Kentucky

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.

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

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