Cosmetology / Barber License from Georgia to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Michigan accept a Georgia cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Georgia to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing — Cosmetology, verify your Georgia license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. Michigan does not re-examine licensure-by-endorsement applicants; instead you must show your licensing state's requirements were substantially equal — a theory and practical examination plus at least 1,500 hours of prelicensure training or a 2-year apprenticeship (training-hour shortfalls may be substituted with work experience at 100 hours of training per 6 months of work experience).
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia and Michigan require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Michigan's administrative checklist below.
What's different between Georgia and Michigan
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Michigan. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Georgia to Michigan (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Michigan to Georgia (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Georgia matter?
Coming from Georgia does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Michigan.
- CLC membership
Neither Georgia nor Michigan has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact.
- Application fee
Michigan lists $63 for an out-of-state applicant and Georgia lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Training hours
Michigan's first-time-applicant standard is 1,500 training hours for the standard license; Georgia's is 1,500.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Michigan and Georgia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Michigan (this move): Michigan does not re-examine licensure-by-endorsement applicants; instead you must show your licensing state's requirements were substantially equal — a theory and practical examination plus at least 1,500 hours of prelicensure training or a 2-year apprenticeship (training-hour shortfalls may be substituted with work experience at 100 hours of training per 6 months of work experience)
- Georgia (the reverse move): Written and practical exams are not retaken if you provide proof of passing a national or state-approved written and practical exam in English; otherwise the Board issues an exam-eligibility letter and you must pass the Georgia (NIC/PSI) exams within three attempts
What changes, Georgia → Michigan
| Georgia (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $75 (endorsement application fee for Master Cosmetologist; the board fee schedule adds a non-refundable processing fee of $10 for paper applications or $5 for online applications; instructor endorsement is $100) | $63 (application fee plus 2-year license fee; same $63 total for licensure by examination or reciprocity) |
| Processing time | no timeframe published; the board processes applications in the order received, and a completed application may also go to a board meeting (it must be complete at least 15 days before the meeting to make that agenda); an application may be withdrawn if noted deficiencies are not satisfied within 60 days | LARA does not publish a processing timeframe in the cosmetology licensing guide |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing — Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing — Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing — Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active license or registration in good standing from another state authorizing you to perform cosmetology services.
- Establish education equivalent to completion of the ninth grade.
- Have license verification submitted directly to LARA by the licensing agency of every state where you hold or ever held a cosmetology-related license.
- Apply and pay fees through the MiPLUS online licensing portal.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Georgia 2026-10-29, Michigan 2026-07-21.
- LARA — Cosmetology (profession page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LARA — Michigan Cosmetology Licensing Guide (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan Admin Code R 338.2121b — Licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- GA SoS — Board of Cosmetology and Barbers FAQ (Endorsement/Reciprocity Requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- GA Rules — Chapter 240-11 Licensure by Endorsement (Rule 240-11-.01) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- GA Rules — Chapter 240-15 Cosmetology School Curriculum (1,500-hour master cosmetology course) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- GA SoS — How-to Guide: Master Cosmetologist, Cosmetology Instructor (endorsement checklist; after you apply) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- GA State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers — Fee Schedule (GSBCB rev. 03/22; endorsement $75, processing fee $10 paper / $5 online) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Georgia 2026-10-29, Michigan 2026-07-21
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