Today, one out of every five Americans needs a license to work while 1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record. Since 2015, 37 states and Washington, D.C. have reformed their occupational licensing laws to make it easier for ex-offenders to find work in state-licensed fields:

1. Arizona (enacted reforms in 2018, 2019, and 2021)
2. Arkansas (2019)
3. California (enacted two reforms in 2018)
4. Colorado (2018)
5. Connecticut (2017)
6. Delaware (2018)
7. Florida (2019)
8. Georgia (2016)
9. Idaho (2020)
10. Illinois (enacted several reforms in 2016 and 2017)
11. Indiana (2018)
12. Iowa (enacted reforms in 2019 and 2020)
13. Kansas (2018)
14. Kentucky (2017)
15. Louisiana (2017)
16. Massachusetts (2018)
17. Maryland (enacted reforms in 2018 and 2019)
18. Michigan (2021)
19. Mississippi (2019)
20. Missouri (2020)
21. Nebraska (2018)
22. New Hampshire (2018)
23. New Jersey (2021)
24. New Mexico (2021)
25. New York (2019)
26. North Carolina (2019)
27. Ohio (enacted reforms in 2019 and 2021)
28. Oklahoma (enacted reforms in 2015 and 2019)
29. Pennsylvania (2020)
30. Rhode Island (enacted reforms in 2020 and 2021)
31. Tennessee (enacted reforms in 2016 and 2018)
32. Texas (enacted several reforms in 2019)
33. Utah (enacted reforms in 2019 and 2020)
34. Washington (2021)
35. West Virginia (enacted reforms in 2019 and 2020)
36. Wisconsin (2018)
37. Wyoming (2018)

Eighteen states, plus Washington, D.C., allow ex-offenders to petition a licensing board at any time, including before enrolling in any required training, to determine if their record would be disqualifying:

1. Arizona
2. Arkansas
3. Idaho
4. Indiana
5. Iowa
6. Mississippi 
7. Missouri
8. Nebraska
9. New Hampshire
10. North Carolina
11. Ohio
12. Oklahoma
13. Tennessee
14. Texas
15. Utah
16. Washington
17. West Virginia 
18. Wisconsin

Seventeen states generally prevent licensing boards from using vague standards like “good moral character” or “moral turpitude” to deny licenses for ex-offenders:

1. Arkansas
2. California
3. Idaho
4. Illinois
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
7. Kansas
8. Kentucky
9. Minnesota
10. Mississippi 
11. New Mexico
12. New York
13. North Carolina
14. Ohio
15. Pennsylvania
16. Washington
17. West Virginia

Likewise, five states—Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as the District of Columbia—removed moral character requirements from many of their licenses but did not enact an overarching ban.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia block licensing boards from denying ex-offenders a license to work, unless the board determines that the applicant’s criminal record is “directly related” to the license sought:

1. Colorado
2. Florida
3. Georgia
4. Illinois
5. Indiana
6. Iowa
7. Kansas
8. Kentucky
9. Michigan
10. Minnesota
11. Mississippi
12. New Hampshire
13. New Mexico
14. North Dakota
15. Ohio
16. Tennessee
17. Washington
18. Wyoming

Nineteen states and Washington, D.C. expressly ban boards from considering arrests that did not result in a conviction:

1. Arizona
2. Arkansas
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Connecticut
6. Illinois
7. Indiana
8. Iowa
9. Kansas
10. Michigan
11. Minnesota
12. New Hampshire
13. New Mexico
14. New York
15. Ohio
16. Rhode Island
17. Texas
18. Utah
19. Wisconsin

Eighteen states and Washington, D.C. prohibit boards from using  annulled, erased, expunged, sealed, or vacated records to disqualify applicants:

1. Arizona
2. Arkansas
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Connecticut
6. Hawaii
7. Illinois
8. Indiana
9. Massachusetts
10. Michigan
11. Minnesota
12. New Hampshire
13. New Mexico
14. New York
15. Ohio
16. Oklahoma
17. Pennsylvania
18. Rhode Island

Ten states, plus Washington, D.C. have instituted new reporting requirements:

1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Maryland
5. New Jersey
6. New Mexico
7. North Carolina
8. Ohio
9. Pennsylvania
10. Rhode Island

For more information on individual state laws, read IJ’s Barred from Working: A Nationwide Study of Occupational Licensing Barriers for Ex-Offenders.