Pennsylvania salon inspections
Pennsylvania salon inspection checklist
The Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology inspects Pennsylvania 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
- Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology
- Before opening
- Inspected first
- Rules on this list
- 20
- Official form
- None found
- Foot spa log
- Not stated
- MMA nail liquid
- Not stated
Read from the official sources on October 19, 2026.The full rules Pennsylvania salon license
How it works
How Pennsylvania inspects salons
Inspections are done by the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology. 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.
Every salon must be inspected and pass inspection before it operates.
“All salons must be inspected and pass inspection prior to operating per the Board’s Regulations.”
We found no inspection form published by the Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, so this checklist is built from the state's rules themselves.
The checklist
What Pennsylvania 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.
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Pennsylvania salon inspection checklist
salonai.studio/salon-inspection-checklist/pennsylvania
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 your license in a conspicuous place.
2.Display your barber shop license or permit in a conspicuous place at your place of business.Barbering
Other required postings
Some states also want their rules, a consumer notice or the last inspection report on the wall.
3.Post the name of the owner or designated person in charge in a conspicuous place in the salon.
The disinfectant
What the disinfectant must be, how it is mixed and how often it is changed.
4.Use an EPA-registered disinfectant by complete immersion, mixed and used according to the manufacturer’s directions.Barbering
Cleaning tools between clients
How combs, shears, nippers and other reusable tools are cleaned and disinfected after each client.
5.Sanitize razors, tweezers, combs, hairbrushes and other tools that touch a client immediately after each use, and keep them sanitary at all times.
Storing clean and used tools
Clean tools kept covered and apart from used ones, so nothing dirty touches the next client.
6.Keep a closed container for sanitized implements.
7.Store cleansed, disinfected, rinsed and dried barber tools in a clean, dry and closed container clearly marked as such.Barbering
Single-use items
What must be thrown away after one client because it cannot be disinfected.
8.Do not let a spatula or similar utensil touch another client’s skin or hair until it is properly disinfected.
9.Discard a disposable paper towel in a covered waste container immediately after it is used on a client.
Towels, capes and linens
Clean towels stored closed, used ones in a covered container until laundered.
10.Use only clean cloth towels or disposable paper towels on clients.
11.Put a cloth towel that has been used on a client into a closed container for soiled linen right away.
12.Use only freshly laundered and sanitized towels for each patron, kept in a closed dustproof container.Barbering
Water, sinks and restroom
Hot and cold running water, sinks and a restroom with a place to wash hands.
13.Have a sink with hot and cold running water that is readily accessible to each styling station.Hair services
14.Have adequate lavatories (restrooms) on the premises.
15.Employees must thoroughly cleanse their hands immediately before serving each client and immediately after using the lavatory.
Banned products and tools
Products, tools and practices the state's rules forbid outright.
16.Powder puffs and styptic pencils are not allowed in the salon.
17.Finger bowls, powder puffs, styptic pencils and sponges are not allowed in the barbershop.Barbering
The premises
Floors, walls, light, air, waste bins and keeping living space and food out of the work area.
18.Keep all areas of the salon, including the floors and lavatories, safe, orderly and sanitary.
First aid and safety
A first aid kit, what to do after a cut or blood exposure, and other safety rules.
19.Keep a labeled first aid kit in the salon.
20.Keep a multipurpose fire extinguisher suitable for Class A, B and C fires.
Questions
Pennsylvania salon inspections, answered
What do salon inspectors check in Pennsylvania?
Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Pennsylvania?
How are salons inspected in Pennsylvania?
Does Pennsylvania have an official salon inspection checklist?
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 Pennsylvania 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.
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