Esthetics License Reciprocity By State
As of 2026
Esthetics licensing requirements vary by state. The following chart provides a general overview of the education and reciprocity requirements for transferring an esthetics license from one state to another.
Requirements may change, and individual circumstances can affect eligibility. Before applying, contact the licensing board in the state where you plan to work to confirm its current requirements.
On mobile devices, swipe left or right to view the complete table.
| State | Accepted Curriculum | Reciprocity Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | The state allows anyone who completed a program in another state to request licensure. | The state reviews each request after receiving a copy of the license from the transferring state. The applicant is required to pay an application fee and may be required to take examinations based on the state from which the license is being transferred. |
| Alaska | Be licensed in a state with equal or greater requirements of 1,500 hours. | Hold a current license in a state with equivalent requirements; complete one year of full-time employment plus 1,500 school hours; or complete two years of full-time employment. Applicants must also pay a fee. |
| Arizona | The state allows anyone who completed a program in another state to request licensure. | Provide certification of hours, proof of graduation or licensure from another state showing the school hours attended and the initial and final dates of licensure, and pay a fee. |
| Arkansas | The state allows anyone who completed a program in another state to request licensure. | Provide a copy of the certification of licensure record to the cosmetology board, certification of the examination record, proof of training and the required fee. |
| California | The state allows anyone who completed a program in another state to request licensure. | The board may grant an out-of-state licensee a California license through reciprocity without requiring the California written and practical examinations when the applicant submits a completed application and all required fees and provides proof of a current license issued by another state. The license must not be revoked, suspended or otherwise restricted; must be in good standing; and must have been active for three of the previous five years without disciplinary action or a criminal conviction. |
| Colorado | Be licensed in a state with equal or greater requirements of 600 hours. | Colorado may issue a license by endorsement to an applicant who holds an active license in good standing and provides proof of a valid license from another state that is substantially equivalent to Colorado’s 600-hour requirements. Applicants whose training is not substantially equivalent may be required to complete additional training. |
| Connecticut | Be licensed in a state with equal or greater requirements of 600 hours. | An applicant for licensure based on an out-of-state license may qualify if the applicant holds a current esthetics license issued by another state based on successful completion of a similar 600-hour education and training program and has successfully completed an examination. |
| Delaware | Be licensed in a state with equal or greater requirements of 600 hours. | Be licensed in a state with equal or greater requirements of 600 hours or submit a notarized statement from an employer certifying at least one year of uninterrupted work immediately before applying. Applicants must have passed a nationally developed written and practical examination. |
| District of Columbia | The district allows anyone who completed a program and holds a license in another state to request licensure by reciprocity. | Complete an approved esthetics program, submit an Esthetician Application for Examination, and take and pass the written and practical esthetician examinations. |
| Florida | Hold an active license in another state with equal or greater requirements of 260 hours. | Florida does not offer reciprocity. Applicants must hold an active license in another state with equal or greater requirements of 260 hours and have passed a written examination, or complete additional training hours to qualify. |
| Georgia | Be licensed in a state with similar requirements of 1,000 hours. | Georgia accepts licensees from other states with similar 1,000-hour licensure requirements. Apply, pay the required fee and have no disciplinary action against the current license. |
| Hawaii | Does not recognize licenses from other states. | Hawaii has no reciprocal arrangements with other boards of esthetics. Applicants must provide proof of similar or equivalent testing and education requirements of 600 hours. |
| Idaho | Be licensed in a state with similar requirements of 600 hours. | Be currently licensed by another state. Certification of licensure must show that the applicant’s training was substantially equivalent to or greater than Idaho’s 600-hour requirement. Applicants must also provide proof of passing a practical and written examination. |
| Illinois | The state allows anyone who completed a program and holds a license in another state to request licensure by endorsement. | Illinois offers esthetics licensure by endorsement. Applicants must be currently licensed as estheticians in their home states. Applicants must submit an application, certification of licensure, documentation of completed training and examinations, and transcripts from the esthetics school attended. |
| Indiana | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 700 hours of training. | The current license must meet Indiana’s minimum requirement of 700 hours. Applicants with fewer than 700 hours may substitute one year of licensed practice for 100 hours of education, up to a maximum substitution of 400 hours. Applicants must earn at least 70% on written and practical examinations. An applicant with a conviction record must provide documentation showing the disposition of the conviction. |
| Iowa | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Licensure through endorsement is available and applications are reviewed individually. The applicant’s home state must have licensing requirements similar or equivalent to Iowa’s 600-hour requirement. Applicants must have taken and passed a national theory examination. |
| Kansas | The state allows anyone who completed a program in another state with reciprocity to request licensure. | An applicant with at least 1,000 training hours and an active license in another state must take a 20-question open-book examination. An applicant with at least 1,000 hours whose license has expired or who does not hold a license must take written and practical board examinations. An applicant with fewer than 1,000 hours and an active license must also take board examinations. An applicant with fewer than 1,000 hours and no license, or an expired license, must complete additional hours and take the board examinations. |
| Kentucky | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 750 hours of training. | Provide certification of hours and/or licensure from the state licensing agency where the hours were obtained. If the applicant’s hours are equivalent to Kentucky’s 750-hour requirement, the applicant may apply as an out-of-state examinee. Applicants without enough hours must complete the remaining hours at a Kentucky cosmetology school before applying for the licensing examination. |
| Louisiana | Accepts training provided in other states. | Individuals currently holding an esthetics license may be licensed. Applicants who took the NIC examination are only required to take the state law examination. Applicants who did not take the NIC examination must take both the NIC examination and the state law examination. |
| Maine | Accepts training provided in other states. | Licensure by endorsement is available when the applicant’s home state has similar training-hour requirements of 600 hours and similar board examinations. Applicants may be required to take Maine’s board examination when their home state does not have similar licensing requirements. |
| Maryland | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Maryland does not provide reciprocity for esthetics licenses. Applicants must hold a current license in another state, provide certification that the license is in good standing and was obtained under the same 600-hour standards required in Maryland, and take the state board examination. |
| Massachusetts | Does not recognize licenses from other states. | Massachusetts does not provide reciprocity from other states. Applicants must take the state’s written and practical board examinations, submit an application and pay the required fee. |
| Michigan | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 400 hours of training. | The home state’s training and testing requirements must be substantially equal to Michigan’s 400-hour requirements. Applicants whose home-state requirements are not similar may be required to complete additional training and take written and practical examinations. |
| Minnesota | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Provide verification of licensure and completion of examinations, submit a reciprocity application and pay the required fee. Applicants with fewer than 600 hours may make up the difference through training hours in Minnesota. |
| Mississippi | Accepts training provided in other states. | Submit a record of training and license status from the home state to the Mississippi board and appear before the board for a credentialing interview. Licensure is determined individually. |
| Missouri | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 750 hours of training. | Hold a current license in a state with substantially similar or superior requirements of 750 hours. Applicants with fewer hours than Missouri requires must complete additional training. NIC testing is required for all transfers. |
| Montana | Accepts training provided in other states. | Hold a current license and provide proof of passing both the written and practical NIC esthetics examinations. |
| Nebraska | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 training hours. Work experience may also be required when the program contained fewer than 600 hours. | Be currently licensed as an esthetician in another state and have completed at least 600 hours of esthetics training and successfully passed a written examination. Applicants whose original state did not require a written examination must take the NIC examination. When an applicant completed fewer than 600 training hours, Nebraska may consider work experience. Each month of full-time practice during the five years immediately before application counts as 100 hours. |
| Nevada | Accepts training provided in other states. | Hold a license in good standing from the home state, provide proof of passing the NIC written examination and take the Nevada law examination. |
| New Hampshire | The state accepts applicants similarly licensed in another state when the other state’s licensing requirements are substantially equivalent to or higher than 600 hours. | Have an equivalent or greater number of training hours than the home state’s 600-hour requirement and have passed written and practical national examinations. Applicants without enough training hours must possess twice the number of missing hours in work experience or complete additional training. |
| New Jersey | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Provide certification of training from the home state showing training substantially equivalent to New Jersey’s 600-hour requirement. Applicants licensed in another state who have practiced skincare for at least three years may submit a notarized affidavit of work experience and a letter certifying licensure from the licensing authority in that state instead of documentation of training. |
| New Mexico | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Provide an affidavit from the home state’s regulatory agency showing a current license in good standing and completion of equal or comparable training of 600 hours. Applicants lacking hours may substitute up to 150 hours of verified work experience toward the minimum. Any remaining hours must be completed in school. |
| New York | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | New York may waive its schooling requirement when the applicant can document an equivalent 600-hour level of schooling from another state. Applicants must provide a school certificate, a transcript listing subjects and hours completed, and current original certification of licensure from the home-state board. |
| North Carolina | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a current license in a state with equal or higher requirements of 600 hours, have at least three years of recent licensed work experience and complete any required state licensure examinations. |
| North Dakota | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a current esthetics license from another state with substantially the same 600-hour licensing requirements and have completed formal education at a school of esthetics. Applicants may be required to take the state examination covering sanitary practices and state law. |
| Ohio | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | An applicant holding a current esthetics license in another state whose requirements are substantially equivalent to Ohio’s 600-hour requirements may apply. One year of licensed experience may substitute for 100 training hours, up to a maximum of 500 hours. Applicants must take and pass Ohio’s practical and theoretical examinations. |
| Oklahoma | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Education and work experience must equal or exceed Oklahoma’s 600-hour requirement and three years of currently licensed work experience. Applicants who do not meet both requirements may be required to take Oklahoma board examinations and/or complete additional training hours. |
| Oregon | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 500 hours of training. | To obtain an Oregon practitioner certification in esthetics by reciprocity, provide proof of licensure in another state and pass all relevant Oregon written examinations. Proof of licensure must show that the education received was substantially equivalent to Oregon’s 500-hour certification requirements. |
| Rhode Island | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Rhode Island does not offer reciprocity but offers licensure by endorsement. Applicants must meet Rhode Island’s 600-hour requirements. Applicants who do not meet the criteria must complete additional training hours and take the state examination. Fifteen months of work experience may be considered equivalent to 200 training hours. |
| South Carolina | Accepts training provided in other states. | Hold a current license in good standing in another state and have passed the NIC theory and practical examinations. Applicants who did not take and pass the NIC examinations must take the examination before a license can be issued. |
| South Dakota | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a current license in good standing in another state, take and pass the South Dakota laws and rules examination, and have completed at least 600 hours of training in another state. |
| Tennessee | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 750 hours of training. | Provide proof of meeting Tennessee’s minimum 750-hour training requirement and/or proof of a five-year work history. Applicants unable to meet the requirements must submit an application to the board and may be required to complete additional training hours. |
| Texas | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 750 hours of training. | License holders from other states and territories may be eligible for a Texas license when the other state’s education and examination requirements are substantially equivalent to Texas’s 750-hour requirements. |
| Utah | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Submit verification of current licensure and meet Utah’s 600-hour education and examination requirements. |
| Vermont | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a license in a state whose requirements are equal or superior to Vermont’s 600-hour requirement and pass the state law examination. |
| Virginia | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a license in a state whose requirements are equal or superior to Virginia’s 600-hour requirement and pass practical and written examinations. |
| Washington | Accepts training provided in other states. | Hold a current license in good standing in another state and have taken and passed written and practical examinations in the state of licensure. |
| West Virginia | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a license in a state whose requirements are equal or superior to West Virginia’s 600-hour requirement. Licensed work may be accepted in place of training hours at a rate of 25 hours per month of licensed work, or 300 hours per year. Work experience may not exceed 50% of the required training hours and must have been acquired within the previous five years. Applicants who have not worked during the previous five years must take the required examinations. |
| Wisconsin | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 450 hours of training. | Upon application and payment of the required fee, the department may grant a license to an applicant licensed in another state whose scope of practice is substantially the same as that of a Wisconsin esthetician. The applicant must complete a one-hour course covering applicable statutes and rules, have no disciplinary action by the issuing licensing authority and not be a party to a proceeding before the licensing agency. |
| Wyoming | Be licensed in a state requiring at least 600 hours of training. | Hold a current license from another state, have graduated from a licensed esthetics school, have taken a written and practical examination administered by the board or a testing company, and meet or exceed Wyoming’s 600-hour requirements. Applicants with fewer than 600 hours must have at least one year of work experience. |
Important: This information is provided as a general reference and does not guarantee eligibility for licensure. State laws, education-hour requirements, examination requirements and reciprocity policies may change. Contact the appropriate state licensing board for the most current information.
Latest News & Events
Beauty School Financial Aid FAQ
July 29, 2026
Curious about financial aid? We know it can be really confusing! There are many ways to fund your education. Read through our Financial Aid FAQ
Investing In Your Future
July 29, 2026
Investing In Your Future: Jean Madeline education is rigorous and designed to give you an exceptional foundation for your professional career. Our programs allow you
Which Beauty Career Is Right for You? A Guide to Choosing Between Cosmetology, Esthetics, and Nail Technology
June 1, 2026
Which Beauty Career Is Right for You? If you’ve ever found yourself watching hair transformation videos, saving nail inspiration to Pinterest, or researching the latest