Kentucky salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Kentucky

To open a salon in Kentucky you need a Beauty Salon License for the business, issued by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $100 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $200. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: Kentucky Board of Cosmetology
Business license: Beauty Salon License
New salon fee: $100
Renewal: Every 2 years, $200
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: No
Booth renters need a license: Not stated
Barbershops: Own license: Barber shop license

Licensed by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology.How to apply The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in Kentucky

1
Make sure everyone who will do services is licensed. The salon license covers the business; each stylist, barber, nail technician or esthetician needs a Kentucky license of their own. The Kentucky cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Put a licensed person in charge. If the owner is not licensed, a licensed manager must be listed on the salon license at all times.
3
Apply for the Beauty Salon License with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology (application), paying $100 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
4
Pass the inspection before you open. the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology inspects a new salon before it may open or before the license is issued, so finish the build-out and set up your sanitation first.
5
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years for $200.
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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

Kentucky's $100 for a new salon is below the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else Kentucky asks of a salon

You may not advertise the salon as licensed or open to the public until the final inspection is complete and the license is issued; then the license and inspection sheet must be posted where the public can see them.
All shampoo bowls, including head spa bowls, must be plumbed in compliance with the Kentucky State Plumbing Code. The application requires a plumbing affidavit and plumbing inspection.
Every salon owner must also obtain a city or county occupation or business license, separate from the state salon license.

Sources

What Kentucky's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology'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: “The main entrance to any establishment licensed by the board shall display a sign indicating a beauty salon, nail salon, esthetic salon, limited facility, or cosmetology school.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Fees for a new salon: “Salons - Fully Beauty, Esthetics, and Nails | $100.00 | $200.00 | $100.00”
kbc.ky.gov
“Salon License Fee: $100.00”
kbc.ky.gov
Renewal: “Salons - Fully Beauty, Esthetics, and Nails | $100.00 | $200.00 | $100.00”
kbc.ky.gov
“All licenses expire on July 31 of each even-numbered year”
kbc.ky.gov
Inspection: “Your final inspection has been completed by a regional KBC state field inspector”
kbc.ky.gov
“your regional inspector will contact you to schedule an opening inspection.”
kbc.ky.gov
The owner: “All unlicensed owners must have a licensed individual listed as manager on the license at all times.”
kbc.ky.gov
Person in charge: “All unlicensed owners must have a licensed individual listed as manager on the license at all times.”
kbc.ky.gov
“Listed Manager must have an active professional license with KBC”
kbc.ky.gov
Barbershops: “Please note that you must have a current barber license before your shop can be licensed.”
barbering.ky.gov
“A $100 licensing fee must be paid by either a money order or certified check with the application.”
barbering.ky.gov
Who licenses salons: “Kentucky Board of Cosmetology's New Location”
kbc.ky.gov
Also good to know: “Once your license has been issued, you must immediately print and post:”
kbc.ky.gov
Also good to know: “KBC requires all shampoo bowls (including head spa) to be plumbed in compliance with the Kentucky State Plumbing Code.”
kbc.ky.gov
Also good to know: “All business owners must acquire an Occupation or Business License from the City or County in which the salon is located.”
kbc.ky.gov

Questions

Kentucky salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Kentucky?

A new Beauty Salon License costs $100 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $200. 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 Kentucky?

No. Kentucky's official pages say the owner does not need a practitioner license of their own, but the business needs a Beauty Salon License and everyone who does services needs their own license. If the owner is not licensed, a licensed manager must be listed on the salon license at all times.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Kentucky?

Yes. the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology inspects a new salon before it may open or before the license is issued, so plan the inspection into your opening date.

Does a barbershop need a different license in Kentucky?

Yes. Barbershops have a license of their own in Kentucky: the Barber shop license, issued by the Kentucky Board of Barbering ($100 for a new shop).

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

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