posted on: 06/11/2025
The appeal of a multistate license is attracting more states to the Cosmetology Licensure Compact (Compact), with Kansas and Washington being the ninth and tenth states, respectively, to join the portability initiative.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed into law House Bill 2069 in April, and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law House Bill 1023 in May. The goal of the Compact is to simplify interstate cosmetology practice and regulation by reducing holdups and delays that often occur when cosmetologists move to a different state.
The Compact became active on June 6, 2024. Seven states had to enact the Compact language to reach this checkpoint. Kansas and Washington join Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia as states that have enacted the Compact. Cosmetologists in these states will soon be eligible for a multistate license, which will make it easier for professionals to work temporarily in those member states.
Note: The Cosmetology Compact Commission must first draft rules before practitioners can move from one Compact-participating state to another. Click here to learn more about where we are in the Compact’s process. Check out the Compact website for more info or a refresher about the cosmetology multistate license.