AB 625 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Barbering and cosmetology.

Summary

The Barbering and Cosmetology Act provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of barbering, cosmetology, and hairstyling by the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and makes liable for a misdemeanor a person, firm, association, or corporation that violates the act unless a specific penalty is otherwise provided. The act requires the board to admit to examination for a license as a hairstylist to practice hairstyling a person who has made application to the board in proper form, paid the fee required by the act, and meets certain qualifications, including that the person completed a course in hairstyling from a school approved by the board. This bill would repeal those provisions relating to the license as a hairstylist and would make conforming changes. The act also includes in the practice of barbering certain practices, including shampooing, arranging, dressing, curling, and waving and also the practice of hairstyling of all textures of hair by standard methods that are current at the time of the hairstyling. The act includes in the practice of cosmetology certain practices, including arranging, dressing, curling, waving, cleansing, shampooing, beautifying, or otherwise treating the hair of a person. This bill would remove the practices described above from inclusion in the practices of barbering and cosmetology, respectively. The bill would require a person who engages in the practices of arranging, beautifying, cleansing, curling, dressing, shampooing, or waving the hair of a person at an establishment to provide notice to consumers of the person's licensure status. By expanding the scope of the crime of violating the act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 13, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/13/25 - Introduced → 03/04/25 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Mar 4, 2025

MODERATE

AB 625 was dramatically expanded from a simple typo fix in Section 1 of the Business and Professions Code to a major reform of the Barbering and Cosmetology Act. The amended bill repeals the separate hairstylist license (which required 600 hours of training), removes basic hair services like shampooing, arranging, dressing, curling, and waving from the regulated definitions of barbering and cosmetology, and exempts natural hair braiding from licensing entirely. People who only perform those removed basic services no longer need a license but must post notice of their unlicensed status to consumers.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a nonsubstantive typo correction in one section to a comprehensive restructuring of the barbering and cosmetology licensing framework, affecting who must be licensed to perform hair services in California establishments.

SCOPE

Repeals Section 7322 (hairstylist license eligibility) and Section 7363 (hairstylist course requirements), eliminating the separate hairstylist license category that required 600 hours of approved training.

DEFINITION

Rewrites Section 7316 to remove shampooing, arranging, dressing, curling, and waving from the regulated definitions of barbering and cosmetology, meaning people who only perform these basic services no longer need a state license.

Adds definitions for 'natural hair braiding,' 'natural hairstyling' (braiding combined with regulated services, which still requires a barbering or cosmetology license), and 'threading.'

ELIGIBILITY

Adds an exemption for natural hair braiding (twisting, wrapping, weaving, extending, locking, or braiding by hand or mechanical device without haircutting or chemical application), removing it from the scope of regulated practice entirely.

REQUIREMENT

Requires a person who performs the newly unlicensed basic hair services (arranging, beautifying, cleansing, curling, dressing, shampooing, or waving) at an establishment to provide notice to consumers of their licensure status.

FISCAL

Changes fiscal committee vote from 'no' to 'yes' and state-mandated local program from 'no' to 'yes' due to the new consumer notice requirement imposing costs on local agencies.

TECHNICAL

Makes conforming amendments to Section 7389.5 (correctional institution training) and Section 7423 (license fees) to remove references to the repealed hairstylist license.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on B. & P.

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors