Massachusetts salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Massachusetts

To open a salon in Massachusetts you need a Cosmetology Salon License for the business, issued by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $136 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $82. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering
Business license: Cosmetology Salon License
New salon fee: $136
Renewal: Every 2 years, $82
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: No
Barbershops: Own license: Barbershop license

Licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in Massachusetts

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 Massachusetts license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The Massachusetts cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Put a licensed person in charge. The application must include the license of a practitioner who will work at the salon; that person may be the owner.
3
Apply for the Cosmetology Salon License with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (application), paying $136 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
4
Pass the inspection before you open. the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering 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 $82.
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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

Massachusetts's $136 for a new salon is above the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else Massachusetts asks of a salon

The salon must be fully set up with signage and ready for business to pass final inspection. A new salon must stay closed until it is approved for a license after inspection.
A salon license is not transferable and covers only the location it was issued for. A move, even within the same address, requires a new application.
A cosmetology salon may not offer barbering unless it is licensed as a barber shop and employs a licensed barber.

Sources

What Massachusetts's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering'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 following salon licenses are issued by the Board:”
mass.gov
Fees for a new salon: “| Application Fee | $136 | each |”
mass.gov
Renewal: “| Cosmetology Salon | $82 | Dec. 31, even year | Every 2 years |”
mass.gov
Inspection: “arrange for the premises to be inspected and approved by the Board”
mass.gov
“If your salon is a new business or is changing locations, you must remain closed until you are approved for a license after inspection.”
mass.gov
Person in charge: “a copy of the aesthetics, cosmetology, or manicuring license of a person who will be working at the salon. This person may also be the owner.”
mass.gov
Barbershops: “No person or entity shall operate a barber shop without a license issued by the Board.”
mass.gov
“| Barbershop license application | $130 | each |”
mass.gov
Booth renters: “The board no longer issues or requires booth renter or booth shop licenses.”
mass.gov
Who licenses salons: “240 CMR: BOARD OF REGISTRATION OF COSMETOLOGY AND BARBERING”
mass.gov
Also good to know: “The salon must be completely set up with signage and ready for business to pass final inspection for licensing.”
mass.gov
Also good to know: “A salon license is NOT Transferable. A salon license only covers the salon at the location or space to which it was issued.”
mass.gov
Also good to know: “No cosmetology, aesthetics or manicuring shop may arrange for, permit or advertise the practice of barbering in the shop unless the shop is a licensed barber shop and employs a licensed barber.”
mass.gov

Questions

Massachusetts salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Massachusetts?

A new Cosmetology Salon License costs $136 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $82. 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 Massachusetts?

Massachusetts's official pages we read do not say whether the owner personally needs a cosmetology license. What they do require: the business holds a Cosmetology Salon License, and the application must include the license of a practitioner who will work at the salon; that person may be the owner.. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before you sign a lease.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Massachusetts?

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

Do booth renters need their own license in Massachusetts?

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

Does a barbershop need a different license in Massachusetts?

Yes. Barbershops have a license of their own in Massachusetts: the Barbershop license ($130 for a new shop).

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

Ready when you are

Open with the website and the bookings ready

While the license comes through, SalonAI plans the digital side of your Massachusetts 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.

Try for free

Built with Founden. Review your setup and running costs before activation.