Hair braiding, registration requirements, fee - duties of board.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 329.275
in effect329.275. Hair braiding, registration requirements, fee — duties of board. — 1. The practices of cosmetology and barbering shall not include hair braiding, except that, nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting a licensed cosmetologist or barber from performing the service of hair braiding.
2. No person shall engage in hair braiding for compensation in the state of Missouri without first registering with the board. Applicants for a certificate of registration to engage in hair braiding shall submit to the board an application and a required fee, as set by the board. Such fee shall not exceed twenty dollars. Prior to receiving a certificate, each applicant shall also watch an instructional video prepared by the board in accordance with subsection 4 of this section. An applicant for a certificate of registration may be denied such certificate if the applicant has pleaded guilty to, entered a plea of nolo contendere to, or been found guilty of any of the offenses set forth in subsection 5 * of section 329.050 .
3. Registered hair braiders shall keep their information that the board requires for initial registration current and up to date with the board.
4. The board shall develop and prepare an instructional video, at least four hours but no more than six hours in length, that contains information about infection control techniques and diseases of the scalp that are appropriate for hair braiding in or outside of a salon setting and any other information to be determined by the board. The instructional video shall be made available to applicants through the division of professional registration's website. The board shall also develop and prepare a brochure that contains a summary of the information contained in the instructional video. The brochure shall be made available through the division of professional registration's website, or by mail, upon request, for a fee to cover the board's mailing costs.
5. Any person who registers as a hair braider under this section shall post a copy of his or her certificate of registration in a conspicuous place at his or her place of business. If the person is operating outside his or her place of business, he or she shall provide to the client or customer a copy of his or her certificate of registration upon the client's or customer's request.
6. (1) The board may inspect hair braiding establishments or facilities where hair braiding occurs one time per year during business hours to ensure:
(a) Persons registered as hair braiders are not operating outside the scope of practice of hair braiding; and
(b) Compliance with this section and rules promulgated thereunder.
(2) Additionally, if a customer or client submits a complaint to the board about a hair braider, the board may inspect such hair braider's establishment during regular business hours. This inspection shall not count toward the one-time inspection limit set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) In addition to the causes listed in section 329.140 , the board may also suspend or revoke a certificate of registration if a person registered as a hair braider is found to be operating outside the scope of practice of hair braiding.
7. Nothing in this section shall apply to any cosmetologists licensed to practice in this state in their respective classifications.
(L. 2018 H.B. 1500 merged with H.B. 1719) * "Subsection 6", which appears in original rolls of H.B. 1500 and H.B. 1719, does not exist.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=329.275Fetched: 10/17/2026