CO Barber

The Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure, within DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations. Program offices are at 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202. Use [email protected] for application, renewal and customer questions, and [email protected] for program and discipline matters.

Expect four broad areas: scientific concepts such as hair, skin, scalp, chemistry and anatomy; hair care and haircutting services; shaving, facial hair design and client services; and infection control, safety and business practices. Build your study plan around those areas rather than around isolated trivia.

The Division's public pages do not publish a question count, time limit or passing score. Rather than rely on secondhand numbers, confirm the current format and passing standard with the Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure before your test date.

Barber licensure in Colorado involves examination of both knowledge and hands-on skill, so prepare for a written component and a practical demonstration of technique. Ask the Division to confirm the exact components and what supplies or models you must bring.

Retake eligibility and any waiting period are set by rule and by the Division's current application materials, and the public page does not state them. Contact the office directly for the retake process, fees and scheduling before you reapply.

Yes, potentially. A permanent rulemaking hearing is scheduled for November 3, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. (MDT) on proposed revisions including Rule 1.2 (licensure by examination) and Rule 1.3 (prohibited examination conduct), to implement House Bill 26-1181. No revised examination requirements are in force yet, so check the program page for the outcome.

Weak infection control and safety habits during practical work, and shallow recall of scientific fundamentals. Sanitation, tool handling and client protection are judged alongside technique, so practice them every time you rehearse a service rather than treating them as an afterthought.

Start with scientific concepts so the later material makes sense, then move through haircutting and hair care, then shaving and facial hair design, and finish with infection control, safety and business practices. Fold hands-on rehearsal into every stage instead of saving practical practice for the end.

The Colorado Barber and Cosmetology homepage links to Licensing Services (applications and forms), Laws, Rules & Policies (practice act, rules, board policies, legislative updates), and Education and Exam Info. Those pages are the authoritative source for requirements, so verify anything you read elsewhere against them.

Not automatically. Under HB24-1004, signed June 4, 2024, a regulator considering an applicant with a conviction may generally look only at a three-year period beginning on the conviction date or the end of incarceration, if no other offense occurred in that period. Review the Ex-Offenders Practice in Regulated Occupations page before applying.