Cosmetology / Barber License from Rhode Island to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Mississippi accept a Rhode Island cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Rhode Island to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB), verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. No practical exam for reciprocity applicants; the Mississippi written/theory exam is required unless you were licensed in 2025 or later by a state on the board's published reciprocity list, in which case the exam is waived and you proceed to the license form upon application approval.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The number that defines this move: Rhode Island licensed you at 1,000 training hours, and Mississippi requires 1,500 — a 500-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 Mississippi's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Mississippi offers.
What's different between Rhode Island and Mississippi
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Mississippi. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Rhode Island to Mississippi (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Mississippi to Rhode Island (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Rhode Island matter?
Coming from Rhode Island matters here: only 23 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Mississippi.
The others get: reciprocity agreement (27).
- Reciprocity agreements
Mississippi's reciprocity agreement list names 27 states, not including Rhode Island.
Rhode Island's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
- CLC membership
Neither Rhode Island nor Mississippi has enacted the Cosmetology Licensure Compact.
- Application fee
Mississippi lists $55 for an out-of-state applicant and Rhode Island lists $25 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Training hours
Mississippi's first-time-applicant standard is 1,500 training hours for the standard license; Rhode Island's is 1,000.
Mississippi's is 500 training hours higher than Rhode Island's.
- Exam rules on record
Mississippi and Rhode Island carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Mississippi (this move): No practical exam for reciprocity applicants; the Mississippi written/theory exam is required unless you were licensed in 2025 or later by a state on the board's published reciprocity list, in which case the exam is waived and you proceed to the license form upon application approval
- Rhode Island (the reverse move): Rhode Island does not re-examine out-of-state applicants — the license is granted on acceptance of credentials, with verification sent directly from the original licensing state that the applicant passed written and practical examinations acceptable to the Department
What changes, Rhode Island → Mississippi
| Rhode Island (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Reciprocity with 27 states |
| Training hours | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $25 (application by verification (endorsement) fee, same as the examination application fee) | $55 (non-refundable application fee under reciprocity or UROLA; practitioner license fee $50 per Rule 5.20) |
| Processing time | no published timeline; out-of-state licensees licensed by examination may practice for up to three months on a non-renewable temporary permit, provided they apply for and obtain the Rhode Island license within that period | board does not publish a processing timeframe; UROLA applicants receive a 365-day temporary practice permit upon complete application |
| Licensing authority | Rhode Island Department of Health — Board of Hairdressing and Barbering | Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a practitioner license from a state or U.S. territory with educational requirements similar to Mississippi (minimum hours and 10th-grade education).
- Submit two 2x2-inch passport-style photographs taken within the last 90 days.
- Submit two forms of identification, at least one government-issued with photograph.
- Submit color copies of all licenses held plus a certified letter/verification of active practice and good standing from every state board where you hold a license.
- New Mississippi residents may instead apply under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act (UROLA) and must pass the Mississippi Laws and Sanitation Examination within 1 year.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Rhode Island required 1,000 hours but Mississippi wants 1,500 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 500-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Mississippi's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (MSBCB) with your license history before paying for school hours.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Rhode Island 2026-10-29, Mississippi 2026-07-21.
- MSBCB — Rules and Regulations (Rules 5.2, 5.8, 5.10, 5.20) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBCB — Reciprocity with Mississippi state table (2025-present) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBCB — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 216-RICR-40-05-4 — Barbers, Hairdressers/Cosmeticians, Manicurists, Estheticians, and Instructors ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 216-RICR-10-05-2 — RIDOH fee structure (hairdresser/cosmetologist fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- RIDOH — Barbering, Hairdressing and Cosmetology licensing page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Rhode Island 2026-10-29, Mississippi 2026-07-21
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