Cosmetology / Barber License from Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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. Georgia 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, Georgia → Texas
| Georgia (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,000 |
| Application fee | $75 (endorsement application fee for Master Cosmetologist; a mandatory $10 processing fee is added (total $85); instructor endorsement is $100 + $10) | $100 (License by Reciprocity application, TDLR form BAC-LIC-003 (instructor $110); the separate license-by-examination application is $50) |
| Processing time | ~3 weeks (board states 15 business days; a deficiency adds another 15 business days after you respond) | TDLR does not publish a standard processing timeline for reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers | 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 Georgia cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia-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)
- 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
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