102 Lower-income Occupations
For its 2017 report License to Work, the Institute for Justice documented the requirements to get a license for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the research methods.
State Profiles
For its 2017 report License to Work, the Institute for Justice documented the requirements to get a license for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the research methods.
Select A State
What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Mobile Home Installer
License required in 39 states
48th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
29th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Mobile home installers move or install manufactured (mobile) homes.Licensing
Thirty-nine states require mobile home installers to obtain licenses.1 On average, these laws require $344 in fees, 309 days of education and experience, and around one exam—the 48th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. And because the occupation is licensed by most states, it ranks as the 29th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary greatly. While Arizona, California and South Dakota all require three years or more of education and experience, six states require none at all. Similarly, six states require two exams, but Indiana, New Hampshire and Oklahoma require none. Fees also vary widely, from $25 in Tennessee to $2,790 in Arkansas. Arkansas’ fees are so high because the state requires a $2,500 recovery fund fee.
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2017.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensom
Based on data released in November 2017| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39 | $529 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 2 | South Dakota | 39 | $405 | 1095 | 3 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 39 | $454 | 1096 | 8 clock hours | 3 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | New York | 39 | $200 | 733 | 16 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 5 | Utah | 39 | $549 | 733 | 20 clock hours | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Kansas | 39 | $300 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Virginia | 39 | $235 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | South Carolina | 39 | $150 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | Maine | 39 | $121 | 731 | 5 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | Nevada | 39 | $553 | 730 | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 39 | $75 | 731 | 6 clock hours | 2 years | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 12 | Oregon | 39 | $440 | 376 | 16 clock hours | 1600 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 13 | Ohio | 39 | $350 | 367 | 12 clock hours | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Iowa | 39 | $300 | 366 | 8 clock hours | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 15 | Louisiana | 39 | $251 | 366 | 1 days | 1 years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Indiana | 39 | $150 | 366 | 8 clock hours | 1 year(s) | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 17 | Colorado | 39 | $100 | 183 | 8 clock hours | 6 months | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 39 | $2,790 | 92 | 1 days | 3 jobs, mobile home installers | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | North Dakota | 39 | $200 | 153 | 6 clock hours | 5 jobs, mobile home installers | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 20 | Washington | 39 | $260 | 184 | 10 clock hours | 6 months | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 39 | $100 | 87 | 15 clock hours | 60 days | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | West Virginia | 39 | $709 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Minnesota | 39 | $383 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Florida | 39 | $300 | 2 | 12 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 25 | Delaware | 39 | $238 | 3 | 15 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 26 | Idaho | 39 | $220 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 27 | Illinois | 39 | $150 | 2 | 10 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 28 | Missouri | 39 | $150 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 39 | $115 | 2 | 12 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 30 | Texas | 39 | $591 | 2 | 12 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 31 | Alabama | 39 | $400 | 2 | 12 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 39 | $350 | 3 | 15 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | Georgia | 39 | $300 | 1 | 1 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 34 | New Mexico | 39 | $269 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | North Carolina | 39 | $250 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 36 | Michigan | 39 | $150 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 37 | Mississippi | 39 | $100 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 38 | Tennessee | 39 | $25 | 3 | 15 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 39 | $200 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 0 |