Capitol News

State Representative Parker Fairbairn has introduced a bill aimed at reducing the training hours required to obtain a barber’s license in Michigan. The proposal is part of the House Republican “Regulation Rollback” initiative, which seeks to ease regulatory requirements for businesses and professionals in the state.

“We’ve found so many rules and restrictive requirements that are hamstringing Michigan,” said Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs. “This bill is a small part of a larger effort to reign in the excessive rules, regulations and requirements that the state places on businesses and those that would seek to enter into Michigan-based professions. In this case, Michigan requires about 300 more hours of training than most other states to become a barber – and barbers and the schools that train them have told us that it isn’t necessary.”

Michigan currently mandates either 1,800 hours of instruction at an accredited barber college or completion of 1,800 apprenticeship hours for licensure. According to data from 2022 by the Institute for Justice, Michigan was ranked as one of the strictest states for barber licensing requirements, with only five states requiring more hours. Nationally, most states require about 1,500 hours for barber licensure.

House Bill 4927 proposes lowering Michigan’s requirement from 1,800 to 1,500 hours to match national standards. The legislation is currently under review in the House Rules Committee.