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Which states make it easiest — or hardest — to earn a professional license? This scorecard grades every U.S. state and the District of Columbia on aggregate licensing friendliness, measuring the fees professionals pay, the education hours required, and how readily each state accepts out-of-state credentials through reciprocity agreements and interstate compacts.
Keep in mind that “best” depends on your perspective. Lower barriers mean faster entry into a profession, but stricter requirements can signal stronger consumer protections. We present the data neutrally so you can draw your own conclusions. Currently 51 states and territories are graded.
States Graded
51
Most Licensing-Friendly
South Carolina
Grade: A
Most Burdensome
Colorado
Grade: D
Each state is scored on three factors, weighted by their impact on licensing friendliness:
Scores are normalized to a 0–100 scale and mapped to letter grades: A (80–100), B (60–79), C (40–59), D (20–39), F (0–19).
All data comes from LicenseMap's verified state board data and official interstate compact registries.
| # | State | Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | A |
| 2 | Florida | A |
| 3 | Arkansas | A |
| 4 | Oregon | A |
| 5 | Louisiana | A |
| 6 | Wisconsin | A |
| 7 | Utah | B |
| 8 | North Carolina | B |
| 9 | Rhode Island | B |
| 10 | Washington | B |
| 11 | Texas | B |
| 12 | New Hampshire | B |
| 13 | Alabama | B |
| 14 | Montana | B |
| 15 | Oklahoma | B |
| 16 | Kentucky | B |
| 17 | West Virginia | B |
| 18 | New Mexico | B |
| 19 | Mississippi | B |
| 20 | Ohio | B |
| 21 | New Jersey | B |
| 22 | Connecticut | B |
| 23 | Minnesota | B |
| 24 | Virginia | B |
| 25 | Idaho | B |
| 26 | North Dakota | B |
| 27 | Vermont | B |
| 28 | Maryland | B |
| 29 | Georgia | B |
| 30 | Missouri | B |
| 31 | Indiana | B |
| 32 | Nebraska | B |
| 33 | Iowa | B |
| 34 | Massachusetts | B |
| 35 | Nevada | B |
| 36 | Delaware | B |
| 37 | District of Columbia | B |
| 38 | Kansas | B |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | B |
| 40 | Wyoming | B |
| 41 | Maine | B |
| 42 | New York | B |
| 43 | Arizona | B |
| 44 | Michigan | B |
| 45 | Alaska | B |
| 46 | Illinois | B |
| 47 | Hawaii | B |
| 48 | California | C |
| 49 | South Dakota | C |
| 50 | Tennessee | C |
| 51 | Colorado | D |
These states have the lowest fees, fewest mandatory training hours, and strongest reciprocity agreements.
Above-average licensing friendliness with reasonable costs, moderate education requirements, and good reciprocity.
Middle-of-the-pack states with average licensing costs, training requirements, and reciprocity participation.
Below-average licensing friendliness with higher-than-typical fees, longer training, or limited reciprocity.
State scores are computed from LicenseMap's database of licensing requirements across all tracked professions. Cost reflects government fees only (excludes tuition and third-party exam fees). Education hours represent state-mandated minimums. Reciprocity counts include interstate compact memberships. Scores are relative comparisons across states, not absolute measures of regulatory quality.