Cosmetology / Barber License from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken — an applicant who meets the criteria for licensure by reciprocity may obtain the license without examination (49 Pa. Code 7.31(b)).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. District of Columbia trained you to 1,500 hours; Pennsylvania requires only 1,250. With the hour test cleared by a margin, your transfer is administrative — license verification, application, fee — and the requirements below read as a checklist rather than an obstacle course.
What changes, District of Columbia → Pennsylvania
| District of Columbia (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Reciprocity with 41 states |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,250 |
| Application fee | DLCP publishes a $65 initial application fee plus $110 initial license fee for initial licenses (listed under the exam pathway); an endorsement-specific fee is not separately published | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) |
| Processing time | no timeframe published by DLCP | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Barber and Cosmetology (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license with a minimum of two years of licensed work experience, documented by signed employer certifications.
- Provide criminal history records checks, dated within 180 days, from every state where you lived, worked, or trained during the past five years.
- Be licensed in a state with which Pennsylvania holds a reciprocal agreement; applicants from the eight non-reciprocal states apply by Act 41 endorsement instead.
- Pay the fees ($89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal)) and allow the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a District of Columbia cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken — an applicant who meets the criteria for licensure by reciprocity may obtain the license without examination (49 Pa. Code 7.31(b)).
Will Pennsylvania make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Exams are not retaken — an applicant who meets the criteria for licensure by reciprocity may obtain the license without examination (49 Pa. Code 7.31(b)).
What does the District of Columbia-to-Pennsylvania transfer cost and how long does it take?
$89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal); processing the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- PA Department of State — Cosmetology Licensure Guide (reciprocity section) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA Department of State — Cosmetologist Licensure Snapshot ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 7 — State Board of Cosmetology ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- DC DLCP — Board of Barber and Cosmetology (endorsement instructions, hours, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]