Cosmetology / Barber License from New Jersey to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from New Jersey to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation), verify your New Jersey license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. Delaware does not retest reciprocity applicants; you must show you already passed a professionally developed, nationally used written and practical examination in a licensing jurisdiction.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The number that defines this move: New Jersey licensed you at 1,200 training hours, and Delaware requires 1,500 — a 300-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 Delaware's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Delaware offers.
What changes, New Jersey → Delaware
| New Jersey (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,200 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $100 (nonrefundable endorsement application filing fee; plus $90 licensing fee in the first year of a licensing cycle or $45 in the second year) | $128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications | no timeframe published by the Division of Professional Regulation |
| Licensing authority | New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs) | Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current cosmetologist license in another state, U.S. territory, or DC.
- Apply under Method 1 if at least one jurisdiction where you are licensed requires hours equal to or greater than Delaware's.
- Apply under Method 2 with proof of one full, uninterrupted year of full-time licensed work experience within the last five years if all your licensing jurisdictions require fewer hours than Delaware.
- Have license verification sent directly from each licensing jurisdiction to the board, and submit copies of all current licenses.
- Pay the fees ($128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable)) and allow no timeframe published by the Division of Professional Regulation.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a New Jersey cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from New Jersey to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation), verify your New Jersey license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. Delaware does not retest reciprocity applicants; you must show you already passed a professionally developed, nationally used written and practical examination in a licensing jurisdiction.
New Jersey required 1,200 hours but Delaware wants 1,500 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 300-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Delaware's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) with your license history before paying for school hours.
Will Delaware make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Delaware does not retest reciprocity applicants; you must show you already passed a professionally developed, nationally used written and practical examination in a licensing jurisdiction.
What does the New Jersey-to-Delaware transfer cost and how long does it take?
$128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable); processing no timeframe published by the Division of Professional Regulation.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Delaware DPR — Cosmetology License by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Cosmetology and Barbering Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NJ Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling — FAQ (out-of-state licensees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NJ Board — Application for Licensure by Endorsement (fee, N.J.A.C. 13:28-1.1(e)3, 1200 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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