Maryland salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Maryland

To open a salon in Maryland you need a Salon Permit for the business, issued by the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $225 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $56. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists
Business license: Salon Permit
New salon fee: $225
Renewal: Every 2 years, $56
Inspection before opening: No, after opening
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: No
Barbershops: Own license: Barber Shop Permit

Licensed by the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in Maryland

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 Maryland license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The Maryland cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Apply for the Salon Permit with the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists (application), paying $225 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
3
Expect inspections after you open. the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists does not inspect before opening, but it does inspect licensed salons, so be ready from day one.
4
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years for $56.
5
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 Maryland 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 Maryland salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

Maryland's $225 for a new salon is above the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else Maryland asks of a salon

Do not apply until the local zoning board has issued a use and occupancy permit for the salon's exact address; the Board says applications are denied if the U&O is not received within 30 days.
After the paperwork is received, the Board emails a temporary license that lets the salon operate until the inspection is done; the permanent shop license is mailed after the inspector approves the salon.
Under Business Occupations and Professions Section 5-605, practitioners must be affiliated with a registered salon or registered barbershop to perform services.

Sources

What Maryland's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists'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: “Two year license allowing applicant, if approved, to operate a full service beauty salon in the state of Maryland.”
onestop.md.gov
“Apply for an Original Salon Permit - Cosmetologists”
labor.maryland.gov
Fees for a new salon: “Original - $225; Renewal - $56;”
labor.maryland.gov
“Submit the completed new shop application with the $225.00 application fee.”
labor.maryland.gov
Other license types: “$200.00 Estimated Cost”
onestop.md.gov
Renewal: “Salon permits must be renewed every two years.”
labor.maryland.gov
“Original - $225; Renewal - $56;”
labor.maryland.gov
Inspection: “this document permits the salon/shop to begin operating until the inspection is conducted”
labor.maryland.gov
“Once the board office receives approval notification from the inspector, your shop license will be mailed to you.”
labor.maryland.gov
Barbershops: “Submit the completed new shop application with the $225.00 application fee.”
labor.maryland.gov
“in connection with the issuance and renewal of a barber shop permit”
dsd.maryland.gov
Booth renters: “Those that operate within a salon suite that holds a salon permit for the entire space would be covered by that permit.”
labor.maryland.gov
“cosmetology services must be performed within a Board -permitted”
labor.maryland.gov
Who licenses salons: “The Maryland Board of Cosmetologists qualifies and licenses individuals seeking licensure and issues permits to business entities through which cosmetology is practiced.”
labor.maryland.gov
Also good to know: “Do not start this process if you have you not yet obtained your use and occupancy permit from your zoning board.”
labor.maryland.gov
Also good to know: “this document permits the salon/shop to begin operating until the inspection is conducted”
labor.maryland.gov
Also good to know: “provides that you must be affiliated with a registered salon or registered barbershop to perform services.”
labor.maryland.gov

Questions

Maryland salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Maryland?

A new Salon Permit costs $225 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $56. Maryland's OneStop portal lists an estimated $200 for the same permit; the Board's own pages say $225. 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 Maryland?

Maryland's official pages we read do not say whether the owner personally needs a cosmetology license. What they do require: the business holds a Salon Permit. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists before you sign a lease.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Maryland?

No, not before opening. the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists inspects salons after the license is issued, so the salon must meet the sanitation rules from its first day.

Do booth renters need their own license in Maryland?

No separate booth rental license: in Maryland a booth renter needs only their own practitioner license, and the salon its establishment license.

Does a barbershop need a different license in Maryland?

Yes. Barbershops have a license of their own in Maryland: the Barber Shop Permit, issued by the Maryland State Board of Barbers ($225 for a new shop).

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

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