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North Dakota Barber — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Master Barber License

Ordinary registered barber license; statutory training and examination rules apply, with endorsement and military exceptions.

Licensing authority: North Dakota State Board of Barber Examiners · Application information

Domestic reciprocity with discretionary examination waiver

All of the following:

Application Deadline
The Board must receive the application and fee at least fifteen days before testing.
Character
Good moral character and temperate habits under 43-04-31.
Education
Complete high school or an equivalency degree.
Experience
Provide examining-board certification of good standing and at least three years of full-time barber practice.
Fees
Pay the required application and initial licensing fees.
Minimum Age
At least eighteen and one-half years.
Oral Test
43-04-33 requires an oral test in addition to written testing and practical demonstration; the Board instructions identify written and practical results for licensing.
Other License
Hold a valid practicing-barber license from a jurisdiction with substantially the same requirements.
Paperwork
Submit the reciprocity form, high-school diploma or GED, barber-college graduation certificate, barber license, photo identification and licensing authority certification.
Passing Score
Score at least 75% on both written and practical examinations.
Retakes
43-04-35 requires a three-month wait after failing. Under 43-04-32(4), the Board may set rescheduling periods, require additional training after the third failure, and require forms and re-examination fees.
Training
Graduate from an approved school requiring 1,550 hours; each later year of barbering experience may substitute for 200 missing hours.
Waiver
Under 43-04-38.1 the Board may waive the satisfactory examination; the Board FAQ states "Meet North Dakota standards (additional exams may be required)". The registered written and practical exams remain leaves because waiver is discretionary.
Restoration of expired registration
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Applicable continuing education obligations continue.
Expiration
An unrenewed certificate expires August 1 under 43-04-39.
Restoration
Restore immediately upon payment of the required restoration fee; existing credential practice limits continue.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Foreign reciprocity by examination

All of the following:

Application Deadline
The Board must receive the application and fee at least fifteen days before testing.
Character
Good moral character and temperate habits under 43-04-31.
Education Documents
Provide proof of twelfth-grade education or equivalent and a barber-college graduation certificate.
Fees
Pay the required application and initial licensing fees.
Foreign License
Provide a current unexpired barber license from another country and certification by the licensing authority of training and total hours.
Health
Provide a United States licensed physician certificate of good health.
Identity
Provide a passport photograph taken within three months with name on the back and photo identification.
Minimum Age
At least eighteen years under 43-04-31.
Oral Test
43-04-33 requires an oral test in addition to written testing and practical demonstration; the Board instructions identify written and practical results for licensing.
Passing Score
Score at least 75% on both written and practical examinations.
Retakes
43-04-35 requires a three-month wait after failing. Under 43-04-32(4), the Board may set rescheduling periods, require additional training after the third failure, and require forms and re-examination fees.
Statement
Submit the signed and notarized Statement of Facts.
Translation
The Board requires original documents translated into English and verified by Aequo International; education, graduation, license and training certification are sent for that service.
Professional and occupational licensing endorsement

All of the following:

Application Deadline
The Board must receive the application and fee at least fifteen days before testing.
Character
Good moral character and temperate habits under 43-04-31.
Experience
At least two years of licensed practice under 43-51-06, unless a shorter period is provided in law or Board rule.
Fees
Pay the required application and initial licensing fees.
Foreign Practitioner
Hold and maintain a comparable license in good standing, with no pending disciplinary action.
Minimum Age
At least eighteen years under 43-04-31.
Oral Test
43-04-33 requires an oral test in addition to written testing and practical demonstration; the Board instructions identify written and practical results for licensing.
Paperwork
Provide current-license verification, a reciprocity application, listed documents and fees; Board approval is required.
Passing Score
Score at least 75% on both written and practical examinations.
Retakes
43-04-35 requires a three-month wait after failing. Under 43-04-32(4), the Board may set rescheduling periods, require additional training after the third failure, and require forms and re-examination fees.
Waiver
43-51-06 permits licensure without examination but permits a state-law examination; the Board FAQ says additional exams may be required for reciprocity. Any unidentified state-law examination slot remains a condition and is not equated with the restricted-barber exam.
Request inactive license status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Eligibility
Existing license has not been revoked or suspended; inactive status requires Board approval.
Practice Limit
No more than twenty days of barbering per calendar year while inactive; any stricter restricted or retired license limits also continue.
Renewal
Continue annual renewal application and license fee; continuing education is not required while inactive.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

  • 14-03-03

    14-03-03-01(3)(a), inactive status and return

Military member or military spouse licensure

All of the following:

Application Deadline
The Board must receive the application and fee at least fifteen days before testing.
Character
Good moral character and temperate habits under 43-04-31.
Competence
Demonstrate competency by Board-determined methods or standards, and obtain a Board determination that issuing the license will not substantially increase public risk.
Exceptions
The Board shall adopt rules or grant case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards under 43-51-11.1(1); examination waivers are applicant conditions.
Fees
Pay the required application and initial licensing fees.
Military Eligibility
A military member stationed in North Dakota in accordance with orders, including temporary assignment elsewhere, or that member's spouse holding an outside license in good standing.
Minimum Age
At least eighteen years under 43-04-31.
Oral Test
43-04-33 requires an oral test in addition to written testing and practical demonstration; the Board instructions identify written and practical results for licensing.
Passing Score
Score at least 75% on both written and practical examinations.
Retakes
43-04-35 requires a three-month wait after failing. Under 43-04-32(4), the Board may set rescheduling periods, require additional training after the third failure, and require forms and re-examination fees.
Spouse Paperwork
For the Board spouse-waiver process, submit the military spouse waiver and reciprocity applications with required documents and a Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card or Department Identification Card copy.
Military renewal hardship exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Exceptions
Board rules or case-by-case exceptions address renewal compliance hardships under 43-51-11; retain requirements not waived.
Military Hardship
Activation exceeding thirty days for a National Guard or military member, or military service in a theater or area of armed conflict.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by examination after holding another jurisdiction license

All of the following:

Application Deadline
The Board must receive the application and fee at least fifteen days before testing.
Character
Good moral character and temperate habits under 43-04-31.
Fees
Pay the required application and initial licensing fees.
Minimum Age
At least eighteen years under 43-04-31.
Oral Test
43-04-33 requires an oral test in addition to written testing and practical demonstration; the Board instructions identify written and practical results for licensing.
Other License
Hold an active and valid barber license in another state for at least one year under 43-04-32(2)(a).
Passing Score
Score at least 75% on both written and practical examinations.
Retakes
43-04-35 requires a three-month wait after failing. Under 43-04-32(4), the Board may set rescheduling periods, require additional training after the third failure, and require forms and re-examination fees.
Return from inactive to active status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Approval
Obtain Board approval to return to active status.
Continuing Education
Complete at least three hours of continuing education when inactive for less than two years, or at least six hours when inactive for two years or more.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

  • 14-03-03

    14-03-03-01(3)(a), inactive status and return

Annual license renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Annual Renewal
43-04-39 requires renewal and fee annually on or before July 1; the Board renewal page says licenses expire June 30 and renew annually.
Application
Submit a renewal application and required fee.
Continuing Education
Six hours every two years, subject to the inactive-status and Board-approved health, military-service or good-cause waivers.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Return after retirement of not more than five years
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Restoration
Renew the registration upon paying the required restoration fee under 43-04-39.
Retirement Period
Retired from barbering practice for no more than five years.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by examination after barber training

All of the following:

Application Deadline
The Board must receive the application and fee at least fifteen days before testing.
Application Representations
The Board examination application asks the applicant to attest to four years of high school or equivalent, good moral character and temperate habits, freedom from contagious or infectious disease, and graduation from an approved barber school.
Board Training Demand
The Board instructions state: "To qualify for the North Dakota Master Barber Licensing Exam applicants must have completed a minimum of 1500 hours of barber education and graduated from a Board approved Barber College or met the requirements for reciprocity."
Character
Good moral character and temperate habits under 43-04-31.
Fees
Pay the required application and initial licensing fees.
Minimum Age
At least eighteen years under 43-04-31.
Oral Test
43-04-33 requires an oral test in addition to written testing and practical demonstration; the Board instructions identify written and practical results for licensing.
Passing Score
Score at least 75% on both written and practical examinations.
Retakes
43-04-35 requires a three-month wait after failing. Under 43-04-32(4), the Board may set rescheduling periods, require additional training after the third failure, and require forms and re-examination fees.
Rule Training Demand
N.D.A.C. 14-03-01-01 states: "No person will be granted a license to practice barbering in North Dakota unless the person has completed a minimum of one thousand five hundred fifty hours of instruction at a barber school or college approved by the board and passes a satisfactory examination." This published rule demand differs from the controlling statute.
Statutory Training
43-04-32(2)(b) allows admission with at least 1,100 hours of sanitation, safety, laws and rules training, including hours at a licensed school or public-school barbering program and Board-established procedures.
Wartime armed forces restoration
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Eligibility
Entered United States armed forces in time of war while holding a barber license and in good standing with fees.
Fee Exception
Certificate restoration without paying the restoration fee under 43-04-42(4).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Temporary Barber License

Supervised barber practice from verified graduation or completion of training while awaiting the next scheduled licensing examination results.

Licensing authority: North Dakota State Board of Barber Examiners · Application information

Temporary license extension after examination failure

All of the following:

Extension
Apply for extension, pay the fee and register for the next scheduled licensing examination; practice remains supervised.
Prior Failure
The temporary license holder failed the scheduled licensing examination.
Retake Wait
43-04-35 provides the additional three-month examination wait.
Temporary supervised licensure after prior licensure

All of the following:

Duration
Maximum three months, beginning on verified graduation or completion-of-training date.
Eligibility
Meet 43-04-32(2)(a): active valid barber license from another jurisdiction held for at least one year; the statute requires the temporary period to begin on verified graduation or training completion.
Examination Timing
The written and practical licensing examinations are the next scheduled examination under 43-04-31.3; the temporary authorization precedes the results.
Fee
Pay the required temporary-license fee.
Supervision
Practice only under a licensed barber until the next scheduled examination results become available.
Temporary supervised licensure after training

All of the following:

Duration
Maximum three months, beginning on verified graduation or completion-of-training date.
Eligibility
Meet 43-04-32(2)(b): at least 1,100 hours of qualifying training including licensed-school or public-school-program hours and Board-established procedures.
Examination Timing
The written and practical licensing examinations are the next scheduled examination under 43-04-31.3; the temporary authorization precedes the results.
Fee
Pay the required temporary-license fee.
Supervision
Practice only under a licensed barber until the next scheduled examination results become available.

North Dakota Master Barber Practical Examination

This assessment does not have a question bank.

Provider
North Dakota State Board of Barber Examiners
Format
Practical demonstration using a live model
Time limit
2 hours
Passing score
75% on the practical examination
Examination sources

North Dakota Master Barber Written Examination

Provider
North Dakota State Board of Barber Examiners
Format
Multiple-choice, true/false and essay questions
Exam questions
The study guide states 120 multiple-choice questions and 12 written questions
Time limit
2 hours
Passing score
75% on the written examination
Examination outline
  • Multiple-Choice Topics
    • The History of Barbering
    • Life Skills
    • Professional Image
    • Infection Control
    • Implements, Tools and Equipment
    • The Skin - Structure, Disorders and Diseases
    • Properties and Disorders of the Hair and Scalp
    • Treatment of the Hair and Scalp
    • Men's facial Massage and Treatments
    • Shaving and Facial Hair Design
    • Men's Haircutting and Styling
    • Preparing for Licensure and Employment
    • Working Behind the Chair
    • The Business of Barbering
  • State Written Questions
    • ND State Board of Barber Examiners function and appointment
    • ND Barber Association function and officer selection
    • North Dakota barber license qualifications
    • Barber and barbershop license expiration
    • Late renewal date and penalty
    • Barber license fees
    • Barbershop license fee
    • New barbershop inspection fee
    • Notification and inspection of new or relocated shops
    • Continuing education hours
    • Ways to complete continuing education
    • North Dakota Barber Code of Ethics
Examination sources