Cosmetology / Barber License from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken if you hold a current license obtained by passing an examination in a U.S. state or jurisdiction, no license you hold has ever been suspended or revoked, and your school program and license scope are substantially equivalent to Massachusetts requirements; otherwise the Massachusetts exams are required.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. Pennsylvania trained you to 1,250 hours; Massachusetts requires only 1,000. 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, Pennsylvania → Massachusetts
| Pennsylvania (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Reciprocity with 41 states | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,250 | 1,000 |
| Application fee | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) | $136–$204 ($204 transfer application when no examination is required; $136 application when examination is required) |
| Processing time | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations | board does not publish a processing timeframe for license transfers |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current cosmetology license obtained by examination in another state or jurisdiction.
- Have your licensing state email a license verification directly to the board.
- Submit an official school transcript in a school-sealed envelope showing subjects, hours, and graduation.
- Submit a notarized Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) acknowledgment form.
- Include a 2x2-inch photograph and a copy of your driver's license.
- Pay the fees ($136–$204 ($204 transfer application when no examination is required; $136 application when examination is required)) and allow board does not publish a processing timeframe for license transfers.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Massachusetts accept a Pennsylvania cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken if you hold a current license obtained by passing an examination in a U.S. state or jurisdiction, no license you hold has ever been suspended or revoked, and your school program and license scope are substantially equivalent to Massachusetts requirements; otherwise the Massachusetts exams are required.
Will Massachusetts make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Exams are not retaken if you hold a current license obtained by passing an examination in a U.S. state or jurisdiction, no license you hold has ever been suspended or revoked, and your school program and license scope are substantially equivalent to Massachusetts requirements; otherwise the Massachusetts exams are required.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Massachusetts transfer cost and how long does it take?
$136–$204 ($204 transfer application when no examination is required; $136 application when examination is required); processing board does not publish a processing timeframe for license transfers.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Mass.gov — Transfer a cosmetology, aesthetics, manicuring, barber, or electrology license to Massachusetts ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]