Cosmetology / Barber License from Illinois to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Illinois to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB), verify your Illinois license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. No practical exam for reciprocity applicants; the Mississippi written/theory exam is required unless you were licensed in 2025 or later by a state on the board's published reciprocity list, in which case the exam is waived and you proceed to the license form upon application approval.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois and Mississippi require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Mississippi's administrative checklist below.
What changes, Illinois → Mississippi
| Illinois (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Reciprocity with 27 states |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)) | $55 (non-refundable application fee under reciprocity or UROLA; practitioner license fee $50 per Rule 5.20) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement | board does not publish a processing timeframe; UROLA applicants receive a 365-day temporary practice permit upon complete application |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) | Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a practitioner license from a state or U.S. territory with educational requirements similar to Mississippi (minimum hours and 10th-grade education).
- Submit two 2x2-inch passport-style photographs taken within the last 90 days.
- Submit two forms of identification, at least one government-issued with photograph.
- Submit color copies of all licenses held plus a certified letter/verification of active practice and good standing from every state board where you hold a license.
- New Mississippi residents may instead apply under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act (UROLA) and must pass the Mississippi Laws and Sanitation Examination within 1 year.
- Pay the fees ($55 (non-refundable application fee under reciprocity or UROLA; practitioner license fee $50 per Rule 5.20)) and allow board does not publish a processing timeframe; UROLA applicants receive a 365-day temporary practice permit upon complete application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi accept a Illinois cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Illinois to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB), verify your Illinois license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. No practical exam for reciprocity applicants; the Mississippi written/theory exam is required unless you were licensed in 2025 or later by a state on the board's published reciprocity list, in which case the exam is waived and you proceed to the license form upon application approval.
Will Mississippi make me retake the cosmetology exams?
No practical exam for reciprocity applicants; the Mississippi written/theory exam is required unless you were licensed in 2025 or later by a state on the board's published reciprocity list, in which case the exam is waived and you proceed to the license form upon application approval.
What does the Illinois-to-Mississippi transfer cost and how long does it take?
$55 (non-refundable application fee under reciprocity or UROLA; practitioner license fee $50 per Rule 5.20); processing board does not publish a processing timeframe; UROLA applicants receive a 365-day temporary practice permit upon complete application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- MSBCB — Rules and Regulations (Rules 5.2, 5.8, 5.10, 5.20) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBCB — Reciprocity with Mississippi state table (2025-present) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBCB — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Cosmetologist (011), rev. 9/2025 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Cosmetology profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100 — 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]