
You likely can transfer your training hours to the new state, but you must get verification of those hours from your home state's licensing board – you may need to arrange for an affidavit to be sent from one state board to another. Other OptionsIf you cannot transfer your license through reciprocity or endorsement, the only option is to sit the new state's full written and practical exams. There may be a service fee of, typically, $100 to $250. Generally, you'll fill out an application and provide proof of your licensure and education in your home state. Here, transfer applications are decided on a case-by-case basis. Georgia's rules are stricter, and the state won't accept transfers from Alabama, California, Washington D.C., Washington, New York or Hawaii. For example, you must have been qualified for at least three of the last five years to qualify for reciprocity in California. Start by calling the new state's licensing board and asking whether you qualify for reciprocity/endorsement and what the conditions are. Applying for Reciprocity or EndorsementEvery state is different. Endorsement generally permits you to bypass the new state's board examinations.

If you meet these criteria, the new state will stamp or endorse your license to say that you can legally practice in the new state. To qualify, you must hold a current cosmetology license in good standing and, as with reciprocity, the new state must agree that your home state has similar training requirements and board exams. How Endorsement WorksSome states, including Colorado and Florida, will license you by endorsement. Most times, you won't have to do additional work experience or sit another licensing exam before switching your cosmetology license to the new state. When states participate in reciprocity, it means they're satisfied that you've completed enough training hours and the exam you took was at least as rigorous as the exam set by the new state's licensing board.

While each state has different rules, transferring your license typically means that you don't have to sit the new state's licensing exams. The second is endorsement, where the new state stamps your license as valid because you have completed an equivalent exam and training hours. The first is reciprocity, where one state allows you to work under the license of another state. If you're moving out-of-state, there are two ways to transfer your license. Cosmetology is a regulated occupation which requires a license in all states.
