Illinois salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Illinois

To open a salon in Illinois you need a Salon/Shop Registration for the business, issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $40 to the state and is renewed every 2 years. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: IDFPR
Business license: Salon/Shop Registration
New salon fee: $40
Renewal: Every 2 years
Inspection before opening: Not stated
Owner must hold a license: No
Booth renters need a license: Salon/shop registration of their own
Barbershops: Same license

Licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).Apply with IDFPR License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in Illinois

1
Make sure everyone who will do services is licensed. The salon license covers the business; each stylist, barber, nail technician or esthetician needs an Illinois license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The Illinois cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Put a licensed person in charge. An unlicensed owner must employ at least one licensed manager to manage the salon.
3
Apply for the Salon/Shop Registration with IDFPR (application), paying $40 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
4
If you rent out chairs, check your renters' licenses. In Illinois a booth renter needs a Salon/shop registration of their own ($40). Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
5
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years.
6
Then the local paperwork (general advice, not from the board). Register the business with the state, get a city or county business license where one is required, and check zoning and the building permits for your build-out with the city before you sign a lease.

These are the license steps. The full opening checklist for Illinois puts them in order with everything else a new salon needs: registering the business, taxes, insurance, hiring and getting booked before you open. For the inspection itself, the Illinois salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

Illinois's $40 for a new salon is below the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else Illinois asks of a salon

A state salon registration does not replace local business licenses. Local permits are required in addition to the IDFPR registration.
A separate registration is required for each salon location.
Every registered salon must complete an annual self-inspection on IDFPR forms and keep the records for 5 years.

Sources

What Illinois's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of IDFPR's own pages, rules or statutes, read on October 17, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the board before you apply.

The salon license: “all cosmetology, nail technology, hair braiding or esthetics salons and barber shops shall obtain a certificate of registration from the Division in order to operate in Illinois.”
ilga.gov
Fees for a new salon: “The fee for registration of a barber shop or cosmetology, nail technician, hair braiding or esthetics salon (salon) is $40.”
ilga.gov
“A $40.00 check or money order made payable to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.”
idfpr.illinois.gov
Other license types: “The fee for renewal of a registration for a barber shop or salon is calculated at $20 per year.”
ilga.gov
“All certificates of registration shall expire on November 30 of even-numbered years.”
ilga.gov
Renewal: “The fee for renewal of a registration for a barber shop or salon is calculated at $20 per year.”
ilga.gov
“All certificates of registration shall expire on November 30 of even-numbered years.”
ilga.gov
The owner: “A person who is not licensed under the Act may own or operate a salon or shop”
witnessslips.ilga.gov
Person in charge: “An unlicensed owner or operator of a salon or shop shall employ at least one person as a manager who holds a license under the Act and manages the salon or shop.”
witnessslips.ilga.gov
Barbershops: “all cosmetology, nail technology, hair braiding or esthetics salons and barber shops shall obtain a certificate of registration from the Division in order to operate in Illinois.”
ilga.gov
Booth renters: “each individual licensee renting space must obtain his/her own registration”
ilga.gov
“The fee for registration of a barber shop or cosmetology, nail technician, hair braiding or esthetics salon (salon) is $40.”
ilga.gov
Who licenses salons: “Professions Licensed by IDFPR:”
idfpr.illinois.gov
Also good to know: “This registration shall be in addition to and shall not replace or supersede any other business license, registration, or permit that may be required by local municipalities or other governmental entities”
witnessslips.ilga.gov
Also good to know: “A separate certificate of registration is required for each salon or shop location.”
idfpr.illinois.gov
Also good to know: “Every registered salon or shop shall conduct an annual self-inspection using forms provided by the Division.”
ilga.gov

Questions

Illinois salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Illinois?

A new Salon/Shop Registration costs $40 to the state and is renewed every 2 years. Renewal costs $20 for each year of the registration, which expires on November 30 of even-numbered years. That is the state's fee only: build-out, equipment and opening stock are most of the cost of opening (see what it costs to open a salon).

Do you need a license to own a salon in Illinois?

No. Illinois's official pages say the owner does not need a practitioner license of their own, but the business needs a Salon/Shop Registration and everyone who does services needs their own license. An unlicensed owner must employ at least one licensed manager to manage the salon.

Do booth renters need their own license in Illinois?

Yes. A booth renter in Illinois needs a Salon/shop registration of their own, $40, as well as a practitioner license.

Does a barbershop need a different license in Illinois?

No. In Illinois the same establishment license covers barbershops and salons.

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

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