Occupational Licensing in Nevada

What is Occupational Licensing?

An occupational or professional license is a permit issued by the government that lets someone work in a particular field. In Nevada , more than one out of every four workers must now get an occupational license before they can legally do their jobs. But many licenses don’t even improve service quality or protect the public from actual harm.

Licenses Create Barriers to Working in Nevada

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 Nevada takes 883 days of education and experience. In fact, Nevada has the worst licensing laws in the nation. And those required classes can be very expensive.  

For instance, cosmetology is one of the state’s most popular licenses. In Nevada, it takes at least 1,600 hours of classes to get a license in cosmetology. On average, a cosmetology program in the state costs $20,443, while the average student takes out $8,363 in federal student loans. But despite such a hefty investment, many cosmetologists barely earn enough to get by: Half of cosmetologists make less than $19,480 a year. 

All told, the state’s licensing requirements come with heavy costs. A separate study by IJ, At What Cost?, estimated that occupational licensing costs the state’s economy $3.62 billion and leads to 34,700 fewer jobs each year. 

Licensing Lawsuits by the Institute for Justice in Nevada 

On behalf of Lissette Waugh and Wendy Robin, the Institute for Justice sued the state cosmetology board, which threatened to shut down their businesses because they taught makeup techniques without a full-blown license in cosmetology. Prompted by IJ’s lawsuit, Nevada lawmakers exempted makeup artistry from the state’s cosmetology licensing laws.  

Recent Licensing Reforms in Nevada 

Nevada enacted universal recognition for out-of-state licenses. Under the law, licensed workers who move to the state will be free to work when they arrive and will no longer have to waste their time and money trying to obtain another permission slip from the government. The state also banned licensing boards from denying licenses based on an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status.  

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

Unfortunately, licensing boards in Nevada can deny licenses to anyone who has been convicted of any felony, no matter how long ago it occurred and even if it’s completely unrelated to the license. Nevada received an F in IJ’s Barred from Working report.

How You Can Help

If you are a Nevada 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 Nevada workers have the economic liberty they deserve.