A clipper cannot be put under water. How does South Dakota's rule have its contact points disinfected?ARSD 20:39:02:03(3)
A comb has just been used. What is the first step South Dakota's rule gives for a multi-use item?ARSD 20:39:02:03(3)
A customer is nicked and bleeding. In South Dakota's steps the barber rinses the injured area and pats it dry. What comes next?ARSD 20:39:02:03(4)(a)
According to whose instructions are multi-use items disinfected in a South Dakota barber shop?ARSD 20:39:02:03(3)
After a blood exposure, what does South Dakota's rule have done with the implements at the station?ARSD 20:39:02:03(4)(a)
An item used on a customer cannot be disinfected. How does South Dakota's barber rule treat it?ARSD 20:39:02:03(2)
The barber, not the customer, is the one bleeding. In South Dakota's steps, what follows stopping the service?ARSD 20:39:02:03(4)(b)
Besides clean and amply lighted, what must the buildings and quarters of a South Dakota barber shop be at all times?ARSD 20:39:02:01(1)
How many properly working sinks must a South Dakota barber shop have?ARSD 20:39:02:02(3)
How many wet disinfectants and dry cabinet disinfectants does South Dakota's equipment rule require?ARSD 20:39:02:02(1)
Show all 76 questions (66 more)
Infection control rules, continued
How often must a hair brush be cleaned and disinfected under South Dakota's equipment rule?ARSD 20:39:02:02(4)
How often must the mirrors of a South Dakota barber shop be washed?ARSD 20:39:02:03(1)
If hair brushes are used in a South Dakota barber shop, how many must there be for each barber chair at the least?ARSD 20:39:02:02(4)
South Dakota places barber chairs center to center. What area must each one have?ARSD 20:39:02:01(3)
South Dakota requires one mirror for each barber chair. What is the least diameter the rule allows?ARSD 20:39:02:02(2)
Under South Dakota's statute, what must be done with a towel after it has been used once?SDCL 36-14-36(6)
What does South Dakota's physical plant rule say about the upholstery of a barber chair?ARSD 20:39:02:01(3)
What must cover the headrest of a barber chair before a South Dakota barber lets it be used?ARSD 20:39:02:04(1)
When the barber is the one bleeding, at what point in South Dakota's steps do the gloves go on?ARSD 20:39:02:03(4)(b)
Where are multi-use items kept between uses once they have been disinfected in South Dakota?ARSD 20:39:02:03(3)
Which failure does SDCL 36-14-36 list among its petty offenses?SDCL 36-14-36(7)
Which fixture does South Dakota's rule have cleaned and disinfected after each customer, if it was used?ARSD 20:39:02:03(1)
Which floor meets South Dakota's rule for a barber shop?ARSD 20:39:02:01(2)
Which of these may a South Dakota barber not knowingly do under the rule on prohibited practices?ARSD 20:39:02:04(2)
Which of these may not be used or even kept on the work premises of a South Dakota barber shop?ARSD 20:39:02:04(3)
Barbershops and inspections 14
A South Dakota barber wants to work at a station inside a cosmetology salon. What does the Board's Licensing page require?Board of Barber Examiners, Licensing
A South Dakota barber works in a room that is also used as a residence. What must divide the two parts?SDCL 36-14-36(5)
A South Dakota barbershop fails its annual inspection and the inspector has to come back. Who bears the cost of the return visit?ARSD 20:39:05:05; SDCL 36-14-30
A South Dakota barbershop is changing hands. What must happen before a shop license is issued?SDCL 36-14-28
A South Dakota barbershop moves across the street. What happens to its license?SDCL 36-14-29
A South Dakota shop advertises a 'cut and shave' at one price. By the Board's page, what should that price cover?Board of Barber Examiners, Health, Safety and Sanitary Rules
After its first inspection, how often must a South Dakota barbershop be inspected by the Board?SDCL 36-14-30
Must the owner of a South Dakota barbershop be a licensed barber?Board of Barber Examiners, Licensing; SDCL 36-14-27
South Dakota barbershop licenses all run out on the same day each year. Which day?SDCL 36-14-29
South Dakota's partition rule covers rooms also used for business purposes. Which of these is not a business purpose under it?SDCL 36-14-36(5)
What does the Board ask a South Dakota shop to do with its Health, Safety and Sanitary Rules for Barber Shops?Board of Barber Examiners, Health, Safety and Sanitary Rules
When may a member of the Board of Barber Examiners enter and inspect a South Dakota barbershop?SDCL 36-14-6
Where may a mobile barbershop not be operated in South Dakota?SDCL 36-14-31
Which spot does South Dakota's statute fix for a barber's certificate of registration in the shop?SDCL 36-14-20
The examination 14
A person graduated from a barber school in another state. May they sit South Dakota's theory or practical examination?Board of Barber Examiners, Examinations
A South Dakota examinee fails on the first attempt. What does the Board's retake policy say?Board of Barber Examiners, Examinations
A student is still enrolled in a South Dakota barber school. Which examination may the student register for?Board of Barber Examiners, Examinations
Between finishing school and the next examination, what may the South Dakota Board permit a student to do?SDCL 36-14-19
By what time must a South Dakota barber examination be canceled or rescheduled?Board of Barber Examiners, Examinations
How long is the Barber Styling theory examination in the bulletin for South Dakota candidates?South Dakota Candidate Information Bulletin, section 5.3
How many of the 110 questions on South Dakota's Barber Styling theory examination are unscored pilot questions?South Dakota Candidate Information Bulletin, section 5.3
South Dakota's statute sets a floor on how often the Board examines barbers. What is it?SDCL 36-14-19
Under SDCL 36-14-19, what must South Dakota's barber examinations embrace?SDCL 36-14-19
What does an applicant by examination present to the South Dakota Board on appearing for the examination?SDCL 36-14-18
What minimum score does South Dakota's rule set on each of the practical and written barber examinations?ARSD 20:39:04:03
Which content area carries the most questions on the Barber Styling theory examination in South Dakota's bulletin?South Dakota Candidate Information Bulletin, section 5.3
Which written examination does the South Dakota Board of Barber Examiners require of a barber candidate?Board of Barber Examiners, Examinations
Whose practical examination does a South Dakota barber candidate take?Board of Barber Examiners, Examinations
The barber license 11
A barber from another state has no license that matches South Dakota's requirements. What may the applicant prove by affidavits to transfer?SDCL 36-14-14(2)
A South Dakota barber license has been lapsed for three or more years. What does the Board's Licensing page require?Board of Barber Examiners, Licensing
A transfer applicant's home state required fewer than 1,500 hours. What credit does South Dakota give for each month practiced there as a licensed barber?SDCL 36-14-14
How many hours must a South Dakota barber student spend in classrooms, demonstrations and practice before serving any client of the school?ARSD 20:39:03:06
How many hours of education in an approved barber college or school does South Dakota's statute ask of a barber applicant?SDCL 36-14-13(3)
How old must a person be to be licensed as a registered barber in South Dakota?SDCL 36-14-13(1)
South Dakota's written test embraces the subjects taught in approved barber schools. Which of these does SDCL 36-14-17 list among them?SDCL 36-14-17
Unless it is renewed, on what date does a South Dakota barber's certificate of registration expire?SDCL 36-14-22
What must a person hold to practice barbering in South Dakota?SDCL 36-14-11
Who may be granted credit for related hours earned in another program when seeking a South Dakota barber certificate?ARSD 20:39:03:08
Within how many years may a South Dakota barber who left active practice have the certificate restored by paying the restoration fee?SDCL 36-14-25
Scope, the Board and discipline 12
A person cuts hair for the public generally and takes no payment. Is that the practice of barbering in South Dakota?SDCL 36-14-1
A registered nurse is exempt from South Dakota's barber chapter. What does the exemption still not authorize?SDCL 36-14-12
A South Dakota shop owner lets an employee without a certificate of registration work as a barber. What does the statute make of the owner's act?SDCL 36-14-36(2)
For how long must a professional member of South Dakota's Board have followed the occupation of barber in the state before appointment?SDCL 36-14-2
How is the South Dakota Board of Barber Examiners made up?SDCL 36-14-2; 36-14-2.1
Instead of criminal proceedings, what action may the South Dakota Board commence for a violation of the chapter or its rules?SDCL 36-14-37.1
On what part of the body are the practices that make up barbering done, under South Dakota's definition?SDCL 36-14-1
What kind of offense is a violation of South Dakota's barber chapter?SDCL 36-14-37
Which of these is a ground for the South Dakota Board to refuse, suspend or revoke a certificate of registration?SDCL 36-14-32(5)
Which of these is in South Dakota's statutory list of barbering practices?SDCL 36-14-1(3)
Which state department is the home of South Dakota's Board of Barber Examiners?SDCL 36-14-4.1
Who is exempt from South Dakota's barber chapter while properly discharging professional duties?SDCL 36-14-12
How this list was compiled: Examination: the South Dakota Board of Barber Examiners' Examinations page (https://dlr.sd.gov/barber/exams.aspx), which requires the NIC written theory examination for Barber Styling and the Board's own practical examination, with a qualifying score of 75% or greater; SDCL 36-14-13 and 36-14-19; ARSD 20:39:04:03; and the Candidate Information Bulletin published for South Dakota by the Board's examiner (https://provexam.com/test-information/south-dakota-cosmetology-commission-barbers/bulletin.pdf): Barber Styling 2023, 110 questions of which 10 are unscored, 90 minutes, passing score 75. Questions: South Dakota Codified Laws chapter 36-14, Barbers and Barbershops (https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/36-14); Administrative Rules of South Dakota article 20:39, Barbers (https://sdlegislature.gov/Rules/Administrative/20:39); the Board's Examinations, Licensing (https://dlr.sd.gov/barber/licensing.aspx) and Health, Safety and Sanitary Rules (https://dlr.sd.gov/barber/health_rules.aspx) pages; and the bulletin. Each question names its section and links to it. Read 2026-10-16. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the statute, the rules, the Board pages and the bulletin named. Nothing comes from the examination, a textbook, a prep course or a question pool.
How it works
This unofficial South Dakota barber practice test asks our own questions on SDCL 36-14, the Board's infection control rules and its examination pages. It is not affiliated with the South Dakota Board of Barber Examiners or NIC.
Read the full guide
What the South Dakota barber exam is
The Board requires two examinations: the national written theory examination for Barber Styling and the Board's own practical (Examinations page, opened October 16, 2026). The bulletin gives the theory test four content areas: scientific concepts 35 percent, implements and equipment 10, hair care services 40, facial hair and skin care 15.
What this page practices
South Dakota's own text: the infection control rules a shop is inspected under, barbershop licensing, the license itself and how the Board examines. Hair, skin and shaving theory is not asked.
Each chair needs 35 square feet, its own wet disinfectant and dry cabinet disinfectant, and a mirror at least 30 inches across (ARSD 20:39:02).
Styptic pencils, lump alum and powder puffs may not be used or even kept on the work premises (ARSD 20:39:02:04).
A barber renews on or before May 31 each year, and every barbershop license expires that day (SDCL 36-14-22, 36-14-29).
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the South Dakota barber written exam?
The candidate bulletin lists Barber Styling 2023 at 110 questions in 90 minutes, 10 of them unscored pilot questions.
What score do you need to pass the South Dakota barber exam?
ARSD 20:39:04:03 sets a minimum of 75 percent on each of the practical and written examinations.
Is South Dakota law on the barber written exam?
The national outline has no state law part. South Dakota still puts state laws and rules in every barber course (ARSD 20:39:03:06), and shops are inspected under them each year. For the theory outline, try the Washington barber test.
Are these the real South Dakota barber exam questions?
No. Each was written for this page from SDCL 36-14, ARSD 20:39, the Board's pages and the candidate bulletin, with the section under each answer. Nothing comes from the examination or a textbook.
How many hours do you need for a barber license in South Dakota?
SDCL 36-14-13 asks for 1,500 hours of education in a Board-approved barber college or school, a minimum age of eighteen, and passing the written test and practical demonstration.