Cosmetology / Barber License from Connecticut to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Connecticut to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology, verify your Connecticut license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. No Texas examinations are required if your licensing state's education and examination requirements are substantially equivalent to Texas (License by Reciprocity); applicants from non-equivalent states with five or more years of active licensure may apply but must pass the Texas written and practical examinations.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. Connecticut trained you to 1,500 hours; Texas requires only 1,000. 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 changes, Connecticut → Texas
| Connecticut (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,000 |
| Application fee | $100 (application fee; applications accepted online only) | $100 (License by Reciprocity application, TDLR form BAC-LIC-003 (instructor $110); the separate license-by-examination application is $50) |
| Processing time | no timeframe published by DPH | TDLR does not publish a standard processing timeline for reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | Connecticut Department of Public Health — Hairdresser and Cosmetician Licensure | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, active out-of-state cosmetology license in good standing and submit a copy.
- Letter of certification from the out-of-state licensing agency, submitted in the original sealed envelope.
- Official transcript of hours or course certificate from your school if your state has an apprenticeship program.
- Meet all requirements within 12 months of the filing date or a new application and fee are required.
- Pay the fees ($100 (License by Reciprocity application, TDLR form BAC-LIC-003 (instructor $110); the separate license-by-examination application is $50)) and allow TDLR does not publish a standard processing timeline for reciprocity applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a Connecticut cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Connecticut to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Barbering and Cosmetology, verify your Connecticut license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. No Texas examinations are required if your licensing state's education and examination requirements are substantially equivalent to Texas (License by Reciprocity); applicants from non-equivalent states with five or more years of active licensure may apply but must pass the Texas written and practical examinations.
Will Texas make me retake the cosmetology exams?
No Texas examinations are required if your licensing state's education and examination requirements are substantially equivalent to Texas (License by Reciprocity); applicants from non-equivalent states with five or more years of active licensure may apply but must pass the Texas written and practical examinations.
What does the Connecticut-to-Texas transfer cost and how long does it take?
$100 (License by Reciprocity application, TDLR form BAC-LIC-003 (instructor $110); the separate license-by-examination application is $50); processing TDLR does not publish a standard processing timeline for reciprocity applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- CT DPH — Hairdresser Licensure Based on an Out-of-State License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CT DPH — Hairdresser Licensure by Examination (1,500-hour requirement) ↗ (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]