Cosmetology Licensure Compact: Member States (2026)
Pick your state to see whether it has joined the Cosmetology Licensure Compact for multistate licensure, has a bill pending, or has not adopted it, plus the two things to know before you count on it: no multistate licenses are being issued yet, and it covers cosmetologists only.
Where the compact stands
Not issuing licenses yet
10 states have enacted it and the threshold to activate (7) was met in June 2024, but the Commission is still writing the rules. No multistate licenses are being issued yet; applications are expected during 2026.
Cosmetologists only
The compact covers cosmetologists. Barbers, estheticians, and nail technicians are not included; estheticians have a separate compact.
Member states (10)
- 2023
- 2023
- 2023
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2025
- 2025
Legislation pending (10)
Reviewed July 2026. The compact is spreading state by state and its rules are still being written, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the current status and what it lets you do on the official compact site and with your state board.
What the Cosmetology Licensure Compact does
The compact is an agreement among states that lets a cosmetologist keep one license in their home state and work in any other member state without applying for a separate license there. It works like the nursing compact and the other professional compacts: a state joins by passing the same model law, and once enough states are in, a shared system recognizes a home-state license across all of them. The point is to cut the cost and the weeks of delay a stylist faces when they move or take clients across a state line.
Ten states have enacted it so far, starting with Kentucky in 2023. The lookup above shows where each one stands and when it joined.
Why you can't use it yet
Enacting the compact and running it are two different things. The compact passed its activation threshold in June 2024, when Colorado became the seventh state, and the Cosmetology Licensure Compact Commission has since formed. But it is still writing the rules and building the shared license data system that member states will check. Until that is finished, no multistate licenses are being issued.
Applications are expected to open during 2026. Until they do, being in a member state does not yet change how you get licensed: a cosmetologist still needs a separate license in each state they work in, through that state's reciprocity path or a fresh application. This is the gap the lookup is careful to flag, because a member badge is easy to read as "ready now" when it is not.
Who it covers, and who it doesn't
The Cosmetology Licensure Compact covers cosmetologists. Barbers, estheticians, and nail technicians are not part of it. If you hold one of those licenses, this compact does not carry it across state lines, and you still work through the usual state-by-state reciprocity.
Estheticians have their own separate compact moving through state legislatures on a similar path, so an esthetician's portability is worth tracking on its own rather than assuming this one applies.
Frequently asked questions
Which states are in the Cosmetology Licensure Compact?
As of the July 2026 review, ten states have enacted it: Kentucky, Arizona, and Alabama (2023); Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Colorado, and Ohio (2024); and Kansas and Washington (2025). Another group has compact legislation pending, including Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The lookup shows your state's current status and lets you pick any member to see when it joined.
Can I use one cosmetology license in multiple states yet?
Not yet. The compact passed its activation threshold in June 2024 and its governing Commission has formed, but it is still writing the rules and building the shared license data system. As of July 2026 no multistate licenses are being issued; applications are expected to open during 2026. So even in a member state, a cosmetologist still needs a separate license for each state they work in for now, through reciprocity or a new application.
What is the Cosmetology Licensure Compact?
It is an agreement among states that, once running, will let a cosmetologist hold a license in their home state and work in any other member state without applying for a separate license there, similar to the nursing and other professional compacts. A state joins by passing the model legislation into law. It is designed to cut the cost and delay of getting relicensed when a stylist moves or works across state lines.
Does the compact cover barbers, estheticians, and nail technicians?
No. The Cosmetology Licensure Compact covers cosmetologists only. Barbers, estheticians, and nail technicians are not part of it. Estheticians have their own separate compact moving through the states on a similar path, and barbering and nail licensure portability still runs through the usual state-by-state reciprocity for now.