidelines here.
The Board does not keep a list of barbers who may be looking for a job in a shop. We usually refer people who call asking this question to the barber schools.
