Cosmetology / Barber License from New Mexico to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from New Mexico to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, verify your New Mexico license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. 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)).
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. New Mexico trained you to 1,600 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, New Mexico → Pennsylvania
| New Mexico (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Reciprocity with 41 states |
| Training hours | 1,600 | 1,250 |
| Application fee | $100 (cosmetologist original license fee per 16.34.14.8(I) NMAC; the board FAQ does not publish a separate reciprocity application fee, exact total shown at payment in NM-PLUS) | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) |
| Processing time | 1–4 weeks (board FAQ says applications are approved within 3-5 business days of completion; 16.34.6.10 NMAC requires issuance of the expedited license within 30 days of a complete application) | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations |
| Licensing authority | New Mexico Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (Regulation and Licensing Department) | 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 endorsement 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 New Mexico cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from New Mexico to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, verify your New Mexico license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. 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)).
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 New Mexico-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)
- NM RLD Barbers and Cosmetologists — FAQs (reciprocity process, jurisprudence exam, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 16.34.6 NMAC — Expedited licensure for out-of-state licensees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 16.34.5 NMAC — Cosmetologist license (1600 hours or equivalent credit) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 16.34.14 NMAC — Fees ↗ (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]