Mississippi hair braiding rules
Do you need a license to braid hair in Mississippi?
Yes, but not a full cosmetology license. Braiding for pay requires registration with the State Department of Health (fee up to $25), and no cosmetology license is needed if you complete its infection-control self-test. The Hair Braiding Registration takes $25 in state fees. Below: locs (license needed), hair extensions and sew-ins (license needed) and wig installs (not stated), each answered from Mississippi's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 29, 2026, with the state's own words.
- Braiding
- Braiding license
- Locs
- License needed
- Extensions
- License needed
- Wig installs
- Not stated
Licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology.The board's site Hours and fees for each licenseThe state's own words
Hair braiding
Do you need a license to braid hair in Mississippi?
Yes, but not a full cosmetology license. Braiding for pay requires registration with the State Department of Health (fee up to $25), and no cosmetology license is needed if you complete its infection-control self-test. The Hair Braiding Registration takes $25 in state fees.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Not stated
- License for this work alone
- Hair Braiding Registration, $25
- Exemption
- Braiders are exempt from cosmetology and barbering licensure if they complete the infection-control self-test and keep it at their work location.
Mississippi is one of 16 states that ask for a license or registration for hair braiding alone rather than a full license.
Locs
Do you need a license to do locs in Mississippi?
Yes. Starting or maintaining locs for pay needs the same State Department of Health registration as braiding, because locking is named in the hair braiding definition. The Hair Braiding Registration takes $25 in state fees.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Not stated
- License for this work alone
- Hair Braiding Registration, $25
Mississippi is one of 13 states that ask for a license or registration for starting and maintaining locs alone rather than a full license.
Hair extensions and sew-ins
Do you need a license to do hair extensions or sew-ins in Mississippi?
Yes. Weaves and extensions for pay fall under the same State Department of Health registration as braiding, because weaving and extending are named in the hair braiding definition. The Hair Braiding Registration takes $25 in state fees.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Not stated
- License for this work alone
- Hair Braiding Registration, $25
Mississippi is one of 13 states that ask for a license or registration for hair extensions and sew-ins alone rather than a full license.
Wig installs
Do you need a license to install wigs in Mississippi?
Not stated. Mississippi's official pages we read do not say whether installing wigs on a client needs a license. Ask the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology before you offer it.
- License needed
- Not stated
Good to know
What else Mississippi asks of braiders
- The State Department of Health registration only lists people who braid for pay; it does not license or regulate the practice.
- Health department representatives may visit any facility where braiding is done during business hours.
- A braider must keep the infection-control brochure and completed self-test at the location where they braid.
Sources
What Mississippi's official pages say
Each answer above, in the words of Mississippi's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 29, 2026. Rules change: confirm with the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology before you start charging for a service.
- Hair braiding
“No person shall engage in hair braiding for compensation”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “in the State of Mississippi without first registering with the”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “a fee of not more than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) to”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “For a person engaged in hair braiding to be exempt”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “from the cosmetology and barbering licensure law,”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “braiding as defined in Section 73-7-71 who have completed the”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “brochure and completed self-test available at the location at”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us - Locs
“extending, locking or braiding of the hair by hand or mechanical”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “No person shall engage in hair braiding for compensation”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “a fee of not more than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) to”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us - Hair extensions and sew-ins
“on hair strands or roots by twisting, wrapping, weaving,”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “extending, locking or braiding of the hair by hand or mechanical”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us “a fee of not more than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) to”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us - Also good to know
“maintain a listing of those persons who engage in hair braiding”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us - Also good to know
“Representatives of the department may visit any facility”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us - Also good to know
“brochure and completed self-test available at the location at”
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
Questions
Mississippi hair braiding licenses, answered
Do you need a license to braid hair in Mississippi?
Do you need a license to do locs in Mississippi?
Do you need a license to do hair extensions or sew-ins in Mississippi?
Do you need a license to install wigs in Mississippi?
What do you need to open a braiding salon in Mississippi?
Plan the rest
Ready to fill your book
- Hours, exams and fees for each Mississippi cosmetology and barber license
- What Mississippi requires to open a salon or shop of your own
- What Mississippi inspectors check in a salon
- Renewing a Mississippi cosmetology or barber license
- Renting a chair or a suite? Start from a booth rental agreement
- A deposit and cancellation policy for long appointments
Hair braiding rules in other states
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