New State Law Good for Hair Braiders

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Hair braiders now only need 300 hours of classroom training and practical experience to get licensed as a professional hair braider.
Hair braiders now only need 300 hours of classroom training and practical experience to get licensed as a professional hair braider.

There is good news for those with the flair for braiding hair. Under a new law, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) will now issue licenses exclusively for hair braiders which means the state will no longer require them to attain a full cosmetology license as it had in the past.

Instead of the required 1500 hours of classroom training it usually took to receive a cosmetology license in Illinois, only 300 hours of classroom time and practical experience will be sufficient enough to get licensed as a professional hair braider. Translated into months, a person can complete the required course work for a hair braiding license in 3-6 months as opposed to 9-12 months.

Many people braid hair for a living, and we recognize that they dont need an entire cosmetology license just to do so. There has always been a great deal of resistance toward the 1500 hours, and this law allows them to attain a hair braiding license in half the time, said Susan Hofer, a spokesperson for IDFPR.

Also under the new law, a braider who has a sufficient amount of practical experience can apply for a professional braider license without having to complete the required 300 hours of classroom training. This is referred to as a grandfather period.

Individuals applying for the grandfather provision must submit a complete application to the IDFPR postmarked no later than December 31, 2012.

Applications and forms are available on the IDFPRs website at www.idfpr.com. Submit written requests for applications and forms to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 320 West Washington Street, 3rd floor, ATTN: FORMS, Springfield, IL 62786. Questions regarding the grandfather period should be directed to the Technical Assistance Unit at 217-782-8556.

By: Abbra Stiffend

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