Indiana licenses 37 out of 102 lower-income occupations (more than half of the occupations included in the study) . The state’s licensing laws are about average when compared to other states. The state's licensing laws rank 23rd in the nation.
On average, Indiana requires $162 in licensing fees, 306 days of education and about 1 exam. Fees for a license exceed $1000 for Midwife, Direct Entry.
Out of the 37 occupations that require an occupational license in Indiana, a license for Midwife, Direct Entry has the highest burden. A Midwife, Direct Entry license requires $1300 in fees, 1 exams, 80 births experience, and 2 years of education.
Out of the 37 occupations that require an occupational license in Indiana, a license for Coach, Head (High School Sports) has the lowest burden. A Coach, Head (High School Sports) license requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and 3 clock hours of education.
An occupational license in Indiana costs the most for Midwife, Direct Entry. A Midwife, Direct Entry license requires $1300 in fees, 1 exams, 80 births experience, and 2 years of education.
An occupational license for in Indiana costs the least for Gaming Cage Worker, Gaming Dealer, Gaming Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, Milk Sampler, Wildlife Control Operator, Coach, Head (High School Sports) where the license costs $0.
In Indiana, an occupational license takes the most time (due to required education/experience) for Midwife, Direct Entry. It takes 2330 days (6 years and 20 days) total. A Midwife, Direct Entry license requires $1300 in fees, 1 exams, 80 births experience, and 2 years of education.
In Indiana, an occupational license takes the least time due to required education/experience (0 days) for Earth Driller, Water Well, Bartender, Bill Collection Agency, Gaming Cage Worker, Gaming Dealer, Gaming Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, Pest Control Applicator, Wildlife Control Operator, Travel Guide, Landscape Contractor (Commercial), Landscape Contractor (Residential), Fisher, Commercial, Taxidermist.
In Indiana, to obtain an occupational license there is at least one exam required for: Midwife, Direct Entry, Preschool Teacher, Public School, Interpreter, Sign Language, Athletic Trainer, Veterinary Technician, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Cosmetologist, Truck Driver, Other, Barber, Taxi Driver/Chauffeur, Makeup Artist, Skin Care Specialist, Pharmacy Technician, Manicurist, School Bus Driver, Emergency Medical Technician, Auctioneer, Earth Driller, Water Well, Bartender, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Pest Control Applicator, Milk Sampler, Wildlife Control Operator. School Bus Driver requires 6 exams.
Indiana licenses 37 of the 102 lower-income occupations studied here. Its licensing laws rank as the 26th most burdensome because Indiana’s barriers to entry average $163 in fees, 323 days lost to education and experience, and approximately one exam. Indiana ranks as the 44th most broadly and onerously licensed state for lower-income workers, making it better than most but still leaving ample room for improvement.
Indiana licenses several occupations that are not licensed by other states, such as veterinary technicians (licensed by 36 states), auctioneers (30 states), sign language interpreters (22 states), taxi drivers and chauffeurs (16 states), and bartenders (13 states). Among those, sign language interpreters in Indiana face particularly steep burdens of more than four years of education, two exams and $725 in fees.
Indiana also imposes burdens on some occupations that seem excessive compared to those for other occupations that may present greater risks to the public. For example, in Indiana, it is harder to become a manicurist than it is to become an EMT. EMTs need only about 37 days (160 hours) of education, while manicurists need around 105 days (450 hours) of education. Indiana should consider whether this and other heavy licensing burdens can be reduced, repealed or—if government regulation is necessary—replaced with less restrictive regulatory alternatives.
Burden Rank | Occupation | Number of States that License | Fees | Education/Experience (Days) | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Midwife, Direct Entry | 37 | 1300 | 2330 | 2 years | 80 births | 1 | 12 | 21 | |
2 | Preschool Teacher, Public School | 50 | 441 | 2190 | 1 clock hour & 4 years | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Interpreter, Sign Language | 22 | 885 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
4 | Athletic Trainer | 49 | 498 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
5 | Veterinary Technician | 36 | 393 | 730 | 2 years | None | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
6 | Bus Driver, City/Transit | 51 | 171 | 365 | None | 1 year | 5 | 0 | 21 | |
7 | Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer | 51 | 152 | 365 | None | 1 year | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
8 | Cosmetologist | 51 | 88 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 | |
9 | Truck Driver, Other | 51 | 152 | 365 | None | 1 year | 4 | 0 | 18 | |
10 | Barber | 51 | 84 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
11 | Taxi Driver/Chauffeur | 13 | 19 | 365 | None | 1 year | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
12 | Mobile Home Installer | 37 | 150 | 366 | 8 clock hours | 1 year | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
13 | Makeup Artist | 37 | 88 | 163 | 700 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 | |
13 | Skin Care Specialist | 51 | 88 | 163 | 700 clock hours | None | 1 | 10 | 17 | |
15 | Pharmacy Technician | 44 | 192 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
16 | Manicurist | 51 | 80 | 105 | 450 clock hours | None | 1 | 8 | 18 | |
17 | School Bus Driver | 51 | 190 | 5 | 32 clock hours | None | 6 | 0 | 21 | |
18 | Emergency Medical Technician | 51 | 98 | 37 | 160 clock hours | None | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
19 | Child Care Home, Family | 44 | 39 | 1 | 7.5 clock hours | None | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
20 | Auctioneer | 28 | 105 | 19 | 80 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
21 | Earth Driller, Water Well | 51 | 125 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
22 | Bartender | 12 | 45 | 0 | 2 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 19 | |
23 | Bill Collection Agency | 29 | 200 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
24 | Vegetation Pesticide Applicator | 51 | 90 | 2 | 2 days | None | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
25 | Gaming Cage Worker | 30 | 0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 21 | |
25 | Gaming Dealer | 29 | 0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 21 | |
25 | Gaming Supervisor | 31 | 0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 21 | |
25 | Slot Supervisor | 29 | 0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 21 | |
29 | Pest Control Applicator | 51 | 90 | 0 | None | None | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
30 | Milk Sampler | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 clock hour | 1 day | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
31 | Wildlife Control Operator | 23 | 0 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
32 | Travel Guide | 37 | 100 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
33 | Landscape Contractor (Commercial) | 47 | 50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
33 | Landscape Contractor (Residential) | 48 | 50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
35 | Fisher, Commercial | 43 | 20 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
36 | Taxidermist | 28 | 15 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
37 | Coach, Head (High School Sports) | 47 | 0 | 1 | 3 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
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