Cosmetology / Barber License from Colorado to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)

What's different between Colorado and Maryland

Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Maryland. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.

Route, each way

Colorado to Maryland (this page): Compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement.

Maryland to Colorado (the reverse move): Compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement.

The route is the same in both directions.

Does coming from Colorado matter?

Coming from Colorado matters here: only 12 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Maryland.

The others get: licensure by endorsement (38).

CLC membership

Colorado and Maryland have both enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, which is not issuing yet, so it does not cover this move today.

Application fee

Maryland lists $28 for an out-of-state applicant; Colorado has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.

Training hours

Maryland's first-time-applicant standard is 1,500 training hours for the standard license; Colorado's is 1,500.

The two standards are the same.

Exam rules on record

Maryland and Colorado carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.

• Maryland (this move): Most transfer applicants do not retake exams; applicants originally examined in Alaska (after 12/7/2020), California (after 1/1/2022), Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania (after 11/24/2014), or South Dakota must pass both the Maryland theory and practical examinations
• Colorado (the reverse move): Exams are not retaken if you passed a written and practical exam accepted by your licensing state (at least 1,000 hours of work experience in the two years before applying can substitute for the practical), or if you have held a current, valid license with a substantially similar scope of practice for at least one year; applicants who do not meet endorsement requirements must take all or part of the Colorado written and practical exams

What changes, Colorado → Maryland

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

1. Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists (Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
2. Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Cosmetologists (Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
4. Hold a current, active license in good standing from a U.S. state, territory, or jurisdiction with comparable licensing requirements.
5. Have your original licensing state send an official license certification, including disciplinary history, directly to the board (applicant-submitted documents are not accepted).
6. Complete a one-hour Domestic Violence Awareness training course through a Maryland Board-approved provider.
7. Applicants first licensed in certain states (including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee) must document at least 6 months of work experience.
8. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

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