Utah hair braiding rules
Do you need a license to braid hair in Utah?
No license needed. Hair braiding is exempt from Utah licensing when the work involves no cutting, dye or chemical treatment and no glued or taped wefts. Below: locs (no license needed), hair extensions and sew-ins (license needed) and wig installs (license needed), each answered from Utah's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 29, 2026, with the state's own words.
- Braiding
- No license needed
- Locs
- No license needed
- Extensions
- License needed
- Wig installs
- License needed
Licensed by DOPL.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 Utah?
No license needed. Hair braiding is exempt from Utah licensing when the work involves no cutting, dye or chemical treatment and no glued or taped wefts.
- License needed
- No license needed
- Exemption
- Hair braiding is exempt from licensing if the person is not engaged in a licensed practice and does no cutting, dye, chemical treatment, or glued or taped wefts.
Utah is one of 35 states whose official pages exempt hair braiding from licensing.
Locs
Do you need a license to do locs in Utah?
No license needed. Starting and maintaining locs counts as hair braiding under Utah law, so it is exempt from licensing when the work involves no cutting, dye or chemical treatment.
- License needed
- No license needed
- Exemption
- Hair braiding, which the statute says includes dreadlocks, is exempt if the person is not engaged in a licensed practice and does no cutting, dye or chemical treatment.
Utah is one of 25 states whose official pages exempt starting and maintaining locs from licensing.
Hair extensions and sew-ins
Do you need a license to do hair extensions or sew-ins in Utah?
Yes. Extensions and weaves done with glue or tape, or other hair fusing, need a Utah cosmetology license, haircutting permit or master hair design license; sewn-in wefts with no glue or tape count as hair braiding and are exempt.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Cosmetology license, Haircutting permit, Master hair design license
- License for this work alone
- None
- Exemption
- Sewn-in wefts applied without glue or tape count as hair braiding and are exempt, but wefts applied with glue or tape are not.
Wig installs
Do you need a license to install wigs in Utah?
Yes. Fitting a wig on a client's head is licensed work under a Utah cosmetology license, barbering permit or master hair design license.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Cosmetology license, Barbering permit, Master hair design license
- License for this work alone
- None
Good to know
What else Utah asks of braiders
- Wefts applied with glue or tape are not hair braiding under Utah law.
- A Hair Safety Permit requires a two-hour course and a score of 75% or higher on its exam.
- Cutting human hair is not hair braiding under Utah law.
- A Utah cosmetology license requires a curriculum of at least 1,250 hours of instruction or equivalent credit hours.
Sources
What Utah's official pages say
Each answer above, in the words of Utah's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 29, 2026. Rules change: confirm with DOPL before you start charging for a service.
- Hair braiding
“(b)engages in hair braiding; and”
le.utah.gov “(c)is not engaged in a practice that requires a license or permit under this chapter; and”
le.utah.gov - Locs
“(iv)dreadlocks;”
le.utah.gov “(b)engages in hair braiding; and”
le.utah.gov “(c)is not engaged in a practice that requires a license or permit under this chapter; and”
le.utah.gov - Hair extensions and sew-ins
“(j)practicing hair weaving or hair fusing or servicing previously medically implanted hair;”
le.utah.gov “(c)hair fusing and extensions; and”
le.utah.gov “(d)hair fusing and extensions;”
le.utah.gov “An individual may not engage in the practice of cosmetology unless the individual holds a cosmetology license.”
le.utah.gov “An individual may not engage in the practice of haircutting unless the individual holds a haircutting permit.”
le.utah.gov “An individual may not engage in the practice of master hair design or master barbering unless the individual holds a master hair design license or master barbering license.”
le.utah.gov “(xiv)the use of wefts if applied without the use of glue or tape.”
le.utah.gov “(A)wefts if applied with the use of glue or tape;”
le.utah.gov - Wig installs
“(i)cutting, curling, styling, fitting, measuring, or forming caps for wigs and hairpieces on the human head;”
le.utah.gov “(c)cutting, wet styling, fitting, measuring, or forming caps for wigs and hairpieces on the human head;”
le.utah.gov “(f)cutting, curling, styling, fitting, measuring, or forming caps for wigs, hairpieces, or both on the human head;”
le.utah.gov “An individual may not engage in the practice of cosmetology unless the individual holds a cosmetology license.”
le.utah.gov “An individual may not engage in the practice of barbering unless the individual holds a barbering permit.”
le.utah.gov “An individual may not engage in the practice of master hair design or master barbering unless the individual holds a master hair design license or master barbering license.”
le.utah.gov - Also good to know
“(A)wefts if applied with the use of glue or tape;”
le.utah.gov - Also good to know
“To obtain your Hair Safety Permit you will be required to take a two-hour course and receive a score of 75% or higher on the accompanying exam.”
commerce.utah.gov - Also good to know
“(ii)the cutting of human hair; or”
le.utah.gov - Also good to know
“has a minimum of 1,250 hours of instruction or the equivalent number of credit hours”
le.utah.gov
Questions
Utah hair braiding licenses, answered
Do you need a license to braid hair in Utah?
Do you need a license to do locs in Utah?
Do you need a license to do hair extensions or sew-ins in Utah?
Do you need a license to install wigs in Utah?
What do you need to open a braiding salon in Utah?
Plan the rest
Ready to fill your book
- Hours, exams and fees for each Utah cosmetology and barber license
- What Utah requires to open a salon or shop of your own
- What Utah inspectors check in a salon
- Renewing a Utah 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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