New Hampshire salon inspections
New Hampshire salon inspection checklist
The New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) inspects New Hampshire salons against the state's sanitation rules. A new salon is inspected before it may open, and inspected again once it is running. Below are the 20 rules an inspector checks, from the state's own rules and inspection pages, each beside the rule's own words. Tick them off as you get ready, filter by the services you offer, and print the list.
- Inspected by
- OPLC
- Before opening
- Inspected first
- Rules on this list
- 20
- Official form
- Published
- Foot spa log
- Required
- MMA nail liquid
- Banned
Read from the official sources on October 19, 2026.The full rules New Hampshire salon license
How it works
How New Hampshire inspects salons
Inspections are done by the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). A new salon is inspected before it may open or before its license is issued, so have everything below in place before you book it.
OPLC inspects all new and current licensed shops once a year.
“The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) is required to perform an annual inspection of all new and current licensed shops, schools and tanning facilities in New Hampshire”
The checklist
What New Hampshire inspectors check
Every rule below is from the state's own rules, beside its own words. An inspector can check anything in the rules, so read them in full once before you open.
Your ticks stay in this browser only.
New Hampshire salon inspection checklist
salonai.studio/salon-inspection-checklist/new-hampshire
Licenses on display
The first thing an inspector looks for: the salon's license and every working license, current and where clients can see them.
1.Display all current, valid licenses in the work area, each with a 2x2 photo.
Other required postings
Some states also want their rules, a consumer notice or the last inspection report on the wall.
2.Post the most recent inspection report in a conspicuous, unobstructed place in the shop after each inspection.
The disinfectant
What the disinfectant must be, how it is mixed and how often it is changed.
3.Disinfect tools and surfaces with an EPA-registered disinfectant, which must kill bacteria and viruses.
Cleaning tools between clients
How combs, shears, nippers and other reusable tools are cleaned and disinfected after each client.
4.Sanitize and disinfect all non-electrical implements after each use on a client, and keep them in a dry container or drawer.
5.After each service, sanitize the surfaces of equipment that touch client skin, such as manicure tables, pedicure basins, mats, and cushions.
Storing clean and used tools
Clean tools kept covered and apart from used ones, so nothing dirty touches the next client.
6.Keep at least one covered container for disinfected implements in the shop.
7.Place implements that were used on a client or soiled in any way in a closed container.
Single-use items
What must be thrown away after one client because it cannot be disinfected.
8.Dispose of cotton pads, emery boards, sponges, and neck strips after each use, in a closed container, since they cannot be disinfected.
9.Remove creams with a clean spatula so the implement never touches the client.
Towels, capes and linens
Clean towels stored closed, used ones in a covered container until laundered.
10.After a towel is used, put it in a container and do not reuse it until it is laundered.
Water, sinks and restroom
Hot and cold running water, sinks and a restroom with a place to wash hands.
11.Provide hot and cold running water.
12.Keep the restroom publicly accessible to patrons and employees.
Pedicure equipment
How foot spas and pedicure basins are cleaned after each client and at the end of the day, and the log some states require.
13.Clean and disinfect each foot spa, whirlpool, or spa after every client.Pedicures
14.Keep a record of the date and time of each foot spa cleaning and disinfecting, noting whether it was daily or weekly.Pedicures
Banned products and tools
Products, tools and practices the state's rules forbid outright.
15.Do not apply methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer on a client or keep MMA in the facility.
16.Do not use blades to remove calluses, corns, or skin, and do not keep blades available in the facility.
The premises
Floors, walls, light, air, waste bins and keeping living space and food out of the work area.
17.Keep floors, walls, woodwork, ceilings, furniture, furnishings, and fixtures clean.
18.Provide mechanical ventilation with a minimum exchange rate of 35 cubic feet per minute.
First aid and safety
A first aid kit, what to do after a cut or blood exposure, and other safety rules.
19.Keep an emergency eyewash station that is immediately accessible to everyone.
20.Keep safety data sheets (SDS) for the products you use, as required by OSHA.
Questions
New Hampshire salon inspections, answered
What do salon inspectors check in New Hampshire?
Is a new salon inspected before it opens in New Hampshire?
How are salons inspected in New Hampshire?
Does New Hampshire have an official salon inspection checklist?
Do New Hampshire nail salons need a foot spa cleaning log?
Is MMA banned in New Hampshire nail salons?
Plan the rest
Get the rest of the salon ready
- Every step to opening a salon, as a checklist for your state
- The salon license, fees and who must be licensed
- Which services and products the state taxes, and the sales tax permit
- What it costs to open a salon, line by line
- A client intake and consultation form
- A cancellation and no-show policy
Salon inspection checklists for other states
Ready when you are
Pass the inspection, then fill the chairs
Sanitation is yours to run. SalonAI plans the digital side of your New Hampshire salon: a website clients can book from in one tap, online booking, your Google profile, reviews, and client follow-ups. Founden builds and runs it.
Built with Founden. Review your setup and running costs before activation.