Cosmetology / Barber License from Hawaii to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Michigan accept a Hawaii cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. Hawaii trained you to 1,800 hours; Michigan requires only 1,500. 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's different between Hawaii 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
Hawaii to Michigan (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Michigan to Hawaii (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Hawaii matter?
Coming from Hawaii 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 Hawaii nor Michigan has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact.
- Application fee
Michigan lists $63 for an out-of-state applicant and Hawaii lists $92–$165 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Hawaii lists 4–8 weeks for the reverse move; Michigan has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Training hours
Michigan's first-time-applicant standard is 1,500 training hours for the standard license; Hawaii's is 1,800.
Michigan's is 300 training hours lower than Hawaii's.
- Exam rules on record
Michigan and Hawaii 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)
- Hawaii (the reverse move): You may qualify for an examination waiver (no Hawaii exam) if you obtained a passing score on the NIC or PSI Services examination in another jurisdiction — apply via examination waiver with proof of passing; otherwise you must pass Hawaii's licensing examination, administered by PSI Services since January 1, 2026
What changes, Hawaii → Michigan
| Hawaii (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,800 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $92–$165 (examination-waiver applicants pay $92 if licensed in an odd-numbered year or $165 in an even-numbered year ($20 non-refundable application + $22 license + Compliance Resolution Fund, plus half the renewal fee in even years); exam-route applicants pay the $20 application fee first, with exam fees paid to PSI and license fees after passing; optional temporary permit (exam applicants only) $40) | $63 (application fee plus 2-year license fee; same $63 total for licensure by examination or reciprocity) |
| Processing time | 4–8 weeks (applications are ratified at monthly board meetings; license card mailed approximately 2-3 weeks after the meeting) | LARA does not publish a processing timeframe in the cosmetology licensing guide |
| Licensing authority | Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) | 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 Hawaii 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)
- Hawaii DCCA — Barbering and Cosmetology FAQs (rev. 04/29/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Hawaii DCCA PVL — Board of Barbering and Cosmetology ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Hawaii DCCA PVL — Barbering and Cosmetology Examination Information (NIC/PSI examination waiver; PSI Services vendor from January 1, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Hawaii DCCA — Beauty Operator License application and instructions, forms COSM-00A/COSM-01 (rev. 11/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Hawaii 2026-10-29, Michigan 2026-07-21
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