Cosmetology / Barber License from Missouri to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Minnesota accept a Missouri cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Missouri to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, verify your Missouri license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. The general theory and written practical tests are not retaken if the certification of licensure from a state where you were licensed attests that you passed such tests; all transfer applicants must pass the Minnesota state laws and rules test.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The number that defines this move: Missouri licensed you at 1,500 training hours, and Minnesota requires 1,550 — a 50-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 Minnesota's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Minnesota offers.
What's different between Missouri and Minnesota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Minnesota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Missouri to Minnesota (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Minnesota to Missouri (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Missouri matter?
Coming from Missouri does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Minnesota.
- CLC membership
Neither Missouri nor Minnesota has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact.
- Application fee
Minnesota lists $195 for an out-of-state applicant and Missouri lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Minnesota lists 1–3 weeks; Missouri lists about 1 week for the reverse move.
Minnesota's longest listed wait is 2 weeks longer than Missouri's.
- Training hours
Minnesota's first-time-applicant standard is 1,550 training hours for the standard license; Missouri's is 1,500.
Minnesota's is 50 training hours higher than Missouri's.
- Exam rules on record
Minnesota and Missouri carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Minnesota (this move): The general theory and written practical tests are not retaken if the certification of licensure from a state where you were licensed attests that you passed such tests; all transfer applicants must pass the Minnesota state laws and rules test
- Missouri (the reverse move): 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 changes, Missouri → Minnesota
| Missouri (current) | Minnesota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,550 |
| Application fee | $100 (reciprocity application fee for operators and instructors; nonrefundable) | $195 (initial practitioner license per Minn. Stat. 155A.25 ($155 license + $40 application fee); optional expedited service $150 extra) |
| Processing time | ~1 week (board states current processing is 3-5 business days from receipt for both paper and online (MOPRO) applications) | 1–3 weeks (Minn. Stat. 155A.25 requires the board to act within 15 working days of a complete application; 5 business days for expedited applications) |
| Licensing authority | Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Division of Professional Registration) | Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Minnesota's current requirements on the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit a certification of licensure no more than 90 days old sent to the board directly from each state where you have been licensed, verifying license status and history, discipline history, training hours, and exam passage.
- Document cosmetology training of at least 1,550 hours, or provide evidence of an active license for at least three years in another state, or complete additional training at a Minnesota-licensed school as a transfer student.
- Pass the Minnesota state laws and rules test (results no more than one year old).
- Submit the Domestic License Transfer Application with the license fee.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Missouri required 1,500 hours but Minnesota wants 1,550 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 50-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Minnesota's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners with your license history before paying for school hours.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners — License Transfers ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota Rules 2105.0183 — License by transfer requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota Statutes 155A.25 — Fees and license processing ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — Application for Reciprocity (form MO 375-0401) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — Forms (processing times, MOPRO) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Revised Statutes 329.050 — qualifications and required hours (board Statutes & Regulations PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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