50 Years Later, Hawaii's Law Requiring Professional Licenses Could Be In For An Overhaul
Hunter Wilson is building an impressive resume as a Honolulu barber.
At 27, he manages a sleek new barber shop, The Cutlery, in Kaimuki: a combination bar, restaurant and barber shop. And hes toured the mainland representing the Dutch product line Reuzel. Its an auspicious start for a young professional who started his 1,500 hours of training required to be a barber by Hawaii law when he was just 17.
But theres one thing Wilson doesnt have: a barber license that he can use in other states. Thats a big difference from locales like Arizona, for instance, which has reciprocity agreements with 28 other states, according to the American Barber Association. And the result is there are certain things Wilson cant do when hes on the road, even though hes licensed in Hawaii.
I can still cut hair as a demo, he says. But I cant get paid. I cant do a pop-up.
And barbers are hardly alone. While more than a dozen other states have made sweeping changes to recognize occupational licenses granted in other states, Hawaii continues to rely on an ad hoc, patchwork approach built up on a law passed almost half a century ago.
Read more: https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/11/50-years-later-hawaiis-law-requiring-professional-licenses-could-be-in-for-an-overhaul/