Licensing boards

Licensing boards are state agencies created to regulate the issuance of licenses to certain professions.

Most commonly licensure is required to practice certain professions pertaining to public health (e.g. doctors and nurses), financial matters (e.g. certified public accountants and real estate agents), and building trades (e.g. plumbers and electricians).

The necessity for state licensing boards is often the topic of debate as to whether needed (e.g. Louisiana requires florists to be licensed, the only state to do so) or the amount of training needed (e.g. a person seeking only to braid hair may require a cosmetologist's license, which often requires 750-1500 hours of practical training and much of which involves learning hairstyles that the person likely does not need to simply braid hair, though part of the training involves health and safety practices which most would agree should apply to all persons working with hair).