Hair Braiding Without A License No Longer A Crime in Indiana

Earlier this week, Indiana became the 22nd state to exempt natural and African-style hair braiding from its cosmetology laws.

Previously, braiders could only work if they first obtained a cosmetology license, and unlicensed braiding meant risking a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to $500 in fines.

“Indiana has long prided itself as ‘a state that works,’” says Institute for Justice Senior Legislative Counsel Lee McGrath. “This reform proves that those words are more than a motto by repealing a completely arbitrary labor-market regulation that stops braiders from earning an honest living.”

Other states that have already passed similar bills—exempting braiding from cosmetology licensing—include: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.