This New York Law Just Made It Easier for Black Folks to Get Their Hair Done

If you’re a Black woman in New York, you’ve more than likely had the unfortunate experience of being turned away at a salon because the establishment didn’t have stylists trained to work with textured hair types. Now, newly passed legislation hopes to make things a little easier.

According to ABC7 New York, a new law requires anyone seeking a cosmetology license to be trained in working with “all hair types,” including kinky, curly, wavy, and coily textures. While the number of hours needed to obtain the license won’t change, what will be different moving forward is the curriculum, which is now set to include more classes on working with diverse hair.

“This is about equal access to service. No New Yorker should ever walk into a salon and be turned away or receive substandard care because of their hair texture. Now, with the adoption of this legislation, they won’t have to,” said assembly member Michaelle Solages in a statement to The Guardian.

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She continued: “By embedding the new instruction into existing programs, these changes will expand skills and service without increasing costs, and will ensure that haircare professionals are prepared to serve all of their clients.”

Senator Jamaal Bailey also noted that the new law will help build upon their previous work with the CROWN Act and ensure that future beauty professionals in the state are equipped with the necessary skills to serve every client with dignity. 

“Hair is deeply personal. It is linked to our identity, our well-being, and how we show up in the world. Building on our past work with the CROWN Act, which ensured no one faces hair-based discrimination, I am honored to see our continued efforts toward making a more inclusive New York,” he said.

Students enrolled in the program can expect to take classes dedicated to “hair and scalp properties, hair care and styling techniques associated with textured hair,” per the state department. This new law comes months after New Jersey passed a similar one in January 2026.