Skip to Content Accessibility Information

Maryland Board of Barbers

The offices of the Maryland Board of Barbers are open and serving our customers through our online licensing resources, via e-mail and telephone, and by limited in-person appointments. Please note, walk-in assistance is not available. We can be reached using our contacts page for e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of individual staff members; or

Use Labor’s Central Scheduling System to meet with a representative from one of our boards or commissions. Please select the type of appointment you need from our list of available in-person services using the drop-down menu on the scheduler. You will receive an e-mail confirming the date and time of your appointment.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at our offices located at 1100 N. Eutaw Street, 5th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21201. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early before your scheduled appointment time.

Please be advised that testing for does not take place at State Board administrative offices. Making an appointment is NOT for exams, you will be directed to PSI. Once you've registered for your exam, go to PSIEXAMS.COM to create an account and schedule your examination. For any and all issues that may occur pertaining to PSI, (General Questions, Concerns, Test Scores, Application Processing, Scheduling Issues, etc) e-mail Cosmetology@psionline.com or Barber@psionline.com. You may also call 1800-367-1565 or 855-898-0714.

Welcome to our home page. The Maryland Board of Barbers qualifies and licenses individuals seeking licensure and issues permits to business entities through which the trade of barbering is practiced. The Board also establishes health and safety standards for the operation of barbershops and trade schools. We regulate the practice of barbering under the provisions of Business Occupations and Professions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, Title 4 and the Code of Maryland Regulations, Title 9, Subtitle 16. We investigate complaints against licensees, as well as complaints related to unlicensed practice. The Board may issue a reprimand, suspend or revoke a license or permit, and/or impose a fine.

We encourage you to report, in writing, any unlicensed activities. We need your help to ensure professionalism in the fields of barbering and cosmetology.

The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 09.16.01.01B requires all licensees and registrants to affix a current picture to their licenses. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.

Please note: Business Occupations and Professions Article Section 4-605, Annotated Code of Maryland provides that you must be affiliated with a licensed salon or licensed barbershop to perform services.

News and Updates

PDF Licensing for Individual Licenses

The Maryland Boards of Barbers and Cosmetologists are pleased to announce an update to our license delivery system. Effective March 1, 2024, we will no longer issue paper INDIVIDUAL LICENSES in the mail. Instead, we will begin sending an email notification to you stating that a new or renewed license has been released and is ready to print. By following the link in that email, you will be directed to our licensing portal where you can download your PDF license. You will use your current login and password to access the portal.

Please note, your access to view and print the PDF license document will only be active for a total of 60 days. After 60 days, the PDF license document will expire and you will be unable to print the license from the portal unless you contact the board to re-activate your access. You will also need to contact the Board if you need to print a duplicate copy of your license. If you do not have an email address on file with us, your license will be mailed out to you within 7-10 business days after your application is approved.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at barbers.cos@maryland.gov or contact the team at 410-230-6190.

Barber Exam Available in Spanish and Vietnamese

The Maryland Board of Barbers is pleased to announce that, effective March 1, 2024, translations of the barber theory exams and barber practice exams will be available in Spanish and Vietnamese. To learn more about how to register for the exam with PSI, visit our website for more details.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the team at 410-230-6190 or email us at barbers.cos@maryland.gov.

La Junta de Barberos del Estado de Maryland se complace anunciar que, a partir del 1 de marzo de 2024, las traducciones de los exámenes teóricos de barbería y los exámenes prácticos de barbería estarán disponibles en español y vietnamita. Para obtener más información sobre cómo inscribirse en el examen con PSI, visite nuestro sitio web para obtener más detalles.

Si tiene alguna pregunta, no dude en ponerse en contacto con el equipo en el 410-230-6190 o envíenos un correo a barbers.cos@maryland.gov.

Hội đồng Thợ cắt tóc Maryland vui mừng thông báo rằng, có hiệu lực từ ngày 1 tháng 3 năm 2024, các bản dịch của kỳ thi lý thuyết cắt tóc và kỳ thi thực hành cắt tóc sẽ có bằng tiếng Tây Ban Nha và tiếng Việt. Để tìm hiểu thêm về cách đăng ký kỳ thi với PSI, hãy truy cập trang web của chúng tôi để biết thêm chi tiết.

Nếu bạn có bất kỳ câu hỏi nào, vui lòng liên hệ với nhóm theo số 410-230-6190 hoặc gửi email cho chúng tôi theo địa chỉ barbers.cos@maryland.gov.

Reciprocity Instructions and Qualifications

You will need to contact the state or country where you received your *original *barber license and request for your license certification or your school transcripts to be emailed to Maryland. Once we receive your certification, it will be reviewed and we will notify you if you were approved or if we need additional information. Not all states include contact information on the certifications, feel free to email us at barbers.cos@maryland.gov with your name and state to confirm receipt of the certification and directions about next steps. Do NOT apply for licensure until the Board has confirmed receipt and provided next steps.

**Please note: If coming from out of the country, we will need a copy of your original transcripts and if not in English, we will need the translated copy as well. A transcript is defined as a detailed document showing the clock hours and covered topics that you acquired at your barbering school, a certificate of completion (diploma) will NOT be accepted. Include your mailing address in your email for the qualification letter that will allow you to sit for the examination.*

All Barbers are required to provide Two (2) years of work experience; acceptable documentation may be either a notarized letter from a former employer or a w-2 form. (State of MD experience will not be accepted)

If you attended a Maryland Barber School and it has since closed down since your training was completed, you may contact the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) at 410-767-3300 for a copy of your transcripts.

*Below are the states that do not qualify and will have to take the examinations in Maryland.*
*Alaska*
*California*
*Connecticut *
*Hawaii *
*Florida*
*New Jersey (no Barber license)*
*New York *

Sanitation Guidelines For Salons and Barbershops in Response to COVID-19

Apprentice/Sponsor Portal

We now allow you to report your apprentice's training hours online!

Entering training hours is simple. Under the Features menu (on the lefthand side of the screen for desktop computers), select Education/Apprenticeship. Once you are there, scroll down to the link that says Sponsor Certification for Apprenticeship Training.

Log in and follow the instructions within to submit your apprentice's training hours. If you do not already have a password set up, you can create one with the "Create My Password" button. The hours will be logged immediately, and you will receive an immediate confirmation that they have gone through.

ADDITIONAL BARBERS UPDATES

Proposed Regulations Currently Open for Public Comment

None at this time

To register your comments with the Board, send your letter to the Maryland Board of Barbers, 1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 121, Baltimore, MD 21201; e-mail barbers.cos@maryland.gov; or fax 410-962-8483.

Contact the Board
Maryland Board of Barbers
1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 121
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
410-230-6190
Fax: 410-962-8483
e-mail: barbers.cos@maryland.gov