Alaska barber and hairdresser board proposes dropping school size and inspection rules

Alaska's Board of Barbers and Hairdressers on Wednesday put out for comment a proposal to scrap a batch of licensing rules, including a minimum size for the schools that train barbers and hairdressers and a board member's inspection before a school is first licensed.

Schools now must have at least 1,000 square feet, and at least one board member has to inspect and approve a school before its first license. The board's FAQ describes the school licensing requirements it is removing as a barrier that doesn't protect health and safety.

The proposal would also make it easier to get licensed. Applicants would no longer need to get their exam applications notarized. Students re-enrolling after a break of two years or more would no longer be denied credit for the hours they finished before the break, a change the FAQ says "removes a barrier to licensure."

The rules cover barbers, hairdressers, estheticians, manicurists and their schools.

The board ties the changes to Gov. Mike Dunleavy's Administrative Order 360, which directs state agencies, boards and commissions to cut regulatory requirements 15% by the end of this year and to eliminate "unnecessary barriers to entry for new professionals" while keeping consumer protections. The State Board of Education is weighing dropping 58 rules under the same order.

Written comments are due by 4:30 pm Nov. 30 through the state's public notice.