Cosmetology / Barber License from Hawaii to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Hawaii to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), verify your Hawaii license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken if your out-of-state license is the same as or substantially similar to the Illinois cosmetologist license; endorsement applicants who cannot satisfy all requirements may be required to submit additional information, take additional coursework, and/or pass the Illinois examination.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs downhill. Hawaii trained you to 1,800 hours; Illinois requires only 1,500. 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, Hawaii → Illinois
| Hawaii (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Full re-application required | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,800 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $20 (non-refundable beauty operator application fee; license fees per Fees Due notice after passing the exam and Prometric exam fees are additional; optional temporary permit $37) | $45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)) |
| Processing time | 4–8 weeks (applications are ratified at monthly board meetings; license card mailed approximately 2-3 weeks after the meeting) | IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement |
| Licensing authority | Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, active cosmetologist license in another U.S. state or jurisdiction.
- Submit official certification of licensure from the jurisdiction of original licensure and from the jurisdiction where currently licensed and practicing, if different.
- License must be the same or substantially similar to Illinois's; licenses obtained through reciprocity in another state may not qualify.
- Provide school transcripts and/or verification of work experience if requested.
- Complete a Department-approved abnormal skin growth (melanoma) education course for applications on or after January 1, 2026.
- Pay the fees ($45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7))) and allow IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a Hawaii cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Hawaii to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), verify your Hawaii license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. Exams are not retaken if your out-of-state license is the same as or substantially similar to the Illinois cosmetologist license; endorsement applicants who cannot satisfy all requirements may be required to submit additional information, take additional coursework, and/or pass the Illinois examination.
Will Illinois make me retake the cosmetology exams?
Exams are not retaken if your out-of-state license is the same as or substantially similar to the Illinois cosmetologist license; endorsement applicants who cannot satisfy all requirements may be required to submit additional information, take additional coursework, and/or pass the Illinois examination.
What does the Hawaii-to-Illinois transfer cost and how long does it take?
$45 (endorsement fee per 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100(a)(7)); processing IDFPR does not publish a processing time for cosmetologist endorsement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Cosmetologist (011), rev. 9/2025 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Cosmetology profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii DCCA — Barbering and Cosmetology FAQs (rev. 04/29/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii DCCA PVL — Board of Barbering and Cosmetology ↗ (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]