Esthetics Licensure Compact: Member States (2026)
Pick your state to see whether it has joined the Esthetics Licensure Compact for multistate esthetician licensure, has a bill pending, or has not adopted it, plus the catch worth knowing up front: it is early, and no multistate licenses are being issued yet.
Where the compact stands
Not issuing licenses yet
3 states have enacted it, out of the 7 needed to activate the compact. It is not issuing multistate licenses yet; confirm the current status on the official site.
Estheticians only
The compact covers estheticians (skin care). Cosmetologists, barbers, and nail technicians use other paths; cosmetology has its own separate compact.
Member states (3)
- 2026
- 2026
- 2026
Legislation pending (4)
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 Esthetics Licensure Compact does
The compact is an agreement among states that lets an esthetician 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 cosmetology compact: 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 skin-care professional faces when they move or take clients across a state line.
Alabama, Kansas, and Virginia were the first to enact it, all in 2026. The lookup above shows where each state stands and when it joined.
Why you can't use it yet
The compact needs seven states to enact it before it switches on, and only three have so far. Until it clears that threshold, there is no governing Commission and no shared license system, so nothing changes in practice yet: an esthetician still needs a separate license in every state they work in, through that state's reciprocity path or a fresh application.
This is the early, watch-this-space stage, which is exactly why the lookup pairs the status with a way to get notified. Enter your state and your email and you will hear the day it moves, rather than checking back.
Estheticians only, and separate from cosmetology
The Esthetics Licensure Compact covers estheticians, meaning skin-care specialists, and you need an active esthetics license in your home state to use it. It does not cover cosmetologists, barbers, or nail technicians.
Cosmetologists have their own, further-along Cosmetology Licensure Compact , so if you hold a cosmetology license, that is the one to track. Barbers and nail technicians are not in either compact for now and still rely on the usual state-by-state reciprocity.
Frequently asked questions
Which states are in the Esthetics Licensure Compact?
As of the July 2026 review, three states have enacted it: Alabama, Kansas, and Virginia, all in 2026. Another few have compact legislation in the pipeline, including California, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. The lookup shows your state's current status and lets you pick any member to see when it joined. Because this is early and moving, treat the tool as a snapshot and confirm on the official compact site.
Can I use one esthetician license in multiple states yet?
Not yet. The Esthetics Licensure Compact needs seven states to enact it before it activates, and only three have so far, so it is short of that threshold. No governing Commission has formed and no multistate esthetician licenses are being issued. For now, even in a member state, an esthetician still needs a separate license for each state they work in, through that state's reciprocity path or a new application.
Is the esthetics compact the same as the cosmetology compact?
No. They are two separate interstate compacts. The Esthetics Licensure Compact covers estheticians, meaning skin-care specialists, and requires an active esthetics license in your home state. Cosmetologists have their own Cosmetology Licensure Compact, which is further along. Barbers and nail technicians are not covered by either and use the usual state-by-state reciprocity.
What is the Esthetics Licensure Compact?
It is an agreement among states that, once running, will let an esthetician hold a license in their home state and work in any other member state without applying for a separate license there, like the nursing and cosmetology 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 skin-care professional moves or works across state lines.