By Makenna Haskill
On January 1, 2026, the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology published its 2026 Sunset Review Report in preparation for its Joint Sunset Review Oversight hearing before the Assembly Business and Professions Committee and the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee. The Board’s enabling act, Chapter 10 (commencing with section 7301) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, is scheduled to “sunset,” or be repealed, on January 1, 2027, if it is not extended during the sunset review process.
The Board’s report summarizes its activities over the past four years, provides updates on current issues, outlines Board actions and responses to prior sunset review issues, and identifies new matters for the Legislature to consider during this review cycle. In addressing current issues, the Board notes ongoing operational and regulatory challenges in administering the Barbering and Cosmetology Act, particularly related to the Department of Consumer Affairs’ BreEZe licensing system. Since its 2013 implementation, the Board has regularly submitted change requests to improve functionality and efficiency, with 23 currently pending and approximately 50 implemented each year to enhance application processing, payment systems, and internal workflows.
In response to prior sunset issues, the Board updates the Legislature on a series of reforms aimed at modernizing the Barbering and Cosmetology Act and improving regulatory oversight. Reforms enacted through the Board’s previous sunset bill, SB 803 (Roth) (Chapter 648, Statutes of 2021), reduced training hours, modernized mobile unit requirements, and removed the 90-day post-licensure inspection, which the Board subsequently created the Personal Service Permit as a result. These changes helped lower the barrier to entry, which contributed to an increase in the number of applicants and licensed professionals. Despite a significant increase in application volume, the Board emphasizes that reduced training hours and the elimination of the practical exam make continued regulation essential to protect consumers, while feedback on workforce readiness remains mixed. The Board retrained inspectors, updated its fine schedule, and implemented a mobile inspection platform to strengthen its enforcement duties, and reduced the number of Disciplinary Review Committee hearings as a result. The Board also hired three Special Investigators to focus on egregious consumer harm, enabling more thorough investigations that likely contributed to 646 citations issued for licensees performing services in violation of the Medical Practice Act. Despite these improvements, structural challenges remain in education oversight due to shared authority with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). The Board continues to address policy debates regarding scope of practice, training, examinations, endorsement fraud, and apprenticeships.
Building on its discussion of prior reforms and ongoing oversight challenges, the Board proposes several statutory and policy changes to address oversight gaps and emerging consumer protection risks. The Board believes the dual regulation of schools with BPPE is inefficient and limits its ability to address fraudulent training hours, unapproved schools, and proof-of-training abuses. The Board believes its authority is too narrow in regard to institutional approval and health and safety inspections. Accordingly, the Board seeks either sole oversight of barbering and cosmetology schools or other expanded authorities. The Board also recommends measures to combat licensure-by-endorsement fraud by stronger oversight in U.S. examinations and proposes reforms to improve apprenticeship programs and licensing pathways. These reforms include clarifying employee status, strengthening enforcement, creating combined license categories, allowing limited liability companies to hold establishment licenses, and permitting Board-approved vendors to provide remedial education. Collectively, these proposals reflect the Board’s focus on strengthened oversight and fraud prevention to protect consumers, as well as on workforce flexibility to reduce barriers for licensees.
On March 10, 2026, the Board presented its sunset review materials to the Joint Sunset Review Oversight Hearing, and the Legislature released its Sunset Review Background Paper. The Background Paper highlights various issues for the Board to address, such as various enforcement issues, licensing issues, and administrative issues.