Alabama State Board of Cosmetology

The Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (ABOCB) licenses and regulates cosmetologists, Class 2 barbers, estheticians, manicurists, esthetician/manicurists, manicurist/waxers, natural hair stylists, eyebrow threaders, shampoo assistants, and instructors, along with the shops and schools where they work. Its mission is to protect the public through licensing, minimum sanitation standards, and enforcement of Alabama's cosmetology and barbering law, but it does not regulate the quality of a service or general customer-service disputes.

The board is made up of seven members appointed by the governor, one from each of Alabama's congressional districts as drawn in 2013: two licensed cosmetologists, two licensed Class 2 barbers, one licensed esthetician, one licensed manicurist, and one consumer representative, each of whom must have held their license at least five years before appointment. The board meets quarterly — typically in February, April, July, and October — at the RSA Union Building in Montgomery, and meetings are open to the public.

ABOCB's office is located at 100 North Union Street, Suite 324, in the RSA Union Building in Montgomery, with a separate mailing address at P.O. Box 301750, Montgomery, AL 36130-1750. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed on all state holidays. Licensees and the public can reach the board by phone at 1-800-815-7453 (toll free) or (334) 242-1918 (local), or by email at cosmetology@aboc.alabama.gov.

Alabama licenses a wide range of personal disciplines, each with its own school-hour and apprenticeship-hour requirements, plus separate Shop and School establishment licenses. Personal licenses run on a two-year cycle and are renewed during the licensee's birth month, but the year depends on discipline: barbers renew in even-numbered years, while cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, natural hair stylists, and most other personal license holders renew in odd-numbered years. The board does not publish a continuing education requirement for personal license renewal.

Every Alabama personal license is valid for two years and must be renewed during the licensee's birth month. Barbers renew in even-numbered years; cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, esthetician/manicurists, manicurist/waxers, natural hair stylists, and eyebrow threaders renew in odd-numbered years. Shop and school licenses run on a separate cycle: they expire every September 30 and must be renewed by October 31 in odd-numbered years.

ABOCB moved personal license renewal to a new online system, and any username or password from the previous system no longer works. First-time users of the new system must create a fresh account with a valid email address and phone number, both of which receive a verification code during sign-up. Renewal applicants should have a current passport-style photo, along with a photo of their driver's license and Social Security card, ready to upload before starting. Renewals can also be completed by mailing a printed renewal form with payment, or in person at the Montgomery office; the board does not process renewal payments by phone.

Once a renewal payment is processed through the online system, the licensee can immediately download and print their own license from the "Print Licenses" menu, or request a mailed copy by contacting the board directly. Renewals postmarked after the last day of the licensee's birth month are subject to a $54 late fee.

A license that has been expired for four years or less can typically be renewed by paying the license fee plus any accumulated late fees. A license expired for more than four years cannot simply be renewed — the holder must retake and pass the practical exam and pay the back fees owed since the license lapsed.

The Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering investigates complaints against licensed cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, natural hair stylists, instructors, shops, and schools, focused on sanitation violations, unlicensed practice, and other breaches of the board's licensing law. The board does not have regulatory authority over the quality of a service or general customer-service complaints, and it has no jurisdiction over shops or salons on federal Indian reservations or U.S. military bases.

Complaints can be filed through the board's online Complaint Submission Form or by downloading, completing, and mailing a paper Complaint Form to the Montgomery office. The board does not accept anonymous complaints — complainants must provide their name and contact information. If the board opens an investigation, a copy of the complaint and supporting documentation, including the complainant's name, is forwarded to the licensee being complained about, though the complainant's contact information is redacted first.

After a complaint is filed, board staff review it for jurisdiction and may investigate further, which can lead to outcomes ranging from no action to fines, probation, or suspension or revocation of a license, shop, or school.