Cosmetology / Barber License from Virginia to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology ↗
Yes — Pennsylvania has a reciprocity arrangement covering Virginia license holders. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
The number that defines this move: Virginia licensed you at 1,000 training hours, and Pennsylvania requires 1,250 — a 250-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 Pennsylvania's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Pennsylvania offers.
What changes, Virginia → Pennsylvania
| Virginia (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | CLC enacted — not yet issuing | Reciprocity with 41 states |
| Training hours | 1,000 | 1,250 |
| Application fee | $120 (License by Endorsement application fee (practitioner) per form A450-1213END) | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal) |
| Processing time | no processing time published on the board pages reviewed | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations |
| Licensing authority | Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (DPOR) | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license with a minimum of two years of licensed work experience, documented by signed employer certifications.
- Provide criminal history records checks, dated within 180 days, from every state where you lived, worked, or trained during the past five years.
- Be licensed in a state with which Pennsylvania holds a reciprocal agreement; applicants from the eight non-reciprocal states apply by Act 41 endorsement instead.
- Pay the fees ($89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal)) and allow the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Virginia cosmetology license?
Yes — Pennsylvania has a reciprocity arrangement covering Virginia license holders. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Virginia required 1,000 hours but Pennsylvania wants 1,250 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 250-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Pennsylvania's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology with your license history before paying for school hours.
Will Pennsylvania make me retake the cosmetology exams?
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 does the Virginia-to-Pennsylvania transfer cost and how long does it take?
$89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS portal); processing the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]