Happy New Year Good People!
I have amazing news. That’s right, I passed the state board exam for the state of South Carolina! This journey has been very personal and I began it by thinking, “How can I make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else?” If you’ve been following my career, then you are aware of the obstacles I was facing when I moved to another state for the second time while trying to remain licensed in good standing. The more I researched the rules for the states that require the NIC, the more I grew anxious about the transfer process. This article is for you, should you be contemplating moving to a new state or have already moved and want to transfer your license.
After reaching out to the state board to answer some of my questions regarding the NIC, I decided to take it a step further, while still complying with the state’s rules and reached out to the board of directors of the NIC exam. This was the first of many steps in my license transfer process to South Carolina through Georgia by way of New York State. I was originally licensed in 2013 in New York State and decided to relocate to Georgia in 2018. My license had been in good standing, I returned to school to earn my Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Daemen College (now University), and I even remained working in the salon after graduating due to the job market, and I was making pretty good money in the salon space.
Georgia was a necessary step in my journey due to the amount of growth I experienced while living on my own in a new state. I began working in a nail salon immediately and quickly began making good money there as well. The license transfer process was easy and the same throughout my journey minus a few differences in South Carolina, but the initial process is the same. Visit the state’s state board of Cosmetology website, download the application (if they do not have an online application system), fill out the application, include a copy of your original license from the state you’re currently licensed in, your supporting documents, have it notarized, and mail it to the correct address. I took it one step further and included a copy of my degree and a letter of recommendation from my current boss, to let them know I was serious about my craft. I was licensed in no time and able to work as soon as I settled in my new apartment.
After working in Georgia for a couple of years, I decided it was time to pursue another passion which as business. I decided on returning to school to earn my Masters in Business Administration from the illustrious Clark Atlanta University School of Business Administration and in those two years, I was an MBA with a job offer to relocate to the Carolina’s. Well, I knew that part would be easier this time since I had the financial support and a solid foundation for restarting in another new city. For sure, transferring my nail tech license would echo the same experience as Georgia, right? No.
South Carolina is a member of the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC). I learned shortly after submitting my application for endorsement, that I would be required to sit for the state board exam for a second time, regardless of my years of experience in the salon. I was quite upset and began to research the NIC and the state regulations adopted by the State Board of Cosmetology of South Carolina to better understand what I would be up against. In the meantime, I joined nail technician groups and posed the question to other nail technicians from the Carolinas to learn about their state board experiences. I understand the rationale, however, it did not make sense for licensed nail technicians with clean records to have to go through the process of proving their abilities again. I even reached out to the NIC board of directors personally and interviewed with the board to support license uniformity.
I sat for the written portion of the exam on December 9th, 2023, and passed. I live 2hrs away from both exam facilities so the drive allowed me to clear my mind. I sat for the practical portion of the exam on January 17th and passed. I was a wreck when sitting for the practical due to a mishap in the parking lot with my materials. My storage container slid off the roof of my car and scattered everywhere right before I walked in to register for the practical. While scrambling to repackage everything a sweet young lady appeared who was there to take the state board for her second time, too. It was at that moment I realized why I was advocating for license uniformity. Out of the six women who sat for the practical in South Carolina that day, many of us already held licenses from other states.
After passing and receiving the official notice of licensure in the State of South Carolina, I celebrated then immediately applied for endorsement in North Carolina on their cosmetic arts website. Their process is 100% online if you are applying for endorsement from any of the states listed on the website. The cost is $25 and you get a response within 72hrs of applying. This experience was by far the easiest.
My story does not end here. I am now licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and New York State and I welcome questions regarding additional details about my journey because this is only the beginning. There will be an article published on the NIC website featuring support for license uniformity and a national database for cosmetologists. In closing, I say to you, Stay encouraged, stay informed, and advocate for something when you know things could be better.
Ciao,
Rah
Confessions of A Nail Tech 