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Travel Guide Occupational Licensing

License required in 37 states

75th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations

Average Fee for License:$340

What They Do

Travel guides plan, organize and conduct long distance cruises, tours and expeditions for individuals and groups. This report looks at what is required to run one’s own business as a travel guide.

Travel Guide Licensing Overview

Thirty-seven states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Travel Guide. On average, these laws require $340 in fees, 78 days of education and no exams. Travel Guide Licenses have the 75th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in Wyoming, Montana, Nevada.

Where is a Travel Guide the most regulated?

Out of the 37 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Travel Guide has the highest burden in Maine. Maine requires $235 in fees, 2 exams, 3 years experience, and no education.

Where is a Travel Guide the least regulated?

Out of the 37 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Travel Guide has the lowest burden in West Virginia. West Virginia requires $10 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where is a Travel Guide license the most expensive?

An occupational license for a Travel Guide costs the most in Wyoming. Wyoming requires $2370 in fees, 4 exams, 1 year experience, and 12 clock hours & 1 days education.

Where is a Travel Guide license the least expensive?

An occupational license for a Travel Guide costs the least in West Virginia. West Virginia requires $10 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where does it take the longest to obtain a Travel Guide license?

An occupational license for a Travel Guide takes the longest to obtain in Maine, New Mexico.It takes 1095 days (3 years).

Where is it fastest to obtain a Travel Guide license?

An occupational license for a Travel Guide takes the least time to obtain in Nevada, Idaho, New Hampshire, Arizona, New York, Washington, Delaware, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Georgia, Louisiana, California, Virginia, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Connecticut, Indiana, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, Alaska, Arkansas, North Carolina, West Virginia (0 days).

What states require exams for a Travel Guide license?

To obtain an occupational license for a Travel Guide there is at least one exam required in: Maine, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, New Hampshire, Arizona, Kentucky, New York, Hawaii. Wyoming requires 4 exams.

Thirty-seven states license travel guides. On average, these laws require $323 in fees and 78 days of education and experience—the 77th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because many states license travel guides, the occupation ranks as the 34th most widely and onerously licensed.

License requirements vary widely across states, as do the types of licenses recorded here (see Appendix B for details). For example, most licenses are for fishing guides and require only payment of a fee, but Maine’s license, which is the most burdensome, is for leading outdoor recreation expeditions (boating, camping, etc.). Maine’s license requires a minimum age of 18 years, three years (1,095 days) of experience, two exams and $181 in fees. Similarly, Wyoming’s license is for leading deer hunting expeditions and requires a minimum age of 18, over a year (about 368 days) of education and experience, two exams, and $2,370 in fees.

States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations

More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022

State Licensing Requirements

Select a chart to view:
Burden Rank State Occupations Licensed Fees Estimated Calendar Days Lost Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
1 Maine 46 $235 1095 None 3 years 2 0 18
2 New Mexico 66 $550 1095 None 3 years 1 0 21
3 Wyoming 26 $2,370 368 12 clock hours & 1 days 1 years 4 0 18
4 Montana 32 $1,950 182 None 100 days & 6 weeks 1 0 18
5 Utah 64 $237 140 None 100 days 1 0 18
6 Nevada 75 $2,250 0 None None 2 0 21
7 Idaho 66 $960 0 None None 1 0 18
8 New Hampshire 37 $100 0 None None 2 0 18
9 Arizona 68 $337 0 None None 1 0 18
10 Kentucky 38 $217 0.5 3 clock hours None 1 0 18
11 New York 41 $100 0 None None 1 0 18
12 Washington 76 $780 0 None None 0 0 16
13 Colorado 34 $100 12 50 clock hours None 0 0 18
14 Delaware 42 $160 0 None None 0 0 18
15 North Dakota 65 $100 0 None None 0 0 18
16 Wisconsin 42 $40 0 None None 0 0 18
17 Georgia 41 $25 0 None None 0 0 18
18 Hawaii 64 $35 2 12 clock hours None 1 0 0
19 Louisiana 77 $310 0 None None 0 0 0
20 California 75 $235 0 None None 0 0 0
21 Virginia 72 $190 0 None None 0 0 0
22 Pennsylvania 50 $100 1 8 clock hours None 0 0 0
23 Oregon 69 $150 0 None None 0 0 0
23 South Carolina 60 $150 0 None None 0 0 0
23 Tennessee 69 $150 0 None None 0 0 0
26 Texas 38 $132 0 None None 0 0 0
27 Connecticut 65 $100 0 None None 0 0 0
27 Indiana 37 $100 0 None None 0 0 0
27 Rhode Island 70 $100 0 None None 0 0 0
30 Oklahoma 42 $90 0 None None 0 0 0
31 Massachusetts 50 $65 0 None None 0 0 0
32 Illinois 41 $50 0 None None 0 0 0
33 Maryland 58 $41 0 None None 0 0 0
34 Alaska 64 $29 0 None None 0 0 0
35 Arkansas 72 $25 0 None None 0 0 0
36 North Carolina 66 $18 0 None None 0 0 0
37 West Virginia 67 $10 0 None None 0 0 0

License to Work

The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.

View Report