Mississippi salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Mississippi

To open a salon in Mississippi you need a Salon License for the business, issued by the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $85 to the state and is renewed for $60. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology
Business license: Salon License
New salon fee: $85
Renewal: $60
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: Not stated
Barbershops: Not stated

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

Step by step

Opening a salon in Mississippi

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 Mississippi license of their own. The Mississippi cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Apply for the Salon License with the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology (application), paying $85 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
3
Pass the inspection before you open. the Mississippi State 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.
4
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed for $60.
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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

Mississippi's $85 for a new salon is below the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else Mississippi asks of a salon

Salons must be inspected by the Board every two years (biennially) to check compliance with the law and Board rules.
A salon owner whose salon license has been expired for more than one year must apply for a new license rather than renew it.
A change of salon ownership requires the new owners to file a new salon application and pay the required fee.

Sources

What Mississippi's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the Mississippi State 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: “Salon License Renewal: A salon owner who fails to renew his salon”
sos.ms.gov
Fees for a new salon: “Salon application and initial inspection ………………………………………………85.00”
sos.ms.gov
Other license types: “Salon reinspection…………………………………………………………………….35.00”
sos.ms.gov
Renewal: “Salon renewal…………………………………………………………………………60.00”
sos.ms.gov
Inspection: “During the inspection appointment, the Board will conduct an inspection of the premises”
sos.ms.gov
“Inspection and Approval for Licensure:”
sos.ms.gov
Who licenses salons: ““Board” means the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology.”
sos.ms.gov
Also good to know: “All establishments licensed by MSBC shall be inspected biennially to ensure”
sos.ms.gov
Also good to know: “Salon License Renewal: A salon owner who fails to renew his salon”
sos.ms.gov
Also good to know: “Where a sale or transfer of ownership occurs, the prospective owners must”
sos.ms.gov

Questions

Mississippi salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Mississippi?

A new Salon License costs $85 to the state and is renewed for $60. A second inspection after a failed one costs $35. 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 Mississippi?

Mississippi'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 License. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology before you sign a lease.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Mississippi?

Yes. the Mississippi State 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.

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 Mississippi 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.