Textured Hair Training Is Now Required for New Cosmetology and Natural Hair Styling Licenses in New York

04 Sep 2026, 16:00 · Thought Catalog

JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX / AFP via Getty Images

Updated 6 minutes ago, September 4, 2026

For years, stylists could graduate and get licensed without ever learning how to cut or style curly and coily hair. As of September 1, that training is required for new applicants going through approved programs.

Curly, coily, and textured hair is now part of the standard cosmetology curriculum in New York, not an elective or a specialty add-on.

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Under a 2023 state law, new students in cosmetology and natural hair styling programs have to be trained and tested on every hair type: different curl and wave patterns, strand thicknesses, and hair volumes.

State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages introduced the bill (S6528A / A6927) in 2023, and it was signed later that year. Schools began folding the requirements into their programs in 2024, and the New York Department of State says the training officially took effect September 1, 2026.

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The new material fits inside existing hour requirements instead of getting added on top, so programs don’t run longer. Professionals who are already licensed don’t have to go back and retrain.

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The goal is to close a gap that let many graduates leave school underprepared to properly care for curly, coily, and textured hair.

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