Cosmetology / Barber License from Texas to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Texas to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR), verify your Texas license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken when your out-of-state license was earned with substantially equivalent training and examination; the certification of licensure must come from the state board where you passed your exams.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Texas and Virginia require identical training hours (1,000), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Virginia's administrative checklist below.
What changes, Texas → Virginia
| Texas (current) | Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | CLC enacted — not yet issuing |
| Training hours | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Application fee | $100 (License by Reciprocity application, TDLR form BAC-LIC-003 (instructor $110); the separate license-by-examination application is $50) | $120 (License by Endorsement application fee (practitioner) per form A450-1213END) |
| Processing time | TDLR does not publish a standard processing timeline for reciprocity applications | no processing time published on the board pages reviewed |
| Licensing authority | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology | Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current valid cosmetology license in another state.
- Training (hours and content) must be substantially equivalent to Virginia's; applicants who completed less than 80% of the required hours are not eligible for endorsement.
- Submit a Certification of Licensure / Letter of Good Standing dated within the last 60 days from the state board where you passed your examinations.
- If you trained in a different jurisdiction than the state of your current license, an additional certification from the original jurisdiction is required.
- Pay the fees ($120 (License by Endorsement application fee (practitioner) per form A450-1213END)) and allow no processing time published on the board pages reviewed.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept a Texas cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Texas to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR), verify your Texas license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken when your out-of-state license was earned with substantially equivalent training and examination; the certification of licensure must come from the state board where you passed your exams.
Will Virginia make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Exams are not retaken when your out-of-state license was earned with substantially equivalent training and examination; the certification of licensure must come from the state board where you passed your exams.
What does the Texas-to-Virginia transfer cost and how long does it take?
$120 (License by Endorsement application fee (practitioner) per form A450-1213END); processing no processing time published on the board pages reviewed.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- DPOR — How to Transfer a License from Another State (Board for Barbers and Cosmetology) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- DPOR — Barber and Cosmetology License by Endorsement application (A450-1213END) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- DPOR — Cosmetology curriculum requirements (1,000-hour program) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TDLR — Apply for a Cosmetology or Barbering License by Equivalence (out-of-state) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TDLR — Apply for a Cosmetology Operator License (1,000-hour course, $50 exam-route fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TDLR — License by Reciprocity Application, form BAC-LIC-003 rev May 2026 ($100 fee) ↗ (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]