JACKSON, Miss.—More than 50,000 licensed beauty professionals across Mississippi are in regulatory limbo.
The Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering has had no confirmed members since April, after the state Senate adjourned without approving Gov. Tate Reeves’ appointees. The board is currently operating under temporary rules adopted before it lost quorum, but those expire Oct. 1. Without confirmed members, the board can’t hold hearings, approve rules or move forward with upgrades—with the state’s licensed cosmetologists and barbers saying they’ve been left to figure out what to do on their own.
“I first found out about everything going on with state board from other hairstylists posting their stuff,” said stylist Ally McIsaac. “That’s the only reason I found out about it.”
Nothing Moves Without a Board
For stylists like McIsaac, the lack of a functioning board doesn’t just create confusion—it cuts off their only avenue to challenge citations.
“If you were fined for something and you say, ‘Hey, that’s wrong, that’s not okay’—you have the option to appeal it,” McIsaac said. “But without there being a board right now, who are you going to appeal to?”
Executive Director Catherine Bell confirmed complaints are still being accepted but can’t be resolved until board members take office.
“Those complaints are being received and cataloged,” Bell said. “But we have to wait on the board to review them.”
With complaints stalled, some stylists worry that improper or overreaching violations will go unchecked, especially given the board’s limited enforcement capacity.
Limited Staff, Limited Oversight
The state currently has only two inspectors responsible for overseeing all beauty salons in the state. Three additional inspector positions remain vacant.
The shortage worsened in April when an inspector was fired for issuing improper citations, including violations for aerosol cans without caps and cape storage methods—both of which are not existing rules.
The board conducted an audit and removed the invalid violations. But now, with just two inspectors left on staff, the board’s ability to provide enforcement is severely strained.
In late June, the state also ended contracts for practical exam evaluators—the professionals responsible for administering hands-on licensing tests.
To keep the process moving, Bell said board staff—including two licensed cosmetologists and one licensed cosmetologist/barber—have stepped in to proctor exams. That means just three evaluators will test students from 64 schools across the state.
“We are very glad to have three licensed cosmetologists and one licensed barber on our team here at the office that are doing that testing so that students can or applicants rather can get a new license and can go to work in Mississippi,” Bell said.
The Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and the State Barber Board were combined in 2024, creating a single regulatory body for the more than 50,000 licensed professionals across the state.
The merger caused confusion among some cosmetologists and barbers, who say the transition hasn’t been clearly explained. From updated inspection protocols to new rule changes, licensees say they’ve had to rely on word of mouth or social media—rather than official guidance—to understand how the changes affect them.
The lack of consistent communication from the board has opened the door to misinformation.
Information Void
One TikTok video, viewed more than 250,000 times, falsely claimed the state had stopped licensing new professionals and that people could now work without a license.
“That was very incorrect information that was quite sensational,” Bell said.
Although the creator posted an update the following day, clarifying that licensing was still required, the original video remains up as of July 18 and continues to spread confusion.
McIsaac said that video was the first place she heard about any changes.
“Of course I was scared,” she said. “But then it’s like … it’s social media. You can’t feed into everything you see.”
Still, she said, the bigger issue was the lack of information from the state itself. Like most licensees, she never received official word about the board vacancies or testing changes.
“Unless you’re staying on top of it and checking it out, you’re not going to get that information,” she said.
Bell said she acknowledged the problem.
“I’ll be the first to admit—we’re working on better ways to communicate,” she said. “We’re slowly building an email databank, so we have an effective and economical way to reach over 50,000 licensees.”
The board has no communications team, leaving public affairs solely up to the executive director. Bell explained that previous boards didn’t collect licensees’ email addresses, making direct contact expensive and inefficient.
The board—the second-largest licensing body in the state—still processes everything by mail. License applications, renewals and payments must be submitted on paper.
“From the data I’ve collected, most states use software where you can apply online, renew online and maintain your information online,” Bell said.
The Legislature has already approved funding for a digital licensing system, but because Bell and her team need board approval to move forward, the project remains on hold until appointments are made.
“We are just waiting on a board to get back in place to give us the green light to move forward with that project,” Bell said.
Steps Needed to Restore Function
The governor has the authority to appoint a new board at any time. Once appointed, members can begin serving immediately, though they must be confirmed by the Senate in the next legislative session.
As of mid-July, no appointments had been announced, and the governor’s office did not respond to a Roy Howard Community Journalism Center request for comment.
Once the board takes over, they can approve the technology upgrade, review appeals and extend rules for the upcoming Oct. 1 deadline.
In the meantime, Bell said the board continues processing licenses, conducting inspections and answering questions.
“We’re still here. We’re still working,” she said.
For stylists like McIsaac, day-to-day business continues, too.
“I’m just cutting hair and doing hair,” she said.
