Cosmetology / Barber License from Montana to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Montana to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), verify your Montana license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken if your out-of-state license is the same as or substantially similar to the Illinois cosmetologist license; endorsement applicants who cannot satisfy all requirements may be required to submit additional information, take additional coursework, and/or pass the Illinois examination.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Montana and Illinois require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Illinois's administrative checklist below.
What changes, Montana → Illinois
| Montana (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $80 (cosmetologist application fee; nonrefundable; paying the fee submits the application) | $45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)) |
| Processing time | staff contact applicants by email within 10 business days of submission; a 60-day provisional license (reservation of rights) may be issued while out-of-state license verification is pending | IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, active cosmetologist license in another U.S. state or jurisdiction.
- Submit official certification of licensure from the jurisdiction of original licensure and from the jurisdiction where currently licensed and practicing, if different.
- License must be the same or substantially similar to Illinois's; licenses obtained through reciprocity in another state may not qualify.
- Provide school transcripts and/or verification of work experience if requested.
- Complete a Department-approved abnormal skin growth (melanoma) education course for applications on or after January 1, 2026.
- Pay the fees ($45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7))) and allow IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a Montana cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Montana to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), verify your Montana license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken if your out-of-state license is the same as or substantially similar to the Illinois cosmetologist license; endorsement applicants who cannot satisfy all requirements may be required to submit additional information, take additional coursework, and/or pass the Illinois examination.
Will Illinois make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Exams are not retaken if your out-of-state license is the same as or substantially similar to the Illinois cosmetologist license; endorsement applicants who cannot satisfy all requirements may be required to submit additional information, take additional coursework, and/or pass the Illinois examination.
What does the Montana-to-Illinois transfer cost and how long does it take?
$45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)); processing IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Cosmetologist (011), rev. 9/2025 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Cosmetology profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists — Cosmetologist Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist (updated 8/10/24) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists — Cosmetologist license page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists — board homepage (HB 246 out-of-state pathway effective 11/22/2025) ↗ (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]