Natural Hair Braiding Opportunity and Freedom Act
African-style hair braiding has been a safe and natural practice for centuries. Today, it provides opportunities for entrepreneurship, especially in African American and African immigrant communities, allowing people to share their cultural heritage, start businesses, and realize the American Dream.
Natural hair braiding is different from cosmetology. It is a cultural practice that is passed down from generation to generation and does not involve haircutting or the use of chemicals. But in some states, aspiring braiders face excessive cosmetology licensing requirements. These licensing laws require braiders to spend substantial time and money on classroom training, often covering skills that they already know or, even worse, that are unrelated to braiding.
People often lack the time and resources to satisfy occupational licensing requirements and must either stop braiding or work underground, which can lead to exploitation.
What Can State Legislators Do?
The Institute for Justice’s Natural Hair Braiding Opportunity and Freedom Act exempts braiders and braiding salons from state cosmetology licensing laws. It is a simple solution that protects the freedom to braid hair from burdensome and unnecessary licensing.
No License Required for Natural Hair Braiding
The Institute for Justice advocates for exempting braiders from state licensing laws. Today, 37 states completely exempt braiders from licensure.
- Passed Reform
- No Reform
Barriers to Braiding that Remain
Only one state, Hawaii, requires a full-service hairstyling license to braid hair. Outside of Hawaii, 12 states require a specialty license to braid hair. These states are Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Specialty licenses more closely address the practice of hair braiding, but they can still be burdensome in both time and expense. Training hours can range from several dozen to several hundred, and schools that offer the required instruction are often limited in number and location. For many braiders, the cost and time involved make it difficult to enter or continue working in the profession.
Despite these remaining restrictions, progress continues as more states recognize that natural hair braiding is a safe, traditional practice that should be free from unnecessary licensing barriers.
The Institute for Justice’s Activism Project Beauty, Not Barriers, is dedicated to working with beauty professionals to change state laws that make it difficult and costly to work in the industry.