All 50 states and DC, from each state's own board
Salon license requirements by state
Every state and DC except Connecticut and Utah licenses a salon as a business, separately from the people who work in it. A new salon's license costs $123 in the middle state, from $11 in Wisconsin to $410 in Alaska. Pick your state for its license, fees, inspection, owner and booth rental rules, each quoted from the state's own board, rules or statutes.
Read from the official sources on October 17, 2026. How we checked ยท Download every state (CSV)
- New salon license, middle state
- $123
- Lowest to highest
- $11 to $410
- Inspected before opening
- 25 states
Pick your state
Salon license requirements in your state
The license, fees, renewal, inspection, owner and booth rental rules, and how to apply, each with the state's own words.
- Alabama$200
- Alaska$410
- Arizona$113
- Arkansas$100
- California$50
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware$142
- District of Columbia$274
- Florida$90
- Georgia
- Hawaii$226
- Idaho$50
- Illinois$40
- Indiana$40
- Iowa$80
- Kansas$60
- Kentucky$100
- Louisiana$105
- Maine
- Maryland$225
- Massachusetts$136
- Michigan$75
- Minnesota$350
- Mississippi$85
- Missouri$100
- Montana$275
- Nebraska$150
- Nevada$215
- New Hampshire$260
- New Jersey$350
- New Mexico$200
- New York$60
- North Carolina$35
- North Dakota$150
- Ohio$85
- Oklahoma$120
- Oregon$295
- Pennsylvania$142
- Rhode Island$170
- South Carolina$100
- South Dakota$75
- Tennessee$150
- Texas$78
- Utah
- Vermont$355
- Virginia$220
- Washington$126
- West Virginia$90
- Wisconsin$11
- Wyoming$300
Across the states
What every new salon owner should know
- The license is cheap; opening is not. The state's fee for a new salon is $123 in the middle state and $410 at the most (Alaska), a rounding error beside the build-out and equipment that make up most of what it costs to open a salon.
- Inspection timing decides your opening date. In 25 states the official pages require an inspection before a new salon may open or before the license is issued; in 10 states the inspection comes after opening; 16 states do not say.
- Few states spell out whether the owner needs a license. 13 states say plainly that the owner need not be licensed, 2 states require the owner to hold a license, and 36 states do not address it on the pages we read.
- Booth renters and barbershops can need their own paperwork. 22 states require a separate license or permit for booth renters. 25 states license barbershops separately from salons, often through a separate board.
Every state compared
Salon license fees and rules, state by state
"Not stated" means the state's official pages we read did not say; it is not a no. The fee is what a new salon pays the state for its license, before any city or county license.
| State | Salon license | New salon fee | Renewal | Inspected before opening | Owner licensed | Booth renter license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Shop License | $200 | Every 2 years, $150 | Yes | Not stated | Not required |
| Alaska | Shop Owner License | $410 | Every 2 years, $260 | Not stated | Not required | Required |
| Arizona | Establishment License | $113 | $50 | Not stated | Not required | Not stated |
| Arkansas | Cosmetology Establishment License | $100 | Every year, $50 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| California | Establishment License | $50 | Every 2 years, $40 | No | Not required | Not required |
| Colorado | Shop and Salon Registration | Not stated | Every 2 years | Not stated | Not stated | Not required |
| Connecticut | None stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Required | Not stated |
| Delaware | Cosmetology/Barbering Establishment License | $142 | Every 2 years | No | Not stated | Not stated |
| District of Columbia | Basic Business License with a Beauty Shop endorsement | $274 | Every 2 years, $99 | Yes | Required | Required |
| Florida | Cosmetology Salon License | $90 | Every 2 years, $45 | No | Not stated | Not stated |
| Georgia | Salon/Shop License | Not stated | Every 2 years | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Hawaii | Beauty Shop License | $226 | Every 2 years, $176 | No | Not stated | Required |
| Idaho | Primary Establishment License | $50 | Every 2 years, $50 | Not stated | Not stated | Required |
| Illinois | Salon/Shop Registration | $40 | Every 2 years | Not stated | Not required | Required |
| Indiana | Beauty Culture Salon License | $40 | Every 4 years, $40 | Not stated | Not stated | Not required |
| Iowa | Establishment License | $80 | Every 2 years, $80 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Kansas | Salon or Clinic License | $60 | Every year, $50 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Kentucky | Beauty Salon License | $100 | Every 2 years, $200 | Yes | Not required | Not stated |
| Louisiana | Beauty Shop or Salon Certificate of Registration | $105 | Every year, $55 | Yes | Not stated | Required |
| Maine | Level 1 Establishment License | Not stated | Every year, $20 | Not stated | Not stated | Required |
| Maryland | Salon Permit | $225 | Every 2 years, $56 | No | Not stated | Not required |
| Massachusetts | Cosmetology Salon License | $136 | Every 2 years, $82 | Yes | Not stated | Not required |
| Michigan | Cosmetology Establishment License | $75 | Every 2 years, $50 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Minnesota | Salon License | $350 | Every 3 years, $225 | Not stated | Not stated | Not required |
| Mississippi | Salon License | $85 | $60 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Missouri | Cosmetology Establishment License | $100 | Every 2 years, $75 | Yes | Not stated | Required |
| Montana | Salon or Shop License | $275 | Every year, $125 | Yes | Not stated | Required |
| Nebraska | Cosmetology Salon License | $150 | Every 2 years, $150 | No | Not stated | Not stated |
| Nevada | Cosmetological Establishment License | $215 | Every 2 years, $200 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| New Hampshire | Shop License | $260 | Every 2 years, $110 | Yes | Not required | Required |
| New Jersey | Shop License | $350 | Every 2 years | Yes | Not required | Required |
| New Mexico | Enterprise or Establishment License | $200 | Every year, $50 | No | Not stated | Not required |
| New York | Appearance Enhancement Business License | $60 | Every 4 years, $60 | No | Not stated | Required |
| North Carolina | Salon License | $35 | Every year | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| North Dakota | Establishment License | $150 | Every year, $100 | Yes | Not required | Required |
| Ohio | Salon License | $85 | Every 2 years, $75 | No | Not stated | Required |
| Oklahoma | Cosmetology Establishment License | $120 | Every 2 years, $90 | Yes | Not required | Not stated |
| Oregon | Facility License | $295 | Every year, $155 | Not stated | Not stated | Required |
| Pennsylvania | Cosmetology Salon License | $142 | Every 2 years, $144 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Rhode Island | Hair Design Shop License | $170 | Every year, $170 | Yes | Not required | Required |
| South Carolina | Salon License | $100 | Every 2 years, $72 | Yes | Not stated | Required |
| South Dakota | Salon/Booth License | $75 | Every year, $55 | No | Not stated | Required |
| Tennessee | Cosmetology Shop License | $150 | Every 2 years, $75 | Yes | Not required | Not stated |
| Texas | Barbering or Cosmetology Establishment License | $78 | Every 2 years, $78 | Not stated | Not stated | Not required |
| Utah | None stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Vermont | Shop License | $355 | Every 2 years, $285 | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Virginia | Cosmetology Salon License | $220 | Every 2 years, $220 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Washington | Salon/Shop License | $126 | Every year, $121 | Not stated | Not stated | Required |
| West Virginia | Salon License | $90 | Every year, $40 | Yes | Not stated | Required |
| Wisconsin | Cosmetology Establishment License | $11 | Every 2 years, $11 | Yes | Not required | Required |
| Wyoming | Salon License | $300 | Every year, $75 | Yes | Not required | Required |
Method
How we checked each state
- Official sources only. For each state we read the licensing board's own pages, its fee schedule and application forms, and its administrative rules and statutes. Other guides were not used as sources.
- Every fact carries the state's own words. Each fee and rule is stored with the official page it came from and a verbatim quote, and a script confirmed that every quote appears on its page before the page was published. Each state's page shows those quotes under "What the official pages say".
- "Not stated" is honest, not a no. Where the pages we read did not answer a question (most often whether the owner must be licensed), the state reads "Not stated" rather than a guess.
- Fees change. These are the state's own fees as published on October 17, 2026; cities and counties may add a business license of their own. Confirm with the board before you apply.
Questions
Salon licenses, answered
Do you need a license to open a salon?
In every state and DC except Connecticut and Utah, yes: the salon itself needs an establishment (or shop) license from the state, separate from the license each stylist holds. Connecticut and Utah have no state salon license on the official pages we read; see its page for what applies there. The state's fee for a new salon is $123 in the middle state. Pick your state above for its license, fee and how to apply; the licenses each person needs (hours, exams and fees) are in cosmetology license requirements by state.
Can you own a salon without a cosmetology license?
State rules license two things: the salon as a business, and each person who does services. Whether the owner must also hold a license is spelled out in only some states. The official pages of Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky and 8 more states say plainly that the owner need not be licensed. Connecticut and District of Columbia are exceptions: their official pages require the owner to hold a license. Where a state's pages do not say, its page here marks it "not stated": ask the board before you sign a lease.
How much does a salon license cost?
The state's fees for a new salon license run from $11 in Wisconsin to $410 in Alaska, with $123 in the middle of the 46 states that publish one. They are a small part of opening: see what it costs to open a salon.
Do booth renters need their own license?
Every booth renter needs their own practitioner license. Alaska, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois and 17 more states also require a separate booth rental license or permit, per their official pages. Put the terms between you and your renters in a booth rental agreement.
Where do these requirements come from?
From each state's own licensing board pages, fee schedules, administrative rules and statutes, read between October 17, 2026 and today, never from other guides. Each fact carries the official page and the board's own words, and a script confirmed each quote is on that page. Rules and fees change: confirm with the board before you apply.
Plan the rest
Before you sign a lease
- Every step to opening a salon, as a checklist for your state
- What inspectors check, as a checklist for your state
- The licenses your team needs: hours and fees by state
- See what it costs to open a salon, line by line
- Write it up with the salon business plan template
- Find a name and a free domain
- Renting out chairs? Start from a booth rental agreement
Ready when you are
Open with the website and the bookings ready
While the license comes through, SalonAI plans the digital side of your 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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