Cosmetology / Barber License from Kansas to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does New Mexico accept a Kansas cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Kansas to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department), verify your Kansas license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. No New Mexico exam is required to obtain the expedited (reciprocity) license, but exam credit does not fully transfer; under 16.34.6.12 NMAC an expedited licensee must pass the board's practical and written examinations as a prerequisite to first license renewal.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The number that defines this move: Kansas licensed you at 1,500 training hours, and New Mexico requires 1,600 — a 100-hour deficit on paper. That does not usually mean going back to school. It means proving the gap is covered another way: most boards in New Mexico's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu New Mexico offers.
What's different between Kansas and New Mexico
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into New Mexico. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Kansas to New Mexico (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
New Mexico to Kansas (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Kansas matter?
Coming from Kansas does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into New Mexico.
- CLC membership
Kansas has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact; New Mexico has not.
- Application fee
New Mexico lists $100–$150 for an out-of-state applicant and Kansas lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
New Mexico lists 1–4 weeks; Kansas lists 3+ weeks for the reverse move.
- Training hours
New Mexico's first-time-applicant standard is 1,600 training hours for the standard license; Kansas's is 1,500.
New Mexico's is 100 training hours higher than Kansas's.
- Exam rules on record
New Mexico and Kansas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- New Mexico (this move): No New Mexico exam is required to obtain the expedited (reciprocity) license, but exam credit does not fully transfer; under 16.34.6.12 NMAC an expedited licensee must pass the board's practical and written examinations as a prerequisite to first license renewal
- Kansas (the reverse move): Board written and practical exams are waived if you completed at least 1,500 training hours and hold an active license in another state — only a 20-question open-book exam on Kansas laws is required; applicants with fewer hours or an expired license must take the board exams
What changes, Kansas → New Mexico
| Kansas (current) | New Mexico (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | CLC enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,600 |
| Application fee | $75 (nonrefundable out-of-state application fee; exam fees are additional only if board exams are required) | $100–$150 (16.34.14.8 NMAC sets a $100 cosmetologist original license fee (I) and a $150 expedited license (original) fee (P); the board FAQ does not state which applies to an out-of-state (reciprocity) applicant, exact total shown at payment in NM-PLUS) |
| Processing time | 3+ weeks (board states the out-of-state process typically takes no less than 3 weeks after all documentation is received; allow 7-10 business days per document review) | 1–4 weeks (board FAQ says applications are approved within 3-5 business days of completion; 16.34.6.10 NMAC requires issuance of the expedited license within 30 days of a complete application) |
| Licensing authority | Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC) | New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current cosmetology license in good standing in an eligible jurisdiction (several states are excluded, see notes).
- Submit proof of your current out-of-state license in good standing with the application (16.34.6.10 NMAC).
- Complete the New Mexico jurisprudence exam and submit it with the reciprocity application through the NM-PLUS portal.
- Have no disqualifying criminal conviction and no pending disciplinary action in New Mexico (16.34.6.7 NMAC).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Kansas required 1,500 hours but New Mexico wants 1,600 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 100-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: New Mexico's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department) with your license history before paying for school hours.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- NM RLD Barbers and Cosmetologists — FAQs (reciprocity process, jurisprudence exam, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 16.34.6 NMAC — Expedited licensure for out-of-state licensees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 16.34.5 NMAC — Cosmetologist license (1600 hours or equivalent credit) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 16.34.14 NMAC — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- KBOC — Application for Out-of-State Licensure (cosmetology professions, K.S.A. 65-1904b) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- KBOC — Forms and Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Cosmetology Licensure Compact — official commission site (compact not yet active) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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