The temptation to squelch the competition may sometimes be hard to resist.

 The temptation to squelch the competition may sometimes be hard to resist.

Although the problems of administrative law lie right at the venal heart of American government, the conflicts of interest inherent in business licensure are seen at their most absurd in Louisiana, with hair braiders our piece de resistance. Aspiring braiders here are required to undergo 500 hours of training, complete a written exam and demonstrate various hairstyles on a mannequin. Jumping through these hoops can take 10 months and set the applicant back more than $10,000.

Braiding without a government permit in Louisiana can bring a $5,000 fine, but there's an answer to that too. Cross the state line into Arkansas, Texas or Mississippi and braid away to your heart's content; along with about half the states nationwide, they impose no requirements whatsoever. 

Louisiana stands proudly alone in at least one occupational permit rule. This is the only state in the union that issues a retail florist's license, which “authorizes the holder thereof to arrange or supervise the arrangement of floral designs which include living or freshly cut plant materials and to sell at retail floral designs, cut flowers, and ornamental plants in pots normally and customarily sold by florists.”