Do Texas Barbers Need Continuing Education? (Yes, Starting September 2025)

Texas barbers now need continuing education. For licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025, holders of a Texas Class A barber license must complete CE before each license renewal. This is a significant change — for decades, barbers were exempt from CE even as cosmetologists were required to complete it.

The requirement came through TDLR rulemaking in 16 TAC §83.25. (Working toward your first license instead? See the Texas barber license guide for training hours, exams, and costs.) The rule restructured CE for the entire TDLR Barbering and Cosmetology program, bringing barbers in line with cosmetologists under the unified program established by HB 1560 in 2021.

If you hold a Texas barber license and have not yet completed CE, you need to do so before your next renewal. The good news: the course is available entirely online, it is the same course cosmetologists take, there is no final exam, and it can be completed in a single sitting from any device.

At OnlineTexasCE.com, our TDLR-approved 4-hour cosmetology and barber CE course is $22.95. We are Provider #2273 and we submit your completion electronically through TDLR's provider reporting system.

TDLR's 2025 CE restructuring (16 TAC §83.25, effective for licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025) made four key changes to the TDLR Barbering and Cosmetology program:

1. Made barber CE mandatory. Before the rule change, barber license holders were not required to complete continuing education for renewal. Now they are, matching the existing cosmetology CE requirement.
2. Set the human trafficking prevention hour as its own CE hour. The 1-hour human trafficking prevention training was already required by HB 2059 (2020); the 2025 rule structure carries it as a distinct, mandatory CE hour within the program.
3. Created the 15-year experience tier. Licensees who have held their license for 15 or more years qualify for a reduced 2-hour CE requirement (sanitation plus human trafficking). This recognizes the experience of veteran professionals while maintaining critical safety and awareness training.
4. Allowed dual-license CE crossover. If you hold both a barber and a cosmetology license, CE hours completed for one license now satisfy the other. One course, two licenses covered.

These changes apply to licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025. If your barber license renewal date falls after this date, you must have your CE completed before you can renew. TDLR sends reminder emails approximately 60 days before expiration.

The CE requirement depends on how long you have held your barber license:

Licensed less than 15 years — 4 hours total:

• 1 hour (mandatory): Sanitation — bacteriology, sterilization, disease prevention, tool cleaning, chemical safety
• 1 hour (mandatory): Human trafficking prevention — recognition of victims, reporting methods, awareness in service settings
• 2 hours (elective): Topics from the TDLR-approved list (Section 83.202 of the Texas Administrative Code)

Licensed 15 or more years — 2 hours total:

• 1 hour (mandatory): Sanitation
• 1 hour (mandatory): Human trafficking prevention
• The 2 elective hours are waived

One CE credit hour equals at least 50 minutes of instruction. A 4-hour course is 200 minutes (3 hours and 20 minutes) of instruction, and credit is awarded once you complete the approved course and its required participation checks. You cannot repeat the same course for credit.

Your barber license renews every 2 years on the anniversary of your issuance date, with a renewal fee of $50. All CE must be completed before submitting your renewal through the TDLR online portal.

Under the unified TDLR Barbering and Cosmetology program (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1603), barbers and cosmetologists complete the same TDLR-approved CE course. There is no separate "barber-only" CE course — the course content covers topics relevant to all practitioner types under the program.

This means that a Class A barber, a cosmetology operator, an esthetician, a manicurist, an eyelash extension specialist, and a hair weaving specialist all take the same 4-hour course. The course covers:

• Sanitation principles and practices applicable across all barbering and cosmetology services
• Human trafficking prevention training with a focus on service-industry awareness
• Elective topics that span the full scope of the program — from hair care to skin care to business management

This unified approach was made possible by the 2021 merger of the barbering and cosmetology programs under HB 1560. Before the merger, barbers and cosmetologists were regulated under separate chapters of the Texas Occupations Code (Chapter 1601 for barbers, Chapter 1602 for cosmetologists). Both chapters were repealed and consolidated into Chapter 1603.

For more on the cosmetology side of the requirement, see our Texas cosmetology CE requirements guide.

The 4-hour Texas barber continuing education course covers these TDLR-approved topics:

Sanitation Hour (1 hour mandatory):

• Bacteriology, sterilization, and sanitation procedures for tools and equipment
• Disease prevention and control — skin, scalp, hair, and nail conditions
• Proper tool cleaning and disinfection protocols (updated to reflect current TDLR standards)
• Facility maintenance and sanitation standards
• Chemical safety — handling of products used in barbering and cosmetology services
• Prevention of cuts, burns, infections, and transmission of contagious diseases
• First aid basics

Human Trafficking Prevention Hour (1 hour mandatory):

• Activities commonly associated with human trafficking
• Recognition of potential victims in service-industry settings
• Methods for assisting victims, including how to report suspected trafficking
• Required since September 1, 2020 via HB 2059 (86th Legislature), codified under Chapter 116 of the Texas Occupations Code

Elective Topics (2 hours):

Approved elective topics include: anatomy and physiology, diseases and disorders, chemistry, tools and equipment, hair care and related theory, skin care, hair removal, nail care, makeup, business skills, customer service, professional ethics, Texas barbering/cosmetology law and rules, and mental health awareness (newly added).

Since barbers and cosmetologists now share the same CE framework, here is a comparison that shows how the requirements align:

Requirement	Class A Barber	Cosmetology Operator
CE hours (licensed < 15 years)	4 hours / 2 years	4 hours / 2 years
CE hours (licensed 15+ years)	2 hours / 2 years	2 hours / 2 years
Sanitation hour	1 hour (mandatory)	1 hour (mandatory)
Human trafficking hour	1 hour (mandatory)	1 hour (mandatory)
Elective hours	2 hours	2 hours
Renewal cycle	Biennial (2 years)	Biennial (2 years)
Renewal fee	$50	$50
Late fee (expired 90 days or less)	$75 (1.5x)	$75 (1.5x)
Late fee (91 days - 18 months)	$100 (2x)	$100 (2x)
Late fee (18 mo - 3 yrs)	$100 + exec. director approval	$100 + exec. director approval
Expired 3+ years	Must reapply	Must reapply
Same CE course?	Yes	Yes
Final exam required?	No	No
Online CE allowed?	Yes	Yes
Governing statute	Chapter 1603	Chapter 1603

As the table shows, the requirements are now identical. The unified approach simplifies compliance for dual-license holders and for CE providers who no longer need to maintain separate barber and cosmetology course tracks.

One of the most valuable parts of the 2025 CE restructuring for barber license renewal is the dual-license CE crossover provision. If you hold both a barber license and a cosmetology license (or any other license under the Barbering and Cosmetology program), CE hours completed for one license satisfy the requirement for the other.

Practically, this means:

• You complete one 4-hour CE course, and it counts for both licenses
• You pay for the CE course once ($22.95 at OnlineTexasCE.com)
• However, you must renew each license separately through TDLR, paying the $50 renewal fee per license

There is one important exception: if one of your licenses has been held for 15+ years but the other has not, you must complete the full 4 hours. The 2-hour reduced requirement only applies when both licenses have been held for 15 or more years.

This crossover rule took effect for licenses expiring on or after September 1, 2025, alongside the broader 2025 CE restructuring. It is a genuine cost and time saver for the many Texas professionals who maintain dual credentials. For complete renewal instructions, see our TDLR cosmetology license renewal guide.

If you are a Texas barber completing CE for the first time, here is exactly what to do:

1. Check your renewal date. Your barber license renews every 2 years on the anniversary of your issuance date. Log in to TDLR Online Services or check the expiration date printed on your license.
2. Complete your 4-hour CE course. At OnlineTexasCE.com, our TDLR-approved course (Provider #2273) covers all required topics — sanitation, human trafficking prevention, and elective content. It is self-paced, available 24/7, works on any device, and has no final exam. Cost: $22.95.
3. Save your completion certificate. We report your completion to TDLR directly, but keep your own certificate for at least 2 years. TDLR retains general authority to inspect or investigate records, and the certificate is the fastest way to settle any question about a reported completion.
4. Renew your license at TDLR Online Services. Go to tdlr.texas.gov, log in, select your barber license, click "Renew," attest to CE completion, and pay the $50 renewal fee.
5. Receive your renewed license. TDLR emails your confirmation once the renewal is processed.

Total cost for an on-time renewal: $72.95 ($22.95 CE + $50 TDLR fee). That is less than the $75 late renewal fee alone. Do not wait — practicing on an expired barber license is a Class B violation carrying fines of $1,000 to $3,500 per violation.

For information on what happens if your license has already expired, see our guide on Texas expired license penalties.