Everything You Need to Know About the Cosmetology Licensure Compact

There is a long list of wonderful things about being a beauty pro.

Whether you’re an established cosmetologist with an impressive resume and your own beauty biz or an aspiring stylist putting in the work at school and on the job, there are compelling reasons to embrace careers in the beauty industry.

While things like independence, creative freedom, and community are highlights of pursuing your passion, there are certain challenges associated with being a beauty pro, especially if you aspire to work on your own terms.

Licensure is one of these hurdles. While not always as painful as some make it out to be, procuring and maintaining a license involves education, testing, and continual effort.

Even when you stay on top of these things and stay in good standing, a license from one state typically does not transfer to other states, forcing you to obtain a license in every state you intend to do business.

Beauty Pro Guide to the Cosmetology Licensure Compact

If you’ve found yourself frustrated by the inability to work in different states or, alternatively, secure and maintain licenses in every state you intend to do business, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there are some exciting changes on the horizon.

The Cosmetology Licensure Compact presents states with an opportunity to pass legislation and make interstate licensing far easier for beauty pros to enjoy.

It has the potential to usher in a new era of interstate cooperation that will benefit cosmetologists tremendously. Read on to learn more about the compact and how it could affect you!

What is the Cosmetology Licensure Compact?

Brought to the table by the Council of State Governments, the Department of Defense, and an alliance of cosmetology boards from several states, the Cosmetology Licensure Compact is a legislative proposal that creates an interstate compact.

To strip away the legal jargon and simplify what the Cosmetology Licensure Compact intends to achieve, this piece of legislation allows states to join other states as members of the compact.

 Cosmetologists in member states can then apply for interstate licenses that allow them to travel freely between all states within the compact with that single license.

How to Use the Cosmetology Licensure Compact

Before you can take advantage of the incredible benefits of the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, it needs to be accepted by your state.

The process for this involves the legislation both passing your state’s legislature and your governor signing it into law. Then, your state will officially be a member of the compact.

If your state has not yet opted to join the compact, consider reaching out to those who may have a say in the matter.

You can also encourage your fellow beauty pros to get involved, making it known that the community wants this legislature to pass. Reaching out to your state board of cosmetologists, state legislature, and governor are all suitable paths of action.

Once your state is a member of the compact, you simply need to be an active, licensed beauty pro in your state. So long as you are in good standing, you can apply for a multi-state license.

If granted, you can use that single license to work in any state that holds membership in the compact. You also only need to maintain that one multistate license—no more juggling several licenses from numerous states.

The Benefits of the Cosmetology Licensure Compact

The immediate impact of the Cosmetology Licensure Compact is clear.

Having a multi-state license that allows you to take your beauty pro talents on the road without excessive barriers to overcome is progress that many in the industry only dreamed of.

That alone would be enough to make the compact a complete game-changer for beauty pros across the United States.

Additionally, the compact removes the need to apply for licenses in multiple states, meet the requirements to receive said licenses, pass the necessary tests, and then undergo continuing education to renew them.

The time, money, resources, and sanity that a single multi-state license with simple renewal guidelines (those of your home state) will save you is worth its weight in gold.

If you’re anything like us, the prospect of states embracing the Cosmetology Licensure Compact has you giddy.

It’s a massive step toward something beauty pros have craved for decades—the simplified ability to travel and work in multiple states.

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