States by Licensing Burden
Compare all 50 states and DC by occupational licensing requirements. Ranked by overall burden score based on number of licensed occupations, average education hours, fees, and experience requirements. Source: Institute for Justice License to Work.
| Rank | State | Burden Score | Professions Licensed | Burden Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California CA | 28.5 | 97 | High Burden |
| 2 | Oregon OR | 30.2 | 97 | High Burden |
| 3 | Illinois IL | 31.0 | 97 | High Burden |
| 4 | Nevada NV | 32.1 | 97 | High Burden |
| 5 | Colorado CO | 33.5 | 97 | High Burden |
| 6 | Arizona AZ | 34.2 | 97 | High Burden |
| 7 | Washington WA | 35.0 | 97 | High Burden |
| 8 | Hawaii HI | 35.8 | 97 | High Burden |
| 9 | New Mexico NM | 36.5 | 97 | High Burden |
| 10 | Montana MT | 37.0 | 97 | High Burden |
| 11 | Louisiana LA | 38.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 12 | Connecticut CT | 40.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 12 | Rhode Island RI | 37.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 13 | Maryland MD | 40.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 13 | New Jersey NJ | 41.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 14 | Massachusetts MA | 41.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 15 | Florida FL | 42.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 17 | New York NY | 43.2 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 18 | District of Columbia DC | 43.8 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 18 | Pennsylvania PA | 44.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 19 | Delaware DE | 44.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 20 | Texas TX | 45.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 22 | Ohio OH | 46.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 24 | Michigan MI | 47.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 25 | Georgia GA | 48.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 26 | North Carolina NC | 48.5 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 27 | Indiana IN | 49.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 28 | Virginia VA | 50.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 29 | Tennessee TN | 51.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 30 | Minnesota MN | 52.0 | 97 | Medium Burden |
| 31 | Missouri MO | 52.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 32 | Wisconsin WI | 53.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 33 | Alabama AL | 53.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 34 | Mississippi MS | 54.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 34 | Utah UT | 54.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 34 | West Virginia WV | 54.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 35 | Kentucky KY | 55.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 36 | Arkansas AR | 56.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 37 | South Carolina SC | 57.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 38 | Oklahoma OK | 57.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 39 | Iowa IA | 58.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 40 | Kansas KS | 58.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 41 | Nebraska NE | 59.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 42 | Alaska AK | 59.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 43 | Idaho ID | 60.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 44 | North Dakota ND | 61.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 45 | South Dakota SD | 62.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 46 | Wyoming WY | 63.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 47 | Vermont VT | 63.5 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 48 | Maine ME | 64.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
| 49 | New Hampshire NH | 65.0 | 97 | Low Burden |
Burden score: lower values indicate more burdensome licensing regimes (more education hours, higher fees, more licensed professions). Source: Institute for Justice License to Work 3rd Edition research.