Mississippi Sets June 22 Deadline for Comments on New Salon Rules

Mississippi licensees have until June 22 to comment on the first temporary rules from the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering — the opening move in rebuilding industry oversight after a two-year gap that left shops without an active regulator.

The proposed rules cover health, safety and business practices for shops and licensees. The board will review every submission after June 22 and decide whether further adjustments are necessary, executive director Catherine Bell said. Comments can be emailed, mailed or delivered to the board office.

For working salons and barbershops, the stakes are concrete: these standards will shape inspection expectations, sanitation protocols and day-to-day compliance costs once finalized.

Why did the rules take two years?

Mississippi merged its separate cosmetology and barbering boards in 2024. But the Senate declined to confirm Gov. Tate Reeves' appointees during the legislative session, and without confirmed members the board lost quorum. It could not finalize rules or conduct regular business.

That changed early in the 2026 session, when lawmakers approved the confirmed members. "That enabled the board to get up and running and start to do all of the things that need to get done," Bell said.

Since resuming operations, the board has already made licensing changes with direct consequences for staff pipelines: it set passing scores for exams and removed the practical test to focus more on individual learning. That lowers one barrier for new entrants — and changes how salon owners should prepare apprentices for licensure.

What does Chapter 11 cover?

The first new rule, Chapter 11, addresses health and safety standards for shops and licensees. Bell said public feedback forced substantial revisions of the regulations before their release — evidence, the board argues, that the comment process materially changes the outcome.

For salon owners, Chapter 11 is the document to read before June 22. It is the rulebook inspectors will eventually work from, and the comment window is the industry's chance to shape compliance burdens before they harden into enforceable standards.

What are licensees saying?

Hattiesburg barber Bonnie Holloway, who co-owns The Dapper Man Studio with Crystal McCormick, opened her shop just before the 2024 merger. She calls the process a sign of progress after two years of uncertainty.

"So far, so good," Holloway said. "We've actually had a board member come by and introduce himself, which has never happened before."

That outreach marks a shift from the pre-merger era, when licensees rarely saw their regulator. Holloway sees the rebuilding oversight as reason for optimism. "I think it's headed in the right direction," she said.

What happens after June 22?

The board will review all comments received by the deadline and determine whether further adjustments to the temporary rules are needed. Bell urged licensees and industry members to read the proposals and submit feedback before the window closes.

The next data point to watch: the board's decision on revisions following the June 22 review, which will signal how enforceable the final health and safety standards will be for Mississippi's salons and barbershops.