Cosmetology / Barber License from Pennsylvania to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section ↗
A cosmetology license transfers from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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
The number that defines this move: Pennsylvania licensed you at 1,250 training hours, and Arkansas requires 1,500 — a 250-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 Arkansas's position accept documented licensed work experience, supplemental hours, or their own exams. The requirements below are the exact menu Arkansas offers.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Arkansas
| Pennsylvania (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| CLC status | Reciprocity with 41 states | Licensure by endorsement |
| Training hours | 1,250 | 1,500 |
| Application fee | $89 (licensure by reciprocity / Act 41 endorsement application fee, applied for through the PALS 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 | the board's processing guide describes a three-phase timeline but publishes no fixed durations | no processing timeline published by the Cosmetology Section |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology | 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 Pennsylvania cosmetology license?
A cosmetology license transfers from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania required 1,250 hours but Arkansas wants 1,500 — do I need more school?
Not necessarily. The 250-hour gap can usually be bridged without re-enrolling: Arkansas's options are listed in the requirements on this page (experience substitution and examination are the common routes). Contact the Arkansas Department of Health — Cosmetology Section with your license history before paying for school hours.
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 Pennsylvania-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)
- PA Department of State — Cosmetology Licensure Guide (reciprocity section) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA Department of State — Cosmetologist Licensure Snapshot ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 7 — State Board of 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]