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.
Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer
License required in 51 states
64th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
11th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Tractor-trailer drivers drive vehicles including semis, tankers or trucks with a towing vehicle attachment weighing more than 10,000 pounds to transport and deliver goods, livestock or materials in liquid, loose or packaged form. They may be required to unload trucks.[c]Adapted from https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-3032.00 and http://www.dmv.org/commercial-drivers/cdl-class-types.php[/c]Licensing
All 50 states and D.C. license tractor-trailer drivers. Rhode Island and West Virginia require two years (730 days) of driving experience, while seven other states require one year. Washington requires 160 hours (about 37 days) of commercial driving education. The other 41 states require no education or experience. Every state requires at least four exams and sets an age minimum, usually of 18 years, though a few states set theirs higher or lower.1 Fees range from $18 in New Mexico to $325 in Washington.
Tractor-trailer driver ranks as the 64th most burdensome occupations. And because it is licensed by every state and D.C., it ranks as the 11th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
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 | Rhode Island | 51 | $170 | 730 | 2 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 2 | West Virginia | 51 | $142 | 730 | 2 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | Oregon | 51 | $156 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Indiana | 51 | $153 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Idaho | 51 | $145 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Alaska | 51 | $140 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 7 | Utah | 51 | $100 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | Arizona | 51 | $50 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Delaware | 51 | $30 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 10 | Washington | 51 | $325 | 37 | 160 clock hours | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 11 | D C | 51 | $225 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 12 | New Hampshire | 51 | $80 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 13 | Hawaii | 51 | $155 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 14 | New York | 51 | $50 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 15 | Colorado | 51 | $257 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 16 | Nevada | 51 | $235 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 17 | Vermont | 51 | $171 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 18 | Tennessee | 51 | $84 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 19 | ||
| 19 | North Carolina | 51 | $160 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 20 | Oklahoma | 51 | $153 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 21 | Massachusetts | 51 | $140 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 22 | Connecticut | 51 | $131 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 23 | Kentucky | 51 | $125 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 24 | Wisconsin | 51 | $124 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 25 | South Dakota | 51 | $123 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 26 | Ohio | 51 | $119 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 27 | Louisiana | 51 | $116 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 28 | Georgia | 51 | $115 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 29 | Alabama | 51 | $111 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 30 | Illinois | 51 | $110 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 31 | Arkansas | 51 | $92 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 32 | Maryland | 51 | $90 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 33 | Texas | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 33 | Wyoming | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 35 | Missouri | 51 | $80 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 36 | Florida | 51 | $75 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 37 | California | 51 | $73 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 38 | Michigan | 51 | $60 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 39 | Kansas | 51 | $57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 40 | Iowa | 51 | $52 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 41 | South Carolina | 51 | $34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 42 | Pennsylvania | 51 | $30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 43 | Virginia | 51 | $27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 44 | Montana | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 44 | Nebraska | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 46 | North Dakota | 51 | $25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 47 | Minnesota | 51 | $24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 48 | New Mexico | 51 | $18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 49 | Mississippi | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 50 | Maine | 51 | $69 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 51 | New Jersey | 51 | $167 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 |