Harrisburg, PA – Since day one, Governor Shapiro has been focused on streamlining state government and improving the way Pennsylvanians interact with the Commonwealth. He’s slashed wait times, cut red tape, and instituted a money-back guarantee to ensure there is certainty and accountability in Pennsylvania’s permitting, licensing, and certification processes. As a result of that work, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced that Pennsylvania made the most significant jump in improving its occupational licensing process, according to national rankings recently released by a nonpartisan public policy think tank.
The Commonwealth leapt 25 spots in the index and now ranks as one of the least burdensome states in the country to obtain an occupational licensing, providing further proof the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to reducing license processing times is working, said Schmidt.
“The improvements we’ve made mean that nurses, doctors, and other licensed professionals can get to work more quickly, and the Pennsylvanians they serve can get the services they need,” Schmidt said. “Health organizations and small businesses who employ these licensed professionals also benefit.”
In January 2023, Governor Shapiro signed an executive order directing state agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of how long it was taking them to process applications for professional licenses, permits, and certifications. Based on the review, the Shapiro Administration established a date-certain for each license, permit, or certificate by which completed applications will be processed. If completed applications are not processed by that date, the agency responsible will refund the applicants their application fee.
In 2023, Pennsylvania ranked in the bottom of the Archbridge Institute’s State Occupational Licensing Index. In 2024, the Commonwealth ranked in the top 10, with no other state coming close to such a significant rise in the rankings. Schmidt noted this is a tremendous achievement due, in no small part, to the work of the staff at the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs and Acting Commissioner Arion Claggett.
In an op/ed penned by researchers last month, the authors wrote, “The Shapiro Administration deserves credit for recognizing the costs of occupational licensing and moving forward with reform. … Legislators and the executive branch in the Keystone State are taking important steps to remove unnecessary barriers for workers.”
Schmidt noted that the positive shift is due to reforms implemented over the past year, including the partial implementation of the nurse and medical interstate licensure compacts and elimination of unnecessary licensing.
The criteria for the rankings include the number of occupations licensed, universal recognition policies, and requirements for initial licensure.
Just last month, the Department announced that the Shapiro Administration cut license processing times for hair salons, barbershops, and health care professionals – allowing Pennsylvanians applying for a cosmetology or barbershop license to get their application approved as quickly as the same day, down from nearly two weeks when Governor Shapiro took office.
The chart below compares processing times from January 2023 and September 2024 for complete license applications for three categories of businesses and five professions.
| License category | Average processing days in January 2023 | Average processing days in September 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology salon initial application | 15 | Same day |
| Barber shop initial application | 12 | Same day |
| Vehicle dealership initial application | 10 | 1 |
Real estate salesperson initial application | 13 | 1 |
| Vehicle salesperson initial application | 12 | 1 |
| Pharmacist initial application by exam | 26 | 1 |
| MD (U.S.-educated) | 43 | 2 |
| Physical therapist | 31 | 2 |
Earlier today, Governor Shapiro established a permitting Fast Track initiative for major economic development and infrastructure projects that will create real opportunity for Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth. Fast Track builds on the work the Governor has done during his first two years in office to make state government move at the speed of business – creating the Office of Transformation and Opportunity (OTO) to spur economic growth and the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA) to streamline how Pennsylvanians interact with the Commonwealth online.
With the launch of Fast Track, Governor Shapiro is furthering his commitment to making the Commonwealth a place where government works to create real opportunities — allowing Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.