Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering: Licensing, Fees, Verification & Contact Help
The Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering regulates many beauty-industry licenses, shops and private schools across Alabama. Use this page to identify the correct Board service, understand core license requirements, check current fees, verify a credential, renew a license, file a complaint or contact the Montgomery office.
Alabama Board Quick Answer
The official agency is the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, commonly abbreviated ABOCB. Its physical office is in the RSA Union Building at 100 North Union Street, Suite 324, Montgomery, Alabama 36104. The main phone number is 334-242-1918, the toll-free number is 1-800-815-7453, and the general email is cosmetology@aboc.alabama.gov.
Board-of-Cosmetology.org is an independent information website. It is not the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Official Alabama Board records, statutes, administrative rules and written decisions control licensing requirements and status.
What Does the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering Do?
The Board licenses and regulates covered beauty professionals and establishments, administers licensing requirements, publishes forms and rules, handles examinations and renewals, inspects regulated establishments, investigates qualifying complaints and maintains public license-verification services.
People and businesses the Board regulates
- Class 2 barbers
- Cosmetologists
- Estheticians
- Esthetician/manicurists
- Eyebrow threaders
- Manicurists
- Manicurist/waxers
- Covered shops and salons
- Private schools teaching Board-regulated services
Important jurisdiction limits
The Board states that it does not regulate Class 1 barbers. Public schools are regulated by the Alabama Department of Education rather than ABOCB.
Massage therapy, physicians, permanent makeup and tattoo activity also fall under other Alabama authorities. The Board further states that matters such as service performance, personalities or behavior, prices charged for services, and contracts between students and schools are outside its jurisdiction.
Alabama Cosmetology and Barbering License Types
The correct credential depends on the service being performed. Do not assume that a general cosmetology license, barber license, shop license and school license are interchangeable.
| Credential | School hours | Apprentice hours | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetologist | 1,500 | 3,000 | Covers Board-defined cosmetology services involving hair, nails and skin care. |
| Class 2 Barber | 1,000 | 2,000 | Regulated by ABOCB. Class 1 barbers are not regulated by this Board. |
| Esthetician | 1,000 | 2,000 | Applies to Board-regulated skin-care practice. |
| Manicurist | 750 | 1,200 | Applies to Board-defined manicure and nail services. |
| Natural Hair Stylist | 210 | 420 | Major licensing change takes effect October 1, 2026; see the update below. |
Alabama’s Board also offers instructor and specialty credentials. Use the official license-types page to confirm the category that matches your intended work.
Basic Alabama Cosmetology License Requirements
For Board-regulated license types, Alabama’s current general requirements include being at least 16 years old, completing at least 10 grades of secondary school or the equivalent, and being legally permitted to work in the United States. The required training hours then depend on the specific credential.
Applicants should use the requirements for their exact credential rather than copying the cosmetologist hour total to esthetics, manicuring or barbering.
How to Start an Alabama Cosmetology License
The detailed paperwork varies by credential, but a first-time Alabama cosmetology applicant generally moves through eligibility, approved training, examination and original-license issuance.
Confirm basic eligibility
Check the age, education and work-authorization requirements for the exact Alabama credential you want.
Complete the correct training route
For cosmetology, complete 1,500 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours. Other credentials have different hour requirements.
Prepare the examination application
The Board’s examination guidance requires supporting material such as proof of at least 10th-grade education, government-issued photo identification, a Social Security card copy, a 2×2 photograph and the applicable written-exam fee.
Complete required examinations
The current Board fee schedule lists a $75 written examination fee and a $130 practical examination fee. Follow current Board exam instructions because scheduling and eligibility procedures can change.
Pay the original-license fee
The current Board fee schedule lists $50 for an original personal license after the licensing requirements are satisfied.
Verify the issued credential
After licensing, use Alabama’s official public verification system to confirm the credential record rather than relying only on a payment receipt or paper copy.
Alabama Board of Cosmetology Fees
The Board publishes separate fees for personal licenses, shops, schools, examinations and administrative transactions. These amounts were checked against the current Board fee schedule and the May 15, 2026 administrative rules.
| Transaction | Current fee | What it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Written exam / reexam | $75 | Written licensing examination |
| Practical exam / reexam | $130 | Practical licensing examination |
| Original personal license | $50 | Initial license issuance after requirements are met |
| Personal renewal | $100 | Regular personal-license renewal |
| Late charge | $54 | Added when applicable after a renewal deadline |
| New shop | $200 | Initial shop license |
| Shop renewal | $150 | Shop-license renewal |
| New school | $300 | Initial school license |
| School renewal | $200 | School-license renewal |
| Reciprocity — U.S. | $100 | Qualifying out-of-state transfer route |
| Letter of certification | $25 per state | Formal certification sent for another state |
| Duplicate license | $25 | Duplicate personal credential |
Alabama Cosmetology License Verification
The Board provides a public license-verification service for regulated professionals, shops and schools. Use the state system when you need to confirm whether a credential exists and review the information currently displayed by the Board.
Checking a professional
Search the person who provides the regulated service. A paper credential, social profile or salon website should not replace the Board’s public record when current license status matters.
Checking a shop
A practitioner’s personal license and a shop license are separate records. Verify the establishment separately when both credentials matter.
For detailed search fields, wildcard searching, missing-record troubleshooting and credential interpretation, use the site’s dedicated Alabama Cosmetology License Lookup guide.
Alabama Cosmetology License Renewal
Alabama does not put every personal license on the same renewal calendar. The Board’s current FAQ says cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, eyebrow threaders and several related credentials normally renew during the licensee’s birth month in odd-numbered years. Class 2 barbers renew during their birth month in even-numbered years.
What 2026 means for a cosmetologist
A normally current Alabama cosmetologist is generally not in a regular renewal year in 2026; the next normal odd-year cycle is 2027. An already expired credential is different and should be handled according to its actual expiration date rather than waiting for the next regular cycle.
The current personal-renewal fee is $100 and the late charge is $54 when applicable. Alabama has also moved personal-license renewals to a newer online system, so credentials from an older renewal login should not be assumed to work in the current portal.
For portal setup, renewal timing, paper renewal, printing the renewed license and older expired credentials, use the detailed Alabama Cosmetology License Renewal guide.
Important Alabama Natural Hair Styling Change — October 1, 2026
From that effective date, a person who performs only natural hair styling is not required to hold a mandatory Natural Hair Stylist license from the Board. The Board describes natural hair styling as techniques such as braiding, twisting, weaving, locking and similar natural-hair techniques that fall within the law’s limited scope.
A voluntary Natural Hair Stylist license remains available. Anyone who voluntarily becomes licensed remains subject to applicable Board laws, rules, inspection where relevant and disciplinary authority.
The exemption does not turn broader cosmetology services into unlicensed activity. If a provider performs regulated cosmetology services outside the natural-hair-only scope, the appropriate Alabama license still matters.
Businesses providing only exempt natural hair styling will also no longer need a Board-issued establishment license for those services or be subject to Board inspection solely for those services after the law takes effect. Mixed businesses that also provide regulated cosmetology services remain subject to the relevant licensing and inspection requirements.
How to File an Alabama Cosmetology Complaint
The Alabama Board accepts complaints through its online complaint route or through a complaint form submitted to the Board office. The Board states that complaints must include the complainant’s current mailing address and phone number and that anonymous complaints are not acknowledged.
Use the Board complaint process for
Potential violations that fall within the Board’s regulatory jurisdiction over licensed people, shops, schools or regulated cosmetology and barbering activity.
Do not assume every dispute belongs to ABOCB
The Board states that service performance, personalities or behavior, fees charged for services and contracts between students and schools are outside its jurisdiction.
If a complaint proceeds to a hearing, the Board says the complainant may be required to testify.
Alabama Board Forms and Other Licensing Services
The Board’s forms library covers more than new licenses. Choosing the correct transaction can save time and prevent sending the wrong fee or paperwork.
Personal licenses
- Personal renewal
- License reinstatement
- Name or address change
- Duplicate license
- License not received
Training and exams
- Apprentice application
- Monthly apprentice hours
- Written exam retake
- Exam payments
- Student and school forms
Businesses and transfer
- New shop application
- Shop ownership change
- Shop name or location change
- Shop or school renewal
- Reciprocity application
- Military spouse waiver
Certification vs License Lookup vs Public Records
These services solve different problems and should not be treated as interchangeable.
| Need | Correct route | Current fee information |
|---|---|---|
| Check a license online | Public license verification | Use the Board’s public search |
| Send formal license proof to another state | Letter of Certification | $25 for each state requested |
| Request broader government records | Public Records Request | Current rules list a $30 initial research fee plus applicable labor, copy and actual costs |
A screenshot from the public license lookup should not be assumed to replace a formal certification when another licensing authority specifically requires Board-issued verification.
Alabama Board of Cosmetology Contact Information
Physical office
Alabama Board of Cosmetology and BarberingRSA Union Building
100 North Union Street, Suite 324
Montgomery, AL 36104
Public hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., except Alabama state holidays.
Phone, email and mail
Main: 334-242-1918
Toll free: 1-800-815-7453
Email: cosmetology@aboc.alabama.gov
P.O. Box 301750
Montgomery, AL 36130-1750
Alabama Board Meetings
The Board publishes meeting dates and minutes online. Its current 2026 schedule lists February 23, April 20, July 20 and October 26, 2026. Meetings are held at the RSA Union Building, 100 North Union Street, Room 300, Montgomery, with the published meeting time of 10:00 a.m.
The Board states that meetings are open to the public. Anyone wishing to address the Board must submit a written request to the Board office at least five days before the scheduled meeting and include their name, contact information and reason for addressing the Board.
Alabama Board of Cosmetology FAQs
What is the Alabama Board of Cosmetology phone number?
The Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering’s main phone number is 334-242-1918. Its toll-free number is 1-800-815-7453.
Where is the Alabama Board of Cosmetology located?
The physical office is in the RSA Union Building at 100 North Union Street, Suite 324, Montgomery, AL 36104. Mail should be sent to P.O. Box 301750, Montgomery, AL 36130-1750.
How much does an Alabama cosmetology license cost?
The current Board schedule lists $75 for the written exam, $130 for the practical exam and $50 for the original license. These are separate fees. Personal renewal is currently $100, with a $54 late charge when applicable.
How many hours do I need for an Alabama cosmetology license?
For cosmetology, Alabama lists 1,500 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours. The Board states that school and apprenticeship hours cannot be combined.
How do I verify an Alabama cosmetology license?
Use the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering’s official public license-verification service. For detailed search help, see the Alabama Cosmetology License Lookup guide.
Does the Alabama Board regulate Class 1 barbers?
No. The Board states that Class 2 barbers are regulated by ABOCB but Class 1 barbers are not regulated by this Board.
How do I file a complaint with the Alabama Board?
Use the Board’s online complaint route or its written complaint form. The Board requires identifying contact information and states that anonymous complaints are not acknowledged.
What changes for Alabama natural hair stylists on October 1, 2026?
Under the Board’s published SB183 update, people who perform only natural hair styling will no longer be required to hold a mandatory Board license beginning October 1, 2026. A voluntary Natural Hair Stylist license remains available. Other regulated cosmetology services still require the appropriate license.
Official Alabama Resources
Use the Correct Alabama Board Route
Use license verification when you need to check a credential, the renewal system when maintaining an existing license, the forms library for applications or changes, and the complaint process only for matters within the Board’s jurisdiction. When requirements are unclear, confirm the current rule with ABOCB before paying a non-refundable fee or performing regulated services.
Independent-site notice: Board-of-Cosmetology.org is not affiliated with or operated by the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Use official Alabama Board sources for binding licensing decisions and current credential status.