Tennessee salon inspections
Tennessee salon inspection checklist
The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners inspects Tennessee 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
- Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners
- Before opening
- Inspected first
- Rules on this list
- 20
- Official form
- None found
- Foot spa log
- Not stated
- MMA nail liquid
- Banned
Read from the official sources on October 19, 2026.The full rules Tennessee salon license
How it works
How Tennessee inspects salons
Inspections are done by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. 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.
For a new shop, the initial inspection is made within ten (10) days of receiving the online application.
“The initial inspection will be made within ten (10) days upon receipt of the online application.”
We found no inspection form published by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, so this checklist is built from the state's rules themselves.
The checklist
What Tennessee 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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Tennessee salon inspection checklist
salonai.studio/salon-inspection-checklist/tennessee
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.Post all licenses at each workstation.
Other required postings
Some states also want their rules, a consumer notice or the last inspection report on the wall.
2.Post the current inspection sheet and shop license where the public can see them.
The disinfectant
What the disinfectant must be, how it is mixed and how often it is changed.
3.Use an EPA-registered disinfectant that is bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, tuberculocidal, and pseudomonacidal.
4.Mix and use disinfectant according to the manufacturer's directions.
Cleaning tools between clients
How combs, shears, nippers and other reusable tools are cleaned and disinfected after each client.
5.Clean tools with soap and water, then fully immerse them in disinfectant.
6.Keep manicure instruments in disinfectant for at least ten (10) minutes.Nail services
Storing clean and used tools
Clean tools kept covered and apart from used ones, so nothing dirty touches the next client.
7.Store disinfected tools dry in a covered container.
8.Dry manicure instruments when not in use and keep them in a cabinet sanitizer.Nail services
Single-use items
What must be thrown away after one client because it cannot be disinfected.
9.If you use a safety razor with a detachable blade, use a new disposable razor or blade.
Towels, capes and linens
Clean towels stored closed, used ones in a covered container until laundered.
10.Give each patron a separate, clean towel.
11.Cover the headrest with a separate, clean towel or paper for each customer.
12.Keep an enclosed, labeled storage area for clean towels.
Water, sinks and restroom
Hot and cold running water, sinks and a restroom with a place to wash hands.
13.Keep a shampoo bowl with hot and cold running water and a chair in the work area.Hair services
14.Have at least one working restroom.
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.
15.Clean and disinfect the foot bath after each use.Pedicures
Banned products and tools
Products, tools and practices the state's rules forbid outright.
16.Do not keep or use liquid methylmethacrylate in the shop.
17.No animals, birds or fish are allowed in the shop, except animals that help people with disabilities under the ADA.
The premises
Floors, walls, light, air, waste bins and keeping living space and food out of the work area.
18.Sweep or mop floors thoroughly every day.
19.Keep a covered, labeled trash container maintained in a sanitary condition.
First aid and safety
A first aid kit, what to do after a cut or blood exposure, and other safety rules.
20.Keep a blood exposure kit on hand.
Questions
Tennessee salon inspections, answered
What do salon inspectors check in Tennessee?
Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Tennessee?
How are salons inspected in Tennessee?
Does Tennessee have an official salon inspection checklist?
Is MMA banned in Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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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