Do You Need to Be a Hairdresser to Make Dreadlocks in New Zealand?

This is one of the first questions future locticians ask me. In New Zealand, the answer is simpler than in many other countries. But simple doesn't mean there are no rules, so let me go through it honestly.

I am not a lawyer, and rules change. Please read this as an overview, not as legal advice.

The short answer

No. You don't need to be a qualified hairdresser to make dreadlocks in New Zealand, and you don't need a background in hair to become a skilled dreadlock artist. Many of the strongest locticians I have trained had never worked with hair before they came to me.

No licence, no salon registration

There is no licence for hairdressers in New Zealand. Hairdressing qualifications exist, often gained through an apprenticeship, and many salons ask for them when they hire. But the law doesn't require one to work with hair.

Hair salons also no longer need to register with the local council. Many councils have updated their websites to say so.

What still applies

• Planning and building rules. Before you open a space, or work from home, check with your council whether you need resource consent or building consent.
• Trade waste. Some councils have rules about what goes down the drain from a business.
• Health and safety. As a business, you have duties under health and safety law, overseen by WorkSafe.
• Hygiene. No registration doesn't mean no responsibility. Clean tools, a clean space and good routines protect your clients and your reputation.
• Tax. You need to tell Inland Revenue about your self-employed income, pay ACC levies, and register for GST once your turnover reaches the threshold.
• Insurance. Public liability insurance is strongly recommended.

If you also want to offer beauty treatments, piercing or anything that breaks the skin, the rules are different and stricter. Check your council's bylaws.

Where my training fits

The Professional Loctician In-Person Training teaches you the craft of making dreadlocks and how to build a practice around it. The Seienstyle certification shows you have learned my method to my standard. It is not a New Zealand hairdressing qualification, and it doesn't claim to be one.

Because New Zealand doesn't require a licence, the quality of your work is what protects your clients and builds your name. That is why I care so much about learning properly.

The training costs $4,599 USD, and I come to you in New Zealand.

Read more about The Professional Loctician In-Person Training

You can read the bigger picture in How to Become a Loctician and Dreadlock Artist in New Zealand, and about setting up your business in How to Start Your Own Dreadlock Salon in New Zealand.

Do you have questions about where you live? Send me an email at [email protected]. I can't give you legal advice, but I will answer honestly, even if I think the time is not right for you yet.

With love,
Ann-Marie