Cosmetology / Barber License from Massachusetts to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Massachusetts to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology, verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. No exams transfer — every reciprocity applicant must pass Oregon's written examination for each field of practice plus the Oregon Laws and Rules examination (75% to pass); education/training and the practical examination may be waived based on the out-of-state license.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The number that defines this move: Massachusetts licensed you at 1,000 training hours, and Oregon requires 1,110 — a 110-hour deficit on paper. That does not usually mean going back to school. It means proving the gap is covered another way: most boards in Oregon's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Oregon offers.
What changes, Massachusetts → Oregon
| Massachusetts (current) | Oregon (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,000 | 1,110 |
| Application fee | $136–$204 ($204 transfer application when no examination is required; $136 application when examination is required) | $100 (non-refundable reciprocity application fee per field of practice; plus $45 written exam per field, $45 Oregon Laws and Rules exam, and $65 reciprocity certification fee (two-year certificate) — about $255 total for a single field) |
| Processing time | board does not publish a processing timeframe for license transfers | no published timeline; written exams are offered walk-in Monday-Friday and certification is issued after passing all exams and paying fees |
| Licensing authority | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) | Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active out-of-state license that has not been subject to disciplinary action.
- Have an Affidavit of Licensure sent directly from your licensing state's regulatory authority to the Health Licensing Office.
- Attest to education or training (including military training) substantially equivalent to Oregon's requirements.
- Pass the written examination for each field of practice sought and the Oregon Laws and Rules examination.
- Present two forms of original government-issued identification, at least one photographic.
- Pay the fees ($100 (non-refundable reciprocity application fee per field of practice; plus $45 written exam per field, $45 Oregon Laws and Rules exam, and $65 reciprocity certification fee (two-year certificate) — about $255 total for a single field)) and allow no published timeline; written exams are offered walk-in Monday-Friday and certification is issued after passing all exams and paying fees.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon accept a Massachusetts cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Massachusetts to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology, verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. No exams transfer — every reciprocity applicant must pass Oregon's written examination for each field of practice plus the Oregon Laws and Rules examination (75% to pass); education/training and the practical examination may be waived based on the out-of-state license.
Massachusetts required 1,000 hours but Oregon wants 1,110 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 110-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Oregon's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Oregon Health Licensing Office — Board of Cosmetology with your license history before paying for school hours.
Will Oregon make me retake the cosmetology exams?
No exams transfer — every reciprocity applicant must pass Oregon's written examination for each field of practice plus the Oregon Laws and Rules examination (75% to pass); education/training and the practical examination may be waived based on the out-of-state license.
What does the Massachusetts-to-Oregon transfer cost and how long does it take?
$100 (non-refundable reciprocity application fee per field of practice; plus $45 written exam per field, $45 Oregon Laws and Rules exam, and $65 reciprocity certification fee (two-year certificate) — about $255 total for a single field); processing no published timeline; written exams are offered walk-in Monday-Friday and certification is issued after passing all exams and paying fees.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Oregon HLO — Cosmetology Reciprocity Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon HLO — Cosmetology Certification Application Information Packet ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Oregon HLO — Transfer your license from another state ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — Transfer a cosmetology, aesthetics, manicuring, barber, or electrology license to Massachusetts ↗ (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]