Cosmetology / Barber License from Pennsylvania to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Kansas accept a Pennsylvania cosmetology license?
Both Pennsylvania and Kansas have enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-10-29). Until the compact activates, transfer your cosmetology license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
The number that defines this move: Pennsylvania licensed you at 1,250 training hours, and Kansas requires 1,500 — a 250-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 Kansas's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Kansas offers.
Both states have enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact. That changes nothing today — the compact is not yet operating as a multistate network — but once the compact activates, a multistate license could cover work in Kansas without a separate Kansas license (changing your home state would still mean licensing there). If your timeline is flexible, check cosmetologycompact.gov before filing.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Kansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Kansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Kansas (this page): Compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement.
Kansas to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, reciprocity agreement.
The two directions differ: Pennsylvania and Kansas do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania matters here: only 12 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Kansas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (38).
- Reciprocity agreements
Kansas's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
Pennsylvania's reciprocity agreement list names 41 states, including Kansas.
- CLC membership
Pennsylvania and Kansas have both enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, which is not issuing yet, so it does not cover this move today.
- Application fee
Kansas lists $75 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $89 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Kansas lists 3+ weeks; Pennsylvania has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Training hours
Kansas's first-time-applicant standard is 1,500 training hours for the standard license; Pennsylvania's is 1,250.
Kansas's is 250 training hours higher than Pennsylvania's.
- Exam rules on record
Kansas and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Kansas (this move): Board written and practical exams are waived if you completed at least 1,500 training hours and hold an active license in another state — only a 20-question open-book exam on Kansas laws is required; applicants with fewer hours or an expired license must take the board exams
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): 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 changes, Pennsylvania → Kansas
| Pennsylvania (current) | Kansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | CLC enacted — not yet issuing | CLC enacted — not yet issuing |
| Training hours | 1,250 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) | $75 (nonrefundable out-of-state application fee; exam fees are additional only if board exams are required) |
| Processing time | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations | 3+ weeks (board states the out-of-state process typically takes no less than 3 weeks after all documentation is received; allow 7-10 business days per document review) |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology | Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active cosmetology license in another US state, district, or territory (with at least 1,500 training hours this qualifies you for the open-book Kansas law exam under K.S.A. 65-1904b).
- To use K.S.A. 48-3406 reciprocity instead (valid license plus at least one year of work experience), be a military member or spouse, or have established (or intend to establish) Kansas residency.
- Request license verification sent directly to the board from every state where you have been licensed or trained.
- Have employers send employment verification letters directly to the board.
- Submit a high school transcript or GED (waived if licensed in the field for 10+ years).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Pennsylvania required 1,250 hours but Kansas wants 1,500 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 250-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Kansas's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Kansas Board of Cosmetology (KBOC) with your license history before paying for school hours.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- KBOC — Application for Out-of-State Licensure (cosmetology professions, K.S.A. 65-1904b) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- KBOC — Forms and Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Cosmetology Licensure Compact — official commission site (compact not yet active) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Cosmetology Licensure Guide (reciprocity section) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Cosmetologist Licensure Snapshot ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 7 — State Board of Cosmetology ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission — Pennsylvania becomes 13th state to enact (SB 331) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com