Occupational Licensing in Kentucky

What is Occupational Licensing?

Occupational licensing is a permit issued by the government that allows someone to work in a particular field. In Kentucky , nearly one in five workers must now get an occupational license before they can legally do their job. But many of these licenses are too strict, and they don’t even improve service quality or protect the public from actual harm.

Licenses Create Barriers to Working in Kentucky

Occupational licenses often impose high barriers to entry. That makes it much harder for people to find work or to start a new business. According to the Institute for Justice’s report, License to Work, the average license for low- and moderate-income jobs in Kentucky takes 404 days of education and experience. And those required classes can be very expensive.

For instance, cosmetology is one of the state’s most popular licenses. In Kentucky, it takes at least 1,500 hours of classes to get a license in cosmetology. On average, a cosmetology program in the state costs $15,662, while the average student takes out $6,124 in federal student loans. But despite such a hefty investment, many cosmetologists barely earn enough to get by: Half of cosmetologists make less than $23,460 a year.

Licensing Lawsuits by the Institute for Justice in Kentucky

IJ successfully represented John Rosemond, a family psychologist with a long-running, nationally syndicated advice column, in his fight against censorship by Kentucky’s Psychology Board. The Board considered his newspaper advice column the “unlicensed practice of psychology” and issued a cease-and-desist letter to Rosemond, threatening fines and even jail time if he continued. The Board also tried to stop Rosemond from calling himself a licensed psychologist, even though Rosemond is a licensed psychologist in North Carolina. But in a major First Amendment victory, a federal judge sided with Rosemond and blasted the Board’s “regulatory zeal.”

Recent Licensing Reforms in Kentucky

Kentucky has exempted hair braiding from the state’s licensing laws, repealed statutes that let the states revoke licenses for people who failed to pay back their student loans, and eased licensing barriers for people with criminal records.

Can You Get a License to Work with a Criminal Record in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, applicants can only be denied an occupational license if they’ve been convicted of a crime that “directly relates” to the license. Licensing boards must also offer applicants an opportunity for a hearing before they can be disqualified. Overall, Kentucky received a C+ for its protections in IJ’s Barred from Working report.

How You Can Help

If you are an Kentucky resident and you want to help fight against these unfair and unnecessary licensing laws, there are a few ways you can get involved. You can donate to the Institute for Justice, sign up for our email updates, and share our message with your network. Together, we can make sure that all Kentucky workers have the economic liberty they deserve.