Cosmetology / Barber License from Louisiana to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Washington accept a Louisiana cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Louisiana to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) — Cosmetology Program, verify your Louisiana license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. No Washington exams if you passed your licensing jurisdiction's approved exams; applicants who have not taken exams must pass the Washington written and practical exams before licensure.
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: Louisiana licensed you at 1,500 training hours, and Washington 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 Washington's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Washington offers.
What's different between Louisiana and Washington
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Washington. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Louisiana to Washington (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Washington to Louisiana (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Louisiana matter?
Louisiana gets Washington's most common result: 38 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement (12).
- CLC membership
Washington has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact; Louisiana has not.
- Application fee
Washington lists $60 for an out-of-state applicant and Louisiana lists $60–$85 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Training hours
Washington's first-time-applicant standard is 1,600 training hours for the standard license; Louisiana's is 1,500.
Washington's is 100 training hours higher than Louisiana's.
- Exam rules on record
Washington and Louisiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Washington (this move): No Washington exams if you passed your licensing jurisdiction's approved exams; applicants who have not taken exams must pass the Washington written and practical exams before licensure
- Louisiana (the reverse move): National (NIC) theory results (with your NIC score sheet) and hands-on practical exams administered by a state board are credited, but every reciprocity applicant must pass the Louisiana state examination before the license is issued; applicants who never passed a national or hands-on state-board practical exam must pass the board-administered version (LAC 46:XXXI Section 509)
What changes, Louisiana → Washington
| Louisiana (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | CLC enacted — not yet issuing |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,600 |
| Application fee | $60–$85 ($25 state exam fee plus $35 initial license fee, plus $25 if the Louisiana practical exam is required (reciprocity application worksheet); national (NIC) exam fees are paid separately to the testing company) | $60 (Reciprocity/Out-of-jurisdiction fee, $60 per license (DOL form 638-040); third-party exam fees apply if Washington exams are required) |
| Processing time | board does not publish a processing timeframe | not published; DOL states online applications are issued faster than mail |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC) | Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) — Cosmetology Program |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) — Cosmetology Program website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) — Cosmetology Program (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be at least 17 years old.
- Hold an active cosmetology license in good standing from another jurisdiction.
- Submit a copy of your current, valid out-of-state license with the application.
- Provide verification from your licensing board showing the license is in good standing and proof of the exams you passed.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Louisiana required 1,500 hours but Washington wants 1,600 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 100-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Washington's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) — Cosmetology Program with your license history before paying for school hours.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- WA DOL — Get your license: Cosmetology (license by reciprocity, 1,600 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WA DOL — Fees: Cosmetologists ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WA DOL form 638-040 — License, Renewal, Reinstatement, or Reciprocity Application ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- RCW 18.16.410 — cosmetology licensure compact adopted as of June 1, 2028 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- LSBC — Reciprocity Application page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- LSBC — Application for Reciprocity, Cosmetology (packet revised 08/04/25) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- LSBC — Individual Licensing FAQ (hours and out-of-state licensees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46, Part XXXI (curriculum; Licensure by Reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com