Cosmetology / Barber License from Georgia to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Program (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Georgia to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Program (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Georgia license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. Written and practical exams are not retaken — endorsement requires only a valid license from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements; Maine discontinued its laws-and-rules exam in 2012 in favor of a signed attestation.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia and Maine require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Maine's administrative checklist below.
What changes, Georgia → Maine
| Georgia (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $75 (endorsement application fee for Master Cosmetologist; a mandatory $10 processing fee is added (total $85); instructor endorsement is $100 + $10) | $41 (nonrefundable endorsement fee ($20 application + $21 license), payable to Maine State Treasurer) |
| Processing time | ~3 weeks (board states 15 business days; a deficiency adds another 15 business days after you respond) | no timeframe published; application status can be tracked in real time on the OPOR website |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers | Maine Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Program (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Program (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Program (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a valid cosmetologist license in another US state or jurisdiction.
- License must be in good standing: no pending complaint or investigation, no suspension or practice restriction, and never surrendered or revoked (10 MRS 8003-H).
- Prior jurisdiction must maintain substantially equivalent license requirements.
- Submit license verification (primary-source online printout or board-produced report) for every license held, plus any disciplinary orders.
- Pay the fees ($41 (nonrefundable endorsement fee ($20 application + $21 license), payable to Maine State Treasurer)) and allow no timeframe published; application status can be tracked in real time on the OPOR website.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a Georgia cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Georgia to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Program (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Georgia license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. Written and practical exams are not retaken — endorsement requires only a valid license from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements; Maine discontinued its laws-and-rules exam in 2012 in favor of a signed attestation.
Will Maine make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Written and practical exams are not retaken — endorsement requires only a valid license from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements; Maine discontinued its laws-and-rules exam in 2012 in favor of a signed attestation.
What does the Georgia-to-Maine transfer cost and how long does it take?
$41 (nonrefundable endorsement fee ($20 application + $21 license), payable to Maine State Treasurer); processing no timeframe published; application status can be tracked in real time on the OPOR website.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maine OPOR — License by Endorsement application (Barbering and Cosmetology) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 32 MRS 14226 — Qualifications; cosmetology ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 10 MRS 8003-H — Licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- GA SoS — Board of Cosmetology and Barbers FAQ (Endorsement/Reciprocity Requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- GA Rules — Chapter 240-11 Licensure by Endorsement (Rule 240-11-.01) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- GA Rules — Chapter 240-15 Cosmetology School Curriculum (1,500-hour master cosmetology course) ↗ (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]