New Jersey Now Requires Textured Hair Training for Beauty Licenses

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law on January 12, 2026, requiring cosmetology, barbering, beauty culture and hair braiding programs to train students on textured hair. The law, S2495/A3882 (P.L.2025, c.207), also puts textured hair on the state licensing exam. It is the most recent state law of its kind we found, and New Jersey joins at least seven other states with similar laws.

What New Jersey's law requires

The law defines textured hair as hair that is coiled, curly or wavy. It directs the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling to set training requirements for licensed schools. Training must cover:

• Working with hair in different coil, curl and wave patterns
• Different hair strand thicknesses
• Different volumes of hair

The requirement applies to students preparing for licenses in cosmetology-hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering and hair braiding. Licensing exams in those fields must include textured hair in both the written and practical portions. The content is folded into existing coursework, so total training hours do not go up.

The Senate sponsors were Senators M. Teresa Ruiz and Angela V. McKnight. The Assembly version was sponsored by Assemblymembers Annette Quijano, Sterley S. Stanley and Shavonda E. Sumter. The bill passed the Senate 37-0 and the Assembly 75-0.

Timeline and how the board is rolling it out

The bill took a long road. It passed the Senate in May 2024, then sat in Assembly committees until late 2025 before final passage and the governor's signature in January 2026.

As introduced, the bill took effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment, with the exam requirement delayed until the 25th month. Black Enterprise reported that New Jersey began rolling out the new standards in August 2026, which matches that schedule.

On January 20, 2026, the Attorney General's office and the Division of Consumer Affairs proposed rules for the roughly 31 schools the board licenses. The proposal would:

• Require schools to train all students to serve clients with "hair of all types, textures, and porosities"
• Add tools such as hair picks, wide-tooth combs, hair weaving kits and braiding packages to required student kits
• Require enough mannequins with tightly coiled, curly, wavy and straight hair

Public comments were due March 21, 2026.

Where else this is the law

New Jersey joins a group of states that moved quickly after 2023. Louisiana is often called the first state to act, but its 2021 change came from a Louisiana Board of Cosmetology resolution, not a statute. It added a textured haircutting section to licensing exams starting in June 2022.

New York's rules took effect September 1, 2026, nearly three years after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill. The New York Department of State says the training fits inside existing hours, so the total needed for a license does not go up.

Why advocates pushed, and the CROWN Act connection

Supporters say many stylists leave school unable to properly serve curly and coily hair. Sen. McKnight called the training gap "a major disservice to both hair care professionals and clients." New Jersey students told the Philadelphia Inquirer they were taught to straighten textured hair rather than style it in its natural state.

These laws build on the CROWN Act movement. California's SB 188, signed in 2019, was the first state law banning discrimination based on natural hair. New Jersey passed its own CROWN Act the same year. A federal CROWN Act has passed the U.S. House twice but not the Senate. (See where the CROWN Act stands in 2026.) Advocates describe education laws as the next step: protecting natural hair at work and school, then making sure licensed professionals can care for it.

Much of the state-by-state push has been organized by the Texture Education Collective, an industry group working with the Professional Beauty Association.

Concerns about cost and readiness

Formal opposition has been rare. Washington's bill report recorded no opposing testimony, though supporters noted that smaller schools, apprenticeships and rural programs may need help putting it in place.

The bigger questions are about capacity. In New York, beauty educator Erin Maybin, who sits on the state's Appearance Enhancement Advisory Committee, told TheGrio that many instructors were never trained in textured hair themselves. The law does not create a textured hair credential for instructors.

In California, the Professional Beauty Federation said it supported the bills only if amended. Its representative asked lawmakers to reconsider the 1,000-hour requirement to make room for new content. California's Board of Barbering and Cosmetology said the fiscal impact on the board would be minimal.

What it means for braiders, and for California

California does have a requirement. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2166 by Assemblymember Akilah Weber on September 22, 2024. It requires barbering and cosmetology courses to teach all hair types and textures, including curl and wave patterns, strand thickness and volume. It also adds written exam questions on hair types and textures. The board's executive officer said the training fits within existing hours.

For most California braiders, though, this law does not apply directly. Under Business and Professions Code section 7316, natural hair braiding is not part of the practice of cosmetology, so it does not require a cosmetology license. That exemption covers braiding, twisting, weaving, extending and locking, as long as there is no cutting, coloring or chemical work. Braiders who combine braiding with licensed cosmetology services must hold a license.

New Jersey is different because it licenses hair braiders, so its law reaches braiding students and the braiding exam directly.

This is a summary of the law, not legal advice.

Sources: Gov. Murphy Signs Law Requiring Textured Hair Training for Cosmetology Licensure, HudPost · N.J. proposes new rules for cosmetology schools, WRNJ Radio · Senate No. 2495, New Jersey Legislature · Assembly No. 3882, New Jersey Legislature · NJ S2495 bill history, Plural Policy · N.J. bill would require cosmetology schools to teach textured hair, Philadelphia Inquirer · Ruiz-McKnight bill, New Jersey Senate Democrats · Training On Black Hair Has Entered The Curriculum, Black Enterprise · House Bill Report EHB 1874, Washington Legislature · Maine LD 1861, PolicyRisk · VT requires textured hair training, Vermont Daily Chronicle · Governor Signs AB 2166 (Weber), Center for Public Interest Law · AB 2166, CalMatters Digital Democracy · Committee minutes, Feb. 20, 2024, California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology · Business and Professions Code section 7316, California Public Law · Public Act 24-53, Connecticut General Assembly · New Law in Minnesota Mandates Inclusive Hair Education, Professional Beauty Association · S6528, New York State Senate · New Textured Hair Training Requirement Taking Effect, New York Department of State · A new New York law puts textured hair training in cosmetology schools, TheGrio · States Pass Legislation Requiring Textured Hair Education, Professional Beauty Association · Louisiana to require stylists to learn how to cut textured hair, WRTV · Discrimination based on hair texture in the United States, Wikipedia

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