Exempt hair braiders from occupational licensing

Support HB1697/SB2876

This bill would amend Hawaii’s regulatory code to explicitly exempt natural hair braiders from cosmetology and barbering license requirements, so long as their services are limited to braiding.

Thirty-four states exempt natural hair braiders from licensure, and 22 of those states have done so in the past decade — representing a national trend toward deregulating this low-risk service.

Cosmetology education in Hawaii costs an average of $21,829, which creates a high barrier to entry for people who want to braid hair professionally.

The less-intensive program for obtaining only a hairdressing license does not teach braiding skills, making it irrelevant for aspiring braiders.

Why should hair braiding be exempt?

Under current Hawaii law, natural hair braiders are required to hold a full cosmetology license to legally braid hair for pay, even though the state’s cosmetology curriculum doesn’t meaningfully teach braiding skills. The state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has acknowledged that the requirement is not a good fit, and enforcement has been lax or nonexistent, leaving braiders in regulatory limbo.

This mismatch means that hair braiders face uncertain legal status, and the board could choose to enforce onerous rules at any time. Practitioners are forced, in theory, to pay for thousands of hours of irrelevant training just to braid hair, and many braiders are women and people of minority communities, for whom braiding is a traditional cultural practice and an important source of income.

Meanwhile, dozens of other states have already recognized that licensing this service is unnecessary given its low health and safety risk.

How it would work

State law would no longer require hair braiders to hold a cosmetology or hairdressing license.

Braiders would be prohibited from performing services that require a license, such as chemical treatments, cutting and coloring.

FAQs

Would exempting hair braiders from licensing create a health risk?
No. Natural hair braiding does not involve cutting hair or using chemicals or treatments that pose significant health or safety risks — and states that have exempted braiders from licensing requirements have not reported increased complaints.
What would “natural hair braiding” include?
The bill would define natural hair braiding as twisting, wrapping, locking, weaving or braiding hair without the use of chemical treatments or cutting, consistent with definitions used in other states.
Would braiders still be responsible for consumer safety?
Yes. Braiders would remain legally responsible for observing safe practices and could still be held liable under general civil or business laws, just like any other service provider.