All 50 states and DC, from each state's own rules

Salon inspection checklist for every state

Every state's salon board inspects salons against its own sanitation rules, and the rules differ more than most owners expect: contact times, foot spa logs, banned tools. Pick your state for a checklist of what its inspectors look for, built from its own rules with each rule's words beside it (a median of 20 rules a state). Tick it off, filter it to your services, and print it.

Read from the official sources on October 19, 2026. How we checked ยท Download every rule (CSV)

Rules a state, median
20
Boards with their own form
26
Require a foot spa log
13 states
Ban MMA nail liquid
38 states

Pick your state

Your state's salon inspection checklist

Every rule its inspectors check, filtered to your services, with the rule's own words and the board's own form where it publishes one. Tick it off and print it.

The number is the rules on each state's list. marks a board that publishes its own inspection form.

What inspectors check

The salon inspection checklist, in every state

What the states' sanitation rules cover, most common first. Your state's page has the exact rules.

  1. 1

    Banned products and tools (51 of 51)

    Products, tools and practices the state's rules forbid outright.

  2. 2

    The disinfectant (50 of 51)

    What the disinfectant must be, how it is mixed and how often it is changed.

  3. 3

    Cleaning tools between clients (50 of 51)

    How combs, shears, nippers and other reusable tools are cleaned and disinfected after each client.

  4. 4

    Storing clean and used tools (50 of 51)

    Clean tools kept covered and apart from used ones, so nothing dirty touches the next client.

  5. 5

    Water, sinks and restroom (50 of 51)

    Hot and cold running water, sinks and a restroom with a place to wash hands.

  6. 6

    The premises (50 of 51)

    Floors, walls, light, air, waste bins and keeping living space and food out of the work area.

  7. 7

    Single-use items (48 of 51)

    What must be thrown away after one client because it cannot be disinfected.

  8. 8

    Towels, capes and linens (48 of 51)

    Clean towels stored closed, used ones in a covered container until laundered.

  9. 9

    Licenses on display (47 of 51)

    The first thing an inspector looks for: the salon's license and every working license, current and where clients can see them.

  10. 10

    Pedicure equipment (45 of 51)

    How foot spas and pedicure basins are cleaned after each client and at the end of the day, and the log some states require.

  11. 11

    First aid and safety (45 of 51)

    A first aid kit, what to do after a cut or blood exposure, and other safety rules.

  12. 12

    Other required postings (44 of 51)

    Some states also want their rules, a consumer notice or the last inspection report on the wall.

Across the states

What every salon owner should know

  • Most states' rules cover the same ground. The topics the most states' rules address are banned items (51 states), disinfectant (50 states), tool cleaning (50 states), tool storage (50 states). Get those right and most of an inspection is done.
  • The disinfectant is named in the rules. 43 states name an EPA-registered disinfectant in their rules; others set what it must kill or how it is used. Keep the label where the inspector can read it.
  • Pedicure tubs carry the most paperwork. 13 states (California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and 8 more) require a written foot spa cleaning log, and inspectors ask to see it.
  • Some products and tools are banned outright. 38 states ban MMA liquid monomer in their rules and 34 states ban razor-edged callus tools. Where the rules we read are silent, the state reads "not stated", which is not a yes.
  • About half the boards publish their own inspection form. We found an inspection checklist, report form or self-inspection guide from the board in 26 of 51 states; each state's page links it where one exists.

Every state compared

Salon inspection rules, state by state

"Not stated" means the rules we read did not say; it is not a no. Whether a new salon is inspected before opening comes from each state's licensing pages.

StateRules listedBoard's own formInspected before openingFoot spa logMMA liquidRazor callus tools
Alabama20Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
Alaska19None foundNot statedNot statedNot statedBanned
Arizona18Published Not statedNot statedBannedNot stated
Arkansas20None foundYesNot statedBannedNot stated
California20Published NoRequiredBannedBanned
Colorado20Published Not statedNot statedBannedNot stated
Connecticut19Published Not statedNot statedNot statedBanned
Delaware19None foundNoNot statedBannedBanned
District of Columbia19Published YesRequiredNot statedNot stated
Florida20None foundNoRequiredNot statedNot stated
Georgia20None foundNot statedRequiredNot statedBanned
Hawaii20None foundNoNot statedNot statedNot stated
Idaho19Published Not statedNot statedBannedBanned
Illinois20Published Not statedRequired, keep 90 daysBannedNot stated
Indiana20None foundNot statedNot statedBannedBanned
Iowa19Published Not statedRequired, keep two yearsBannedBanned
Kansas20None foundYesNot statedBannedBanned
Kentucky20None foundYesNot statedBannedBanned
Louisiana20None foundYesNot statedBannedBanned
Maine26None foundNot statedRequired, keep 1 yearBannedBanned
Maryland20None foundNoNot statedNot statedBanned
Massachusetts19None foundYesNot statedNot statedNot stated
Michigan18Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
Minnesota20Published Not statedNot statedBannedBanned
Mississippi20None foundYesRequiredBannedBanned
Missouri20Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
Montana14None foundYesNot statedBannedNot stated
Nebraska21Published NoNot statedBannedBanned
Nevada20Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
New Hampshire20Published YesRequiredBannedBanned
New Jersey18None foundYesNot statedBannedNot stated
New Mexico20Published NoRequired, keep 12 monthsBannedBanned
New York20Published NoNot statedBannedBanned
North Carolina20Published YesRequired, keep 90 daysBannedBanned
North Dakota20None foundYesNot statedBannedBanned
Ohio20None foundNoNot statedNot statedNot stated
Oklahoma20None foundYesNot statedBannedBanned
Oregon20Published Not statedNot statedNot statedNot stated
Pennsylvania20None foundYesNot statedNot statedNot stated
Rhode Island18Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
South Carolina20Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
South Dakota20Published NoNot statedBannedBanned
Tennessee20None foundYesNot statedBannedNot stated
Texas19Published Not statedRequired, keep 60 daysBannedBanned
Utah20None foundNot statedNot statedBannedBanned
Vermont20Published YesNot statedBannedNot stated
Virginia20Published Not statedNot statedNot statedNot stated
Washington21None foundNot statedRequiredBannedBanned
West Virginia20Published YesNot statedBannedBanned
Wisconsin19None foundYesNot statedNot statedBanned
Wyoming20None foundYesNot statedBannedNot stated

Method

How we checked each state

  • Official sources only. For each state we read the board's sanitation and infection control rules (its administrative code chapter for salons and shops), its inspection forms and guides, and its own pages. Other guides were not used as sources.
  • Every rule carries its own words. Each item is stored with the official page it came from and a verbatim quote. A script confirmed every quote appears on its page and every number in an item (minutes, days, years) appears in its quote before the page was published, and each list was then read by hand for its wording and who each rule applies to.
  • Only what the rules say. A topic a state's rules did not address is left off its list rather than filled with a rule from elsewhere, and a fact the rules did not state reads "not stated".
  • Rules change. These are the rules as published on October 19, 2026. An inspector can check anything in your state's current rules: read them in full once, and check them again before an inspection.

Questions

Salon inspections, answered

What do salon inspectors look for?
Inspectors check the salon against the state's sanitation rules. Across the states, the rules most often cover licenses posted, required notices, disinfectant, tool cleaning, tool storage, single-use items, towels and linens, water and restroom, pedicure equipment, banned items, premises, safety. Each state's page lists exactly what its rules say.
How do I prepare for a salon inspection?
Open your state's checklist, filter it to the services you offer, and walk the salon with it: licenses on the wall, disinfectant mixed and labeled, clean tools covered and apart from used ones, towels stored closed, single-use items in the trash, and (for pedicures) the foot spa cleaned and logged. Print it and keep it at the front desk for the team.
Is a new salon inspected before it opens?
In many states, yes: the board inspects a new salon before it may open or before the license is issued. Each state's page says which, from the license research on salon license requirements by state.
Where do these checklists come from?
From each state's own sanitation rules, inspection forms and board pages, read on October 19, 2026. Every rule carries the official page and the rule's own words, and a script confirmed each quote is on its page and every number in a rule is in its quote. Rules change: check your board's current rules before an inspection.
What happens if a salon fails an inspection?
It depends on the state and the violation: usually a written notice and a re-inspection, and for serious or repeated violations a fine or action against the license. Your state's rules and board pages set the penalties; the fastest fix is never to fail the same item twice.

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Salon Inspection Checklist by State (2026): What Inspectors Check | SalonAI