For salon owners across Canada

Hair salon training rules, province by province.

Do your stylists need a trade certificate? Who licenses your salon? Does your team need WHMIS? Pick your province or territory and see every training rule a hair salon has to meet, in plain English, with the official source for each one.

Where is your salon?

Or pick on the map ↓Rules for every salon ↓

13 provinces & territories Links to the official source Checked October 2026

A stylist shampoos a client's hair at a salon basin

1Pick your province or territory 2See what your salon needs 3Train your team

Your province’s rules

Pick your province. See what your salon needs.

Trade certificate requiredLicence or permit requiredCertificate voluntary

Click a province or territory to see its details. They stay on screen until you pick another.

All provinces & territories at a glance · A to Z

Hair salon rules across Canada.

Tap any province or territory for the details and the official links.

Hairstylist certificate	Who certifies or licenses	Before you open
Compulsory trade	Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training	Notify Alberta Health Services
Voluntary	SkilledTradesBC (voluntary)	Health authority approval
Compulsory trade	Apprenticeship Manitoba	Public health guidelines
Licence required	Cosmetology Association of New Brunswick	CANB inspections
Voluntary	Apprenticeship and Trades Certification (voluntary)	No salon licence
Voluntary	Apprenticeship and Trades (voluntary)	Permit from Environmental Health
Compulsory trade	Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia	Licensed by CANS
Voluntary	No licence (voluntary)	Health Officer certifies before opening
Compulsory trade	Skilled Trades Ontario	Notify public health unit
Licence required	PEI Hairdressers Association	Register with Personal Services Program
Voluntary	Not regulated (voluntary)	No provincial salon licence
Compulsory trade	Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission	Saskatchewan Health Authority
Voluntary	No licence (voluntary)	Health approval and inspection

How to read the cards

The rules every salon meets. Wherever it is.

Some rules come from federal law or exist in every province in a similar form. Each card names the rule, who it applies to, and where it comes from. Where Gardril offers the training, you will see a Gardril button.

Mandatory Required by law for the people named Depends Required for some roles or tasks Usually not Rarely applies to a typical salon Owner duty Your job as the employer Gardril course Train and verify with Gardril

Every province & territory · 7 rules

Training rules for every hair salon in Canada.

Checked against federal, provincial and territorial sources in October 2026.

WHMISMandatory

WHMIS training

Every province and territory requires WHMIS training for workers who work with or near hazardous products. In Quebec it is called SIMDUT. Training covers labels, safety data sheets, safe storage, use and handling, and emergency procedures.

Hair colour, developer, lightener and perm products are cosmetics, so they arrive without WHMIS labels or safety data sheets. Your provincial law decides how training applies to them; in Alberta the training duty still covers them (OHS Code s.395(5), s.397)
Cleaning and disinfecting chemicals bought in workplace packaging are fully covered by WHMIS
Train again when your products, procedures or roles change

Provincial and territorial OHS lawsFederal Hazardous Products Act✓ Official

Gardril course✓ ID verified✓ Proctored

$11.75+taxOnline, self paced

Who: stylists, apprentices, assistants, whoever receives and stores stock, and any other worker near the products.

OHSMandatory

Worker and supervisor OHS training

Every province and territory makes the employer train workers on the hazards of their job and their rights, and make sure supervisors are competent. Ontario is the only province that names one required awareness course. Everywhere else, you choose how to train, so keep a record of who was trained, on what, and when.

Ontario: every worker and supervisor completes the mandatory awareness training (O. Reg. 297/13)
British Columbia: a documented orientation for every new and young worker
Job specific safety and emergency procedure training before work is assigned
Gardril’s OHS Regulatory Awareness course covers worker rights and employer duties in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and the key differences between them

Provincial and territorial OHS laws✓ Official

Gardril courseComing soon

$15+taxOnline, Gardril

Who: every worker, plus anyone who directs others: owners, managers, senior stylists and apprentice mentors.

TDGUsually not

Transportation of Dangerous Goods

TDG is federal, so the same rules apply in every province. Receiving supplier deliveries does not normally require TDG training. Shipments marked as limited quantities are exempt from the training rules (TDG Regulations s.1.17). Look for the limited quantity mark on the box: a diamond with black top and bottom corners.

Training is needed if your staff ship returns, or move stock between locations, that are not packed as limited quantities and fall outside the 150 kg exemption (s.1.15)
Training is also needed to unload a fully regulated shipment, unless done under direct supervision of a certified person
Certificates last 36 months for road

Transport Canada, TDG RegulationsSections 1.15, 1.17 and 6.1✓ Official

Gardril course✓ ID verified✓ Proctored

$11.75+taxOnline, self paced

Who: only staff who ship or transport regulated dangerous goods.

PLANOwner duty

Harassment prevention

Every province now requires a written harassment prevention policy, whatever the size of your salon. Nova Scotia was the last to add the rule, on September 1, 2025. The territories set the same duty in their OHS rules.

Training on the policy is required in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador; Alberta requires every worker to be trained on its violence and harassment plan
Ontario: review the policy every year
Nova Scotia: review the policy every 3 years

Provincial and territorial OHS laws✓ Official

Who: the owner sets it up; workers learn how to report and how complaints are handled.

AIDMandatory

First aid

Every province and territory requires first aid kits and trained first aiders at work. How many you need depends on how many people work each shift, the hazard level of the work, and how far you are from medical care. Your province panel above names the rule that applies.

Training must come from a provider your province recognizes
Keep the kit stocked and tell staff who the first aiders are
In Alberta a salon is a medium hazard work site: 2 to 9 workers per shift within 20 minutes of care need 1 Basic First Aider

Provincial and territorial first aid rules✓ Official

Who: the staff you designate.

HEALTHOwner duty

Health rules before you open

Public health rules for salons are set by each province and territory. Some want notice or a permit before you open, others inspect on complaint. Pick your province above to see which applies to you.

Ontario: tell your local public health unit before you open (O. Reg. 136/18)
Alberta: notify Alberta Health Services
British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut: approval, permit or written certification before opening
Prince Edward Island: register with the Personal Services Program since February 1, 2026

Provincial and territorial public health rules✓ Official

Who: the business operator.

APPRIf you employ apprentices

Employing apprentices

Apprentices earn their hours only once they are registered with your province’s apprenticeship authority and working under a qualified journeyperson. In the provinces where the trade is compulsory, a registered apprentice is allowed to do the restricted work under supervision.

Alberta: a sponsorship agreement first, and 2 apprentices for every mentor
Quebec: each compagnon may supervise up to 2 apprentices
Red Seal: the interprovincial exam that lets certified hairstylists move between provinces more easily

Provincial apprenticeship authorities✓ Official

Who: the salon as sponsor, and the journeyperson acting as mentor.

The short answer

Who on your team needs what. At a glance.

Find the role to see what it needs. The trade certificate column depends on your province; everything else applies across Canada.

Role	Trade certificate	OHS training	WHMIS	TDG	First aid
Stylist or barber working on paying clients	Required in AB, SK, MB, ON, NS Licence in NB and PE (title or salon). Voluntary elsewhere	Required	Required Works with colour, developer, lightener, perm and cleaning products	Not for normal work	If designated
Apprentice	Registered apprentice Where the trade is compulsory	Required	Required	Not for normal work	If designated
Shampoo or salon assistant	Depends on tasks Shampoo and condition is usually not restricted. Cutting, colour or styling is	Required	Required if they mix, apply or clean up products	Not for normal work	If designated
Front desk or retail staff	Not required	Required	If they work with or near hazardous products	Not required	If designated
Whoever receives supplier deliveries	Not required	Required	Required they store and handle the products	Usually not Limited quantity shipments are exempt. Check the box.	n/a
Whoever ships returns or moves stock between locations	Not required	Required	Required	Possibly unless packed as a limited quantity or under the 150 kg exemption	n/a
Owner or manager	If they also do hair	Required as a competent supervisor, and you make sure everyone is trained	Required plus you set up the WHMIS program	Only if the salon ships	You designate the right number of first aiders

Summary only. The province panels and cards hold the conditions and exceptions, and the official source for each rule.

Training your whole salon team? We can help.

Gardril’s WHMIS course verifies each learner’s identity before the assessment and continuously during it, so the certificate on file belongs to the person who earned it. Tell us about your salon and we will set your team up.

Talk to Gardril about your team

Questions salon owners ask

Hair salon training FAQ.

Do hairstylists need to be certified in Canada?

It depends on the province. Hairstylist is a compulsory trade in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, so you need a certificate or a registered apprenticeship to do the work.

In New Brunswick you need a licence from the Cosmetology Association of New Brunswick, and on Prince Edward Island the Hairdressers Act controls who can call themselves a licensed hairdresser and who can operate a salon. Certification is voluntary in British Columbia, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Can I work in another province with my hairstylist certificate?

A Red Seal endorsement is the easiest route, because every province and territory recognizes the interprovincial Red Seal standard. Without it, contact the trade authority in the province you are moving to. Where the trade is compulsory, you need their certificate or approval before you work.

Does my salon need WHMIS training?

Yes. Every province and territory requires WHMIS training for workers who work with or near hazardous products. In a salon that usually covers stylists, apprentices, assistants and whoever receives and stores stock. In Quebec it is called SIMDUT.

Gardril’s WHMIS General Education course covers the general education part. You still train staff on your own salon’s products and procedures.

Are hair dye and developer covered by WHMIS?

Partly. Hair colour, developer, lightener and perm products are cosmetics under the Food and Drugs Act, so they do not need WHMIS labels or safety data sheets. Cleaning and disinfecting chemicals bought in workplace packaging are fully covered.

Your province’s OHS law decides how worker training applies to cosmetics. In Alberta, for example, the training duty still applies to them.

Do salon staff need TDG training to receive deliveries?

Usually not. Hair product deliveries are normally shipped as limited quantities, and the federal TDG Regulations exempt limited quantity shipments from the training rules (section 1.17). Check the box for the limited quantity mark: a diamond with black top and bottom corners.

Is there one required health and safety course for salon staff?

Only in Ontario, where every worker and supervisor must complete basic health and safety awareness training (O. Reg. 297/13). Ontario offers it free.

Every other province and territory requires the employer to train workers on their rights and the hazards of the job, but leaves the format to you. Keep a record of who was trained, on what, and when.

Do I need to tell public health before opening a salon?

In many places, yes. Ontario wants notice to your local public health unit, Alberta wants notice to Alberta Health Services, and British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut require approval, a permit or written certification first. Prince Edward Island requires registration with its Personal Services Program. Pick your province on the map to see the rule.

Does my salon need a harassment policy?

Yes. Every province now requires a written harassment prevention policy, whatever your size, and the territories set the same duty in their OHS rules. Some provinces, including British Columbia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, also require training on it.