Cosmetology / Barber License from Ohio to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Ohio to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section, verify your Ohio license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. If licensed one year or more, only the Arkansas state law exam is required; if licensed under one year, the written exam must also be passed before a license is issued.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Ohio and Arkansas require identical training hours (1,500), which removes the usual friction from a cosmetology transfer. What remains is Arkansas's administrative checklist below.
What changes, Ohio → Arkansas
| Ohio (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | CLC enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $73.5 (non-refundable reciprocity application fee paid via the eLicense portal) | $50 (nonrefundable application fee (10.2024 application for automatic or out-of-state licensure); exam fees paid separately to the test vendor) |
| Processing time | board publishes no review timeline; applications are reviewed after submission and documentation via eLicense | no processing timeline published by the Cosmetology Section |
| Licensing authority | Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board | Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, valid license in good standing with at least one year of licensure experience (under one year triggers the written exam).
- Have a certified record (affidavit) sent directly from the state board where you are currently licensed.
- Submit legible copies of your Social Security card, out-of-state license, and US government-issued photo ID with matching names.
- Pass the Arkansas state law examination.
- Pay the fees ($50 (nonrefundable application fee (10.2024 application for automatic or out-of-state licensure); exam fees paid separately to the test vendor)) and allow no processing timeline published by the Cosmetology Section.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept a Ohio cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Ohio to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section, verify your Ohio license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. If licensed one year or more, only the Arkansas state law exam is required; if licensed under one year, the written exam must also be passed before a license is issued.
Will Arkansas make me retake the cosmetology exams?
If licensed one year or more, only the Arkansas state law exam is required; if licensed under one year, the written exam must also be passed before a license is issued.
What does the Ohio-to-Arkansas transfer cost and how long does it take?
$50 (nonrefundable application fee (10.2024 application for automatic or out-of-state licensure); exam fees paid separately to the test vendor); processing no processing timeline published by the Cosmetology Section.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- ADH Cosmetology — Application for Automatic Licensure or Out-of-State Licensure (10.2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ADH Cosmetology — Reciprocity Requirements for Hours (1,500 hours for cosmetologist) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ADH — Cosmetology Forms, Reciprocity, and Military ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board — Reciprocity ↗ (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]