Cosmetology / Barber License from Pennsylvania to New Jersey: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does New Jersey accept a Pennsylvania cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Pennsylvania to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. Licensure by endorsement without the New Jersey exam is possible when the Board finds your out-of-state license and training substantially equivalent to New Jersey requirements, or on a notarized affidavit of at least three years of licensed practice; the Board FAQ states that out-of-state applicants otherwise must submit the out-of-state application and pass the Board's examination.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. Pennsylvania trained you to 1,250 hours; New Jersey requires only 1,200. 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's different between Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into New Jersey. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to New Jersey (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
New Jersey to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into New Jersey.
- Reciprocity agreements
New Jersey's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
Pennsylvania's reciprocity agreement list names 41 states, not including New Jersey.
- CLC membership
Pennsylvania has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact; New Jersey has not.
- Application fee
New Jersey lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $89 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Training hours
New Jersey's first-time-applicant standard is 1,200 training hours for the standard license; Pennsylvania's is 1,250.
New Jersey's is 50 training hours lower than Pennsylvania's.
- Exam rules on record
New Jersey and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- New Jersey (this move): Licensure by endorsement without the New Jersey exam is possible when the Board finds your out-of-state license and training substantially equivalent to New Jersey requirements, or on a notarized affidavit of at least three years of licensed practice; the Board FAQ states that out-of-state applicants otherwise must submit the out-of-state application and pass the Board's examination
- 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 → New Jersey
| Pennsylvania (current) | New Jersey (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | CLC enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,250 | 1,200 |
| Application fee | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) | $100 (nonrefundable endorsement application filing fee; plus $90 licensing fee in the first year of a licensing cycle or $45 in the second year) |
| 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 endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology | New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Jersey sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license and have your licensing authority send the Verification of State License form directly to the Board with official seal.
- Provide certification that your training (1,200 hours for cosmetology-hairstyling) is substantially equivalent to New Jersey schools, or a notarized affidavit of 3+ years of licensed work experience per N.J.A.C. 13:28-1.1(e)3.
- Submit two passport-style photographs and a copy of your birth certificate, passport, or valid NJ driver's license.
- Provide a copy of your high school diploma, certified transcript, or GED certificate.
- Submit a physician's certificate confirming freedom from infectious, contagious, or communicable disease.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- 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, physician's certificate) ↗ (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)
- Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission — FAQ (compact not yet active) ↗ (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