In my current mindset of warm-weather envy, I got lost in some California dreaming the other day. Ah...beaches and palm
trees.... So I called Nadene Bruders, who coaches salon professionals trying to get their California
hairstylist license. She also co-wrote a book,
A Shear Pass, that puts the lessons on paper. Nadene tells me that last summer California finally joined the many states that offer reciprocity. When you move to California, all you need is proof that you’ve held a
hairdresser license from some other state for at least five years and have been actively working as a hairdresser for the past three.
The ruling kind of hurts Nadene’s business, which had been largely dependent upon out-of-staters moving to California and needing training to pass their new state’s licensing exam. Still, she says, she’s glad to have this legislation on the books to help Californian transplant stylists.
It used to take up to a year for new residents to get their California
hairstylist license. Now, says Nadene, “our board is more efficient and it takes only 6-8 weeks. This helps people come to California and make a living. Overall it has made things better, and I still teach anyone who needs help passing our board.” She says California was a key state to be holding out so long on reciprocity, because so many people want to move there. Right now here in the upper Midwest my bathroom’s hot-water pipes are frozen, so I totally get that.