Cosmetology / Barber License from Michigan to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology ↗
Yes — Pennsylvania has a reciprocity arrangement covering Michigan license holders. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
This move runs downhill. Michigan trained you to 1,500 hours; Pennsylvania requires only 1,250. With the hour test cleared by a margin, your transfer is administrative — license verification, application, fee — and the requirements below read as a checklist rather than an obstacle course.
What changes, Michigan → Pennsylvania
| Michigan (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Reciprocity with 41 states |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,250 |
| Application fee | $63 (application fee plus 2-year license fee; same $63 total for licensure by examination or reciprocity) | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) |
| Processing time | LARA does not publish a processing timeframe in the cosmetology licensing guide | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing — Cosmetology | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license with a minimum of two years of licensed work experience, documented by signed employer certifications.
- Provide criminal history records checks, dated within 180 days, from every state where you lived, worked, or trained during the past five years.
- Be licensed in a state with which Pennsylvania holds a reciprocal agreement; applicants from the eight non-reciprocal states apply by Act 41 endorsement instead.
- Pay the fees ($89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal)) and allow the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Michigan cosmetology license?
Yes — Pennsylvania has a reciprocity arrangement covering Michigan license holders. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Will Pennsylvania make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Exams are not retaken — an applicant who meets the criteria for licensure by reciprocity may obtain the license without examination (49 Pa. Code 7.31(b)).
What does the Michigan-to-Pennsylvania transfer cost and how long does it take?
$89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal); processing the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- PA Department of State — Cosmetology Licensure Guide (reciprocity section) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA Department of State — Cosmetologist Licensure Snapshot ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 7 — State Board of Cosmetology ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LARA — Cosmetology (profession page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LARA — Michigan Cosmetology Licensing Guide (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan Admin Code R 338.2121b — Licensure by endorsement ↗ (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]