Cosmetology / Barber License from Vermont to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Vermont to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology, verify your Vermont license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. Prior passage of a practical exam and the NIC national theory exam is credited toward endorsement; the board determines what you qualify for after all documents are received, and you may be required to pass the North Dakota Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The number that defines this move: Vermont licensed you at 1,000 training hours, and North Dakota 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 North Dakota's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu North Dakota offers.
What changes, Vermont → North Dakota
| Vermont (current) | North Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $155 (cosmetologist application fee per OPR fee schedule; endorsement uses the same application fee) | $105 (endorsement (reciprocity) fee, paid together with a $50 original license fee only after the board approves the application; ND Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams costs extra if required) |
| Processing time | ~1 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days to process applications; OPR's 90-day initial licensing policy applies) | no timeframe published; the board holds all paperwork until certification arrives from your licensing state, then notifies you by email what you qualify for |
| Licensing authority | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Barber and Cosmetology Board | North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current out-of-state cosmetology license.
- Have a letter of certification and a copy of state license requirements sent directly to the board from every state where you hold or held a license (a copy of your license is not proof of licensure).
- Show completion of 1,500 education hours (or 2,500 registered apprenticeship hours); 1,000+ hours of licensed work experience may substitute for up to 500 school hours, or licensed practice in at least three of the past five years.
- Provide proof of training from a cosmetology school or USDOL registered apprenticeship (official transcript required if licensed under 5 years).
- Submit copies of a primary and a secondary ID per N.D.A.C. 31-01-03-9, plus a notarized work experience affidavit if needed.
- Pay the fees ($105 (endorsement (reciprocity) fee, paid together with a $50 original license fee only after the board approves the application; ND Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams costs extra if required)) and allow no timeframe published; the board holds all paperwork until certification arrives from your licensing state, then notifies you by email what you qualify for.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Dakota accept a Vermont cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Vermont to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology, verify your Vermont license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. Prior passage of a practical exam and the NIC national theory exam is credited toward endorsement; the board determines what you qualify for after all documents are received, and you may be required to pass the North Dakota Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams.
Vermont required 1,000 hours but North Dakota wants 1,500 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 500-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: North Dakota's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the North Dakota State Board of Cosmetology with your license history before paying for school hours.
Will North Dakota make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Prior passage of a practical exam and the NIC national theory exam is credited toward endorsement; the board determines what you qualify for after all documents are received, and you may be required to pass the North Dakota Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams.
What does the Vermont-to-North Dakota transfer cost and how long does it take?
$105 (endorsement (reciprocity) fee, paid together with a $50 original license fee only after the board approves the application; ND Laws, Rules and Regulations test through Prov Exams costs extra if required); processing no timeframe published; the board holds all paperwork until certification arrives from your licensing state, then notifies you by email what you qualify for.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- ND State Board of Cosmetology — Out-of-State (endorsement instructions, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ND Board — Endorsement of License application SFN 11800 (12-2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR — Barber and Cosmetology FAQs (training hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR — Barber/Cosmetologist Application Instructions (endorsement and fast-track paths, March 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR — Initial licensing and renewal fee schedule ↗ (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]