In America, your birth is not supposed to determine your station. The promise of the American dream means that even if you were born or came here poor, you still have a chance to prosper by learning a trade and making an honest living.

Unfortunately, the rise in occupational licensing means the American dream is increasingly getting out of reach for many Texans. According to a new study published by the Institute for Justice, Texas has the 21st-most burdensome licensing laws in the nation for lower-income occupations. On average, Texans must complete 341 days of training or experience, pass two exams and pay $253 in fees to become licensed. That's a higher hurdle than workers in states such as Connecticut and New York face.

Moreover, those burdens disproportionately hurt the poor, many of whom cannot afford the time and money needed to acquire a license. Simply put, licensing takes away the promise of the American dream.

Proponents often claim stringent licensing is needed to improve consumer protection. But as the IJ study shows, many licensing requirements are so irrational and wildly inconsistent that the consumer protection claim rings hollow.

For example, it takes about 35 days of training to earn a license as an emergency medical technician in Texas. By contrast, it takes 10 times as long — 350 days — to meet the education requirements for a barber or cosmetologist license. That makes no sense. After all, EMTs hold lives in their hands. Barbers do not.

Perversely, many boards responsible for administering licensure are dominated by industry practitioners. That means those insiders often get to create regulations that stop outsiders from entering the field. By restricting entry, employment opportunities are limited and consumer prices increase. One study estimates that licensing restrictions "can result in up to 2.85 million fewer jobs nationwide, with an annual cost to consumers of $203 billion."

There are many ways to protect consumers from genuine and substantial threats without creating needless barriers to earning an honest living. Consider the car-repair industry in Texas. Mechanics do not have to be licensed, but those who want to signal their qualifications to potential customers can become ASE-certified through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

Unlike mandatory licensing requirements, third-party certification programs are voluntary and do not create barriers to entry. Consumers who value such designations can choose to do business with those possessing such certifications, but customers who have no need for certified practitioners can still hire mechanics without paying the increased cost that would typically accompany licensed personnel.

Fortunately, Texas has enacted several reforms. During the 85th session, the state Legislature repealed licenses for shampooing hair and threading eyebrows and eliminated criminal penalties for athletic trainers, dietitians, midwives and speech-language pathologists who operate without a license.

But these initiatives should only be the beginning. In the next legislative session, lawmakers should scrutinize the more than 500 occupations regulated by the state to see if those rules are necessary, and if so, whether a less-restrictive alternative could work instead.

Texas has a long, proud heritage of fostering opportunity. But that legacy is undermined by the state's onerous restrictions on earning an honest living. By overhauling its licensing laws, Texas can stay true to its ideal of being a pro-growth, pro-opportunity, freedom-loving state.

Anya Bidwell is an attorney at the Texas office of the Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm that litigates licensing cases nationwide. She wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News. Email: abidwell@jj.org