New York is telling beauty schools it is time to get serious about curls. The state’s Department of State has rolled out proposed rule changes that would require cosmetology and natural-hair-styling programs to provide hands-on training for kinky, coily and curly hair. The update folds specific, texture-focused modules into the existing curricula for licensure, from scalp and strand analysis to moisture treatments, textured sets and curl-defining techniques. Supporters say the move is meant to expand access to stylists who actually know how to work with textured hair and to cut down on hair-based discrimination.
What the rules would require
The March 18 notice lays out detailed hour requirements for both natural-hair-styling and cosmetology programs and keeps the total hours for licensure the same. For natural-hair-styling, the New York State Register shows a 300-hour curriculum that includes 10 hours of hair and scalp analysis and 20 hours on shampoos, conditioners and treatments, along with a large block of time for braiding, locking and weaving. On top of that, the proposal adds specific texture-focused instruction, including 20 hours for textured sets such as twist-outs, bantu knots and flexi-rod work, and 18 hours for textured hair styling and curl or coil techniques.
How the change came about
The proposed rules are designed to put into practice a law Gov. Kathy Hochul signed in November 2023 that directs state licensing standards to include training and testing on all hair textures. Industry groups and lawmakers, including Sen. Jamaal Bailey and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, pushed for the legislation, with backing from the Professional Beauty Association and its Texture Education Collective, according to the Professional Beauty Association.
Timing and industry reaction
The notice in the Register proposes an effective date of Sept. 1, 2026, when appearance-enhancement schools would be expected to submit updated curricula for state approval. The Department of State reports that in 2024 it received roughly 622 original cosmetology license applications and 89 natural-hair-styling applications. The notice also quotes the New York State Beauty School Association, which says it does not foresee “any significant barriers” to putting the new requirements in place within that timeline, according to the New York State Register.
Legal context
This curriculum overhaul lands in a legal landscape that already recognizes textured hair as a protected trait. In 2019, New York amended its law in what is commonly known as the CROWN Act, expanding the definition of race to include traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles, and barring discrimination on that basis. The statute and its implementing text are available from the New York Legislature.
What this means on the ground
Supporters say that once these lessons become standard in classrooms, it should be easier for New Yorkers with textured hair to find professionals who know what they are doing, instead of being turned away or nudged toward risky do-it-yourself fixes. Industry advocates hailed the 2023 law as a step toward inclusion, and coverage of the policy has highlighted the new rules as a concrete way to translate that promise into day-to-day teaching, BET reported.
The Department of State’s notice is still a proposal and is open for public comment. After the comment period closes, agency staff will review the feedback before deciding on a final rule. If the changes are adopted, beauty-school curricula across New York would explicitly require hands-on instruction in textured hair, a shift advocates say could make routine salon visits feel far more reliable for many New Yorkers who have long been left out of standard cosmetology training.
