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HB243 • 2026

BARBERS & HAIRDRESSERS BD LICENSING

An Act relating to the powers and duties of the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers and the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development; and providing for an effective date.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK BY REQUEST
Last action
2026-07-03
Official status
CHAPTER 43 SLA 26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is stated as 'immediately' under AS 01.10.070(c), though the metadata lists a future date of 2026-07-03; this discrepancy exists in the source material.

Changes to Barber and Hairdresser Board Rules

This law updates the duties of the state board that oversees barbers, hairdressers, manicurists, estheticians, tattoo artists, piercing shops, and braiders.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the board to examine applicants before authorizing license issuance for practitioners and schools.
  • Directs the board to create written notices about rules that shop owners must give or display regarding tattooing, body piercing, and permanent cosmetic coloring.
  • Expands enforcement duties to include hair braiding in addition to barbering, manicuring, esthetics, hairdressing, tattooing, body piercing, and permanent cosmetic coloring.
  • Allows the board to ask state agencies to investigate complaints or problems at shops and schools involved in these fields.
  • Sets a 12-hour limit on required health and safety training for manicuring school students.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Barbers and Hairdressers
  • Barbering, hairdressing, braiding, manicuring, esthetics, tattooing, piercing, and permanent cosmetic coloring schools
  • Practitioners who work in the listed beauty and body art fields

Terms To Know

Board of Barbers and Hairdressers
The state group that examines applicants, creates rules, and enforces laws for hair, nails, tattoos, piercings, and braiding.
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
The government agency authorized by the board to issue licenses and permits after approval.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law does not change how much money people must pay for their licenses.
  • The text does not explain what happens if a school or person breaks these new rules beyond holding hearings.
  • The specific content of the written notices for tattoo and piercing shops is not listed in this bill.

Bill History

  1. 2026-07-03 3160

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 7/3/26

  2. 2026-07-03 3160

    (H) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/30 CH 43 SLA 26

  3. 2026-06-17 3095

    (H) 3:10 P.M. 6/15/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR

  4. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) VERSION: HB 243

  5. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) RETURN TO (H), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT

  6. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  7. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) PASSED Y20 N-

  8. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 243

  9. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC

  10. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  11. 2026-05-20 2841

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/20/2026

  12. 2026-05-11 2566

    (S) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  13. 2026-05-11 2566

    (S) NR: DUNBAR

  14. 2026-05-11 2566

    (S) DP: BJORKMAN, GRAY-JACKSON

  15. 2026-05-11 2566

    (S) L&C RPT 2DP 1NR

  16. 2026-05-08 Text

    (S) Moved HB 243 Out of Committee

  17. 2026-05-08 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  18. 2026-04-15 Text

    (S) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  19. 2026-04-15 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  20. 2026-03-30 2091

    (S) L&C

  21. 2026-03-30 2091

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  22. 2026-03-27 1980

    (H) VERSION: HB 243

  23. 2026-03-27 1980

    (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

  24. 2026-03-27 1976

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  25. 2026-03-27 1975

    (H) PASSED Y39 E1

  26. 2026-03-27 1975

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 243

  27. 2026-03-27 1975

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC

  28. 2026-03-27 1975

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  29. 2026-03-27 1975

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/27/2026

  30. 2026-02-04 1554

    (H) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  31. 2026-02-04 1554

    (H) DP: CARRICK, COULOMBE, FRIER, SADDLER, D.NELSON, FIELDS, HALL

  32. 2026-02-04 1554

    (H) L&C RPT 7DP

  33. 2026-02-02 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  34. 2026-02-02 Text

    (H) Moved HB 243 Out of Committee

  35. 2026-02-02 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  36. 2026-01-26 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  37. 2026-01-26 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  38. 2026-01-26 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  39. 2026-01-20 1448

    (H) L&C

  40. 2026-01-20 1448

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  41. 2026-01-20 1448

    (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/26

Official Summary Text

BARBERS & HAIRDRESSERS BD LICENSING
An Act relating to the powers and duties of the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers and the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Enrolled HB 243
LAWS OF ALASKA

2026

Source Chapter No.
HB 243 _______

AN ACT

Relating to the powers and duties of the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers and the Department
of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development; and providing for an effective date.

_______________

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1

-1- Enrolled HB 243

AN ACT

Relating to the powers and duties of the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers and the Department 1
of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development; and providing for an effective date. 2
_______________ 3
* Section 1. AS 08.13.030(b) is amended to read: 4
(b) The board shall 5
(1) examine applicants and authorize [APPROVE] the Department of 6
Commerce, Community, and Economic Development to issue [ISSUANCE OF] 7
licenses and permits to practice; 8
(2) authorize the Department of Commerce, Community, and 9
Economic Development to issue [ISSUANCE OF] licenses for schools of barbering, 10
hairdressing, manicuring, and esthetics; 11
(3) develop written instructions and notices that tattooing, permanent 12
cosmetic coloring, and body piercing shop owners and practitioners are required to give 13
or display under AS 08.13.215; 14
(4) enforce the provisions of this chapter, regulations adopted under this 15

Enrolled HB 243 -2-
chapter, and regulations relating to barbering, hairdressing, hair braiding, manicuring, 1
and esthetics adopted under AS 44.46.020(a)(5)(C). 2
* Sec. 2. AS 08.13.030(c) is amended to read: 3
(c) The board may 4
(1) refuse to issue, suspend, or revoke a license or permit; 5
(2) on its own motion or upon receipt of a written complaint, conduct 6
hearings and request the 7
(A) Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic 8
Development to investigate the practices of a person, shop, or school involved 9
in the practice or teaching of barbering, hairdressing, hair braiding, manicuring, 10
or esthetics; or 11
(B) Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic 12
Development or the Department of Environmental Conservation to investigate 13
the practices of a person, shop, or school involved in the practice or teaching of 14
body piercing, tattooing, or permanent cosmetic coloring; 15
(3) adopt regulations or do any act necessary to carry out the provisions 16
of this chapter. 17
* Sec. 3. AS 08.13.110(d) is amended to read: 18
(d) The board shall authorize the issuance of [ISSUE] a license to a school of 19
manicuring if the school offers a curriculum of 12 hours of instruction or training 20
approved by the board that addresses health, safety, and hygiene concerns of manicuring 21
customers and practitioners that are relevant to the practice of manicuring. A school of 22
manicuring may offer instruction in addition to the 12 hours required for a license, but 23
the board may not authorize the issuance of [ISSUE] a license to a school of 24
manicuring if the school requires its students to complete more than 12 hours of the 25
required instruction or training in health, safety, and hygiene concerns before the school 26
will certify that the student has completed the school's manicuring course for purposes 27
of AS 08.13.080(e). 28
* Sec. 4. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 29