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.
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| 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.
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