Cosmetology / Barber License from Illinois to Missouri: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Illinois to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration), verify your Illinois license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. Written and practical examinations are not retaken; reciprocity applicants need only pass the Missouri online state law test with a score of at least 75%.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois and Missouri require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Missouri's administrative checklist below.
What changes, Illinois → Missouri
| Illinois (current) | Missouri (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)) | $100 (reciprocity application fee for operators and instructors; nonrefundable) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement | ~1 weeks (board states current processing is 3-5 business days from receipt for both paper and online (MOPRO) applications) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) | Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Missouri sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Missouri's current requirements on the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid cosmetology license issued by another state, U.S. territory, or D.C. and have been licensed for at least one year.
- Have the other state's licensing agency send a license-verification affidavit directly to the Missouri board confirming the license is active and in good standing.
- Submit two color passport-style photographs taken within the past two years.
- Pass the Missouri online state law test with a score of at least 75%.
- Submit proof of age (birth certificate or driver's license).
- Pay the fees ($100 (reciprocity application fee for operators and instructors; nonrefundable)) and allow ~1 weeks (board states current processing is 3-5 business days from receipt for both paper and online (MOPRO) applications).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Missouri accept a Illinois cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Illinois to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration), verify your Illinois license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. Written and practical examinations are not retaken; reciprocity applicants need only pass the Missouri online state law test with a score of at least 75%.
Will Missouri make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Written and practical examinations are not retaken; reciprocity applicants need only pass the Missouri online state law test with a score of at least 75%.
What does the Illinois-to-Missouri transfer cost and how long does it take?
$100 (reciprocity application fee for operators and instructors; nonrefundable); processing ~1 weeks (board states current processing is 3-5 business days from receipt for both paper and online (MOPRO) applications).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — Application for Reciprocity (form MO 375-0401) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — Forms (processing times, MOPRO) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Missouri Revised Statutes 329.050 — qualifications and required hours (board Statutes & Regulations PDF) ↗ (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]