Alabama legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Alabama SB183: Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; natural hair styling exempt from regulation
Status: Signed into law, April 16, 2026
What the bill says
An Act, Relating to the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; to amend Sections 34-7B-1 and 34-7B-13, Code of Alabama 1975; to remove braiding and weaving hair from the definition of "cosmetology"; to remove the licensure requirement from the definition of "natural hairstylist"; to provide that a license from the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering is not required to perform natural hair styling; to provide that persons who otherwise meet the requirements for a natural hairstylist license may voluntarily acquire a natural hairstylist license…
From the enrolled text:
An Act, Relating to the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; to amend Sections 34-7B-1 and 34-7B-13, Code of Alabama 1975; to remove braiding and weaving hair from the definition of "cosmetology"; to remove the licensure requirement from the definition of "natural hairstylist"; to provide that a license from the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering is not required to perform natural hair styling; to provide that persons who otherwise meet the requirements for a natural hairstylist license may voluntarily acquire a natural hairstylist license; to further provide that students may acquire a voluntary natural hairstylist license through a public high school cosmetology program; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. Sections 34-7B-1 and 34-7B-13, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows: "§34-7B-1 For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) APPRENTICE. Any person engaged in learning the practices defined in this article including, but not limited to, assisting in the performance of any acts of barbering or cosmetology on the general public under the constant and direct supervision of a person who has held a valid current Page direct supervision of a person who has held a valid current SB183 Enrolled …