Cosmetology / Barber License from Georgia to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does South Carolina accept a Georgia cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Georgia to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Georgia license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. No South Carolina exam is required if you have passed the NIC theory and practical examinations; applicants actively licensed in another state for at least two years who complete 4 hours of board-approved continuing education are exempt from the examination requirement.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia and South Carolina require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is South Carolina's administrative checklist below.
What's different between Georgia and South Carolina
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into South Carolina. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Georgia to South Carolina (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
South Carolina 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 South Carolina.
- CLC membership
Neither Georgia nor South Carolina has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact.
- Application fee
South Carolina lists $60 for an out-of-state applicant and Georgia lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Training hours
South Carolina'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
South Carolina and Georgia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- South Carolina (this move): No South Carolina exam is required if you have passed the NIC theory and practical examinations; applicants actively licensed in another state for at least two years who complete 4 hours of board-approved continuing education are exempt from the examination requirement
- 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 → South Carolina
| Georgia (current) | South Carolina (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) | $60 (Endorsement/Reciprocity fee for Registered Cosmetologist per board fee schedule; instructor endorsement is $80) |
| 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 | board states it is unable to offer a specific processing time frame; applications are processed in the order received |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers | South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active cosmetology license in good standing in another state.
- Request license verification from each state where you hold or have held a license, sent directly from the original issuing state board to the SC Board of Cosmetology.
- Include a copy of the continuing-education certificate of completion if qualifying through the two-year licensure plus 4-hour CE route.
- Submit supplemental forms with the endorsement application, including a Verification of Lawful Presence affidavit, notarized signature affidavit, and passport-type photo.
- 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, South Carolina 2026-07-21.
- SC LLR Board of Cosmetology — FAQ (endorsement and examination requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SC LLR Board of Cosmetology — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 13 (Sections 40-13-230, 40-13-270) ↗ (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, South Carolina 2026-07-21
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