Occupational licensing regulations are an unnecessary racket that are more about control than safety.

This is because those rules work to:

• keep quality low
• prices high
• keep millions of potential jobs out of the market
• help to fuel monopolies by reducing competition

These rigid and illogical rules keep people from entering the market who are interested in doing anything and everything from cutting hair, cutting lawns, baking cakes, pickling beets, mixing cocktails, or serving their community in a variety of other ways. Those interested in doing this sort of service will be required to undergo extensive training programs, or pass various tests, obtain costly permits and licenses etc, before they can begin to serve others in the market.

If we are interested in acquiring better services, having more options in the market, having access to more competitive pricing etc, then we should hope that these rules are reduced as much as possible.

People should be free to serve others without having to ask permission first.

In recent years, there has been growing criticism against these occupational licensing schemes. Those who have an interest in defending individual liberty have fought back against these licensing rules, to try and have them reversed, and in a variety of circumstances they've been successful.

Just recently, officials in New Mexico made the bold announcement that they were going to look at drastically cutting back their occupational licensing rules. And any rules that they can do away with, which act as preventative measures before people can enter the market and serve others, is going to be a good thing because that is going to help facilitate freedom.

Any effort to reduce licensing rules that force people to jump through tedious regulatory hoops and pay various permit fees etc, before they can venture into the area of business that they're interested in, is a good thing.

Force Isn't Necessary - there is another way...

These rules don't keep us any safer, because while they are claiming to achieve that safety they on the other hand degrade individual liberty by intervening between two parties that might be interested in making an exchange. Doing away with these sorts of regulatory schemes also leaves room for private and voluntary licensing solutions to come about as a solution for those who are looking for a way to seek out goods and services that come from companies and individuals they can trust.

Pics:
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