Illinois close to ending strict hair braiding requirements
Hair braiders across Illinois may face fewer restrictions on their trade. The Illinois House unanimously passed a bill changing the state’s hair braiding laws.
Illinois could make it much simpler for hair braiders across the state; a bill just passed in the Illinois House that could change everything hair braiders.
House Bill 3356 completely removes the licensing requirements to braid hair. It passed unanimously in the Illinois House, 107-0, and heads to the Illinois Senate.
Some key benefits of the new bill:
- Ends $30 licensing fees
- No need for 300 hours of training, which can cost thousands, before legally starting a business
- Removes risk of $5,000 fines for braiding without a license
If you want to braid hair professionally in Illinois, you must jump through a lot of hoops just to use materials that anyone can buy and use at home. It’s not a technical profession. It has artistic and subjective elements based on preference.
Heavy regulations just push businesses into illegal status and add a financial barrier for people trying to work. Most of the country doesn’t put this burden on hair braiders. Illinois is one of 14 states that licenses hair braiders.
The rules used to be even more demanding. Prior to 2011, Illinois required hair braiders to perform 1,500 hours of training before obtaining a license.
The bill now needs Illinois Senate approval and is sponsored by state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-East St. Louis. It represents a big step toward making it easier for people to work and succeed. It’s about removing unnecessary barriers and letting skilled professionals do what they do best, without obtaining a government permission slip before doing it.