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Kentucky

Kentucky Occupational Licensing

38 out of 102 moderate-income occupations licensed

13th most burdensome licensing laws for moderate-income occupations

Average Fees for Licenses:$281

Kentucky Licensing Overview

Kentucky licenses 38 out of 102 lower-income occupations (more than half of the occupations included in the study) . The state’s licensing laws are more burdensome than most other states. The state's licensing laws rank 13th in the nation. Kentucky licensed occupations includes occupations that are rarely licensed elsewhere. Few other states license Packer (7 other).

On average, Kentucky requires $281 in licensing fees, 404 days of education and about 2 exam. Fees for a license exceed $1000 for Midwife, Direct Entry.

Which occupation in a Kentucky is the most regulated?

Out of the 38 occupations that require an occupational license in Kentucky, a license for Preschool Teacher, Public School has the highest burden. A Preschool Teacher, Public School license requires $403 in fees, 2 exams, 1 year experience, and 4 years of education.

Which occupation in a Kentucky is the least regulated?

Out of the 38 occupations that require an occupational license in Kentucky, a license for Packer has the lowest burden. A Packer license requires $20 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no of education.

Which occupational license in Kentucky is the most expensive?

An occupational license in Kentucky costs the most for Midwife, Direct Entry. A Midwife, Direct Entry license requires $2351 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 2 years & 3 clock hours of education.

Which occupational license in Kentucky is the least expensive?

An occupational license for in Kentucky costs the least for Mobile Home Installer. A Mobile Home Installer license requires $8 in fees, 1 exams, 60 days experience, and 15 clock hours of education.

Which occupational license in Kentucky takes the most time to obtain?

In Kentucky, an occupational license takes the most time (due to required education/experience) for Preschool Teacher, Public School. It takes 1825 days (5 years) total. A Preschool Teacher, Public School license requires $403 in fees, 2 exams, 1 year experience, and 4 years of education.

Which occupational license in Kentucky takes the least time to obtain?

In Kentucky, an occupational license takes the least time due to required education/experience (0 days) for Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Other, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Wildlife Control Operator, Pharmacy Technician, Fisher, Commercial, Taxidermist, Landscape Contractor (Commercial), Landscape Contractor (Residential), Packer.

In Kentucky, which occupational licenses require exams?

In Kentucky, to obtain an occupational license there is at least one exam required for: Preschool Teacher, Public School, HVAC Contractor (Commercial), HVAC Contractor (Residential), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial), Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential), Athletic Trainer, Midwife, Direct Entry, Optician, Earth Driller, Water Well, Pest Control Applicator, Veterinary Technician, Barber, Interpreter, Sign Language, Auctioneer, Cosmetologist, Shampooer, Skin Care Specialist, Manicurist, Massage Therapist, Emergency Medical Technician, School Bus Driver, Coach, Head (High School Sports), Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer, Bus Driver, City/Transit, Truck Driver, Other, Mobile Home Installer, Travel Guide, Vegetation Pesticide Applicator, Wildlife Control Operator, Milk Sampler. School Bus Driver requires 6 exams.

Kentucky’s lower-income occupational licensing laws rank as the 12th most burdensome, requiring, on average, $240 in fees, 466 days of education and experience, and around two exams. Because Kentucky licenses relatively few of the lower-income occupations studied here—37 out of 102—it ranks as the 40th most broadly and onerously licensed state.

Kentucky imposes more onerous requirements than many other states for several occupations. For example, the average license requirements for auctioneers are a $278 fee, 94 days of education and experience, and one exam. Kentucky, on the other hand, requires nearly twice as much in fees ($530), nearly eight times as much education and experience (around 751 days, comprising two years of experience and 92 hours of education), and twice as many exams (two). These steep requirements are out of sync with the relatively lower burdens imposed by other states that license auctioneers, and 31 states do not license them at all.

Kentucky also makes it much more difficult to enter 20 occupations than it does to become an EMT. EMTs must only pay a $168 fee, complete about 28 days (119 hours) of education and pass two exams to obtain a license. But cosmetologists, for example, must pay $200 in fees, sacrifice an estimated 602 days to education and experience (comprising 1,800 hours of education and six months of experience), and pass three exams before being allowed to work in Kentucky. To open up opportunity for lower-income workers, Kentucky should repeal or reduce its heavy burdens for cosmetologists and other occupations, or—if government regulation is necessary—replace them with less restrictive regulatory alternatives such as inspections or voluntary certification.

Kentucky State Licensing Requirements for Lower-Income Occupations

Select a chart to view:
Burden Rank Occupation Number of States that License Fees Education/Experience (Days) Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
1 Preschool Teacher, Public School 50 403 1825 4 years 1 year 2 0 0
2 HVAC Contractor (Commercial) 37 406 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
2 HVAC Contractor (Residential) 35 406 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
2 Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Commercial) 37 406 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
2 Sheet Metal Contractor, HVAC (Residential) 36 406 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
6 Athletic Trainer 49 490 1460 4 years None 1 0 0
7 Midwife, Direct Entry 37 2351 731 2 years & 3 clock hours None 1 12 0
8 Optician 22 500 730 2 years None 3 12 18
9 Earth Driller, Water Well 51 480 730 None 2 years 3 0 18
10 Pest Control Applicator 51 250 730 None 2 years 2 0 18
11 Veterinary Technician 36 350 730 2 years None 1 0 0
12 Barber 51 500 532 1500 clock hours 6 months 2 12 18
13 Interpreter, Sign Language 22 415 420 60 credit hours None 2 12 18
14 Auctioneer 28 560 386 92 clock hours 1 year 2 12 18
15 Cosmetologist 51 200 350 1500 clock hours None 2 12 18
15 Shampooer 33 200 350 1500 clock hours None 2 12 18
17 Skin Care Specialist 51 200 175 750 clock hours None 2 12 18
18 Manicurist 51 125 105 450 clock hours None 2 12 18
19 Massage Therapist 45 370 140 600 clock hours None 1 0 18
20 Emergency Medical Technician 51 163 35 150 clock hours None 2 12 18
21 School Bus Driver 51 70 4 21 clock hours None 6 0 21
22 Coach, Head (High School Sports) 47 25 4 26.33 clock hours None 1 12 21
23 Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer 51 125 0 None None 5 0 18
24 Bus Driver, City/Transit 51 65 0 None None 5 0 18
25 Child Care Home, Family 44 40 1 6 clock hours None 0 12 18
26 Truck Driver, Other 51 110 0 None None 4 0 18
27 Mobile Home Installer 37 8 87 15 clock hours 60 days 1 0 0
28 Travel Guide 37 217 1 3 clock hours None 1 0 18
29 Vegetation Pesticide Applicator 51 230 0 None None 4 0 0
30 Makeup Artist 37 50 1 3 clock hours None 0 12 0
31 Wildlife Control Operator 23 100 0 None None 1 0 18
32 Pharmacy Technician 44 25 0 None None 0 0 16
33 Milk Sampler 43 15 1 6.75 clock hours None 1 0 0
34 Fisher, Commercial 43 150 0 None None 0 0 0
34 Taxidermist 28 150 0 None None 0 0 0
36 Landscape Contractor (Commercial) 47 40 0 None None 0 0 0
36 Landscape Contractor (Residential) 48 40 0 None None 0 0 0
38 Packer 7 20 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