Transfer Your Cosmetology / Barber License to Delaware: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) ↗

A cosmetology license transfers to Delaware by endorsement: the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) verifies your current license and compares your training against its 1,500 training hours requirement. Expect $128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable) in application fees.

Moving to Delaware from a specific state?

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

At 1,500 required training hours, Delaware sits in the national mainstream. Transfers from most states clear the hour bar; if you trained in one of the low-hour states (around 1,000-1,200 hours), check the gap-closing options in the requirements below before assuming you need more schooling.

Not a Cosmetology Licensure Compact state as of 2026. Delaware's benchmark for the Method 1 / Method 2 hour comparison is 1,500 classroom hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours. All applications are filed through the DELPROS online portal.

Delaware requirements at a glance

Out-of-state cosmetology license transfer requirements for Delaware, verified 2026-07-21
Exam	Delaware does not retest reciprocity applicants; you must show you already passed a professionally developed, nationally used written and practical examination in a licensing jurisdiction
Training hours	1,500 hours
Additional requirements	Hold a current cosmetologist license in another state, U.S. territory, or DC Apply under Method 1 if at least one jurisdiction where you are licensed requires hours equal to or greater than Delaware's Apply under Method 2 with proof of one full, uninterrupted year of full-time licensed work experience within the last five years if all your licensing jurisdictions require fewer hours than Delaware Have license verification sent directly from each licensing jurisdiction to the board, and submit copies of all current licenses
Fees	$128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable)
Processing time	no timeframe published by the Division of Professional Regulation

Step by step

Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Hold a current cosmetologist license in another state, U.S. territory, or DC.
Apply under Method 1 if at least one jurisdiction where you are licensed requires hours equal to or greater than Delaware's.
Apply under Method 2 with proof of one full, uninterrupted year of full-time licensed work experience within the last five years if all your licensing jurisdictions require fewer hours than Delaware.
Have license verification sent directly from each licensing jurisdiction to the board, and submit copies of all current licenses.
Pay the fees ($128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable)) and allow no timeframe published by the Division of Professional Regulation.

Official links

Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) ↗Delaware application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Delaware:

California → Delaware Florida → Delaware Georgia → Delaware Illinois → Delaware Massachusetts → Delaware Michigan → Delaware New Jersey → Delaware New York → Delaware North Carolina → Delaware Ohio → Delaware Oregon → Delaware Pennsylvania → Delaware Rhode Island → Delaware Texas → Delaware Vermont → Delaware Virginia → Delaware

Frequently asked questions

Does my cosmetology license transfer to Delaware?

How many training hours does Delaware require for cosmetology?

1,500 clock hours for the standard cosmetology license (verified 2026-07-21). Transfers with fewer completed hours should review Delaware's gap options — experience substitution, supplemental training, or examination.

Will I have to retake exams in Delaware?

Delaware does not retest reciprocity applicants; you must show you already passed a professionally developed, nationally used written and practical examination in a licensing jurisdiction.

What does the transfer cost and how long does it take?

$128 (cosmetologist reciprocity application fee, paid through DELPROS; non-refundable); processing no timeframe published by the Division of Professional Regulation.

Is Delaware in the Cosmetology Licensure Compact?

No — Delaware has not enacted the compact as of 2026-07-21. Endorsement through the Delaware Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Professional Regulation) is the transfer path.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.

Delaware DPR — Cosmetology License by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Delaware DPR — Cosmetology and Barbering 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]