Cosmetology / Barber License from Massachusetts to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)

What's different between Massachusetts and North Dakota

Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into North Dakota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.

Route, each way

Massachusetts to North Dakota (this page): Licensure by endorsement.

North Dakota to Massachusetts (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.

The route is the same in both directions.

Does coming from Massachusetts matter?

Coming from Massachusetts does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into North Dakota.

CLC membership

Neither Massachusetts nor North Dakota has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact.

Application fee

North Dakota lists $105 for an out-of-state applicant and Massachusetts lists $136–$204 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.

Training hours

North Dakota's first-time-applicant standard is 1,500 training hours for the standard license; Massachusetts's is 1,000.

North Dakota's is 500 training hours higher than Massachusetts's.

Exam rules on record

North Dakota and Massachusetts carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.

• North Dakota (this move): Prior passage of a practical exam and the NIC national theory exam is credited toward endorsement; the board determines what you qualify for after all documents are received, and you may be required to pass the North Dakota Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams. Under N.D. Admin. Code 32-05-01-01.2 (effective January 1, 2026), you must pass the examinations the board determines if you have held your license for less than one year, or for less than three years when your original state did not require the NIC practical and theory (or equivalent) examinations
• Massachusetts (the reverse move): Exams are not retaken if you hold a current license obtained by passing an examination in a U.S. state or jurisdiction, no license you hold has ever been suspended or revoked, and your school program and license scope are substantially equivalent to Massachusetts requirements; otherwise the Massachusetts exams are required

What changes, Massachusetts → North Dakota

The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

1. Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
2. Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology (application linked below).
3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
4. Hold a current out-of-state cosmetology license.
5. Have a letter of certification and a copy of state license requirements sent directly to the board from every state where you hold or held a license (a copy of your license is not proof of licensure).
6. Show completion of 1,500 education hours (or 2,500 registered apprenticeship hours); each 1,000 hours of licensed work experience counts as 100 school hours, up to a maximum of 500 hours (the board's page credits only work within the last 3 years), or show licensed practice in at least three of the past five years.
7. Provide proof of training from a cosmetology school or USDOL registered apprenticeship (official transcript required if licensed under 5 years).
8. Submit copies of a primary and a secondary ID per N.D.A.C. 31-01-03-9, plus a notarized work experience affidavit if needed.
9. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

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