Missouri salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Missouri

To open a salon in Missouri you need a Cosmetology Establishment License for the business, issued by the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $100 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $75. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners
Business license: Cosmetology Establishment License
New salon fee: $100
Renewal: Every 2 years, $75
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: Establishment license for rental space (booth or chair renter)
Barbershops: Own license: Barber Establishment License

Licensed by the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in Missouri

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 Missouri license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The Missouri cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Apply for the Cosmetology Establishment License with the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (application.pdf)), paying $100 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
3
Pass the inspection before you open. the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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
If you rent out chairs, check your renters' licenses. In Missouri a booth renter needs an Establishment license for rental space (booth or chair renter) ($100). Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
5
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years for $75.
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 Missouri 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 Missouri salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

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

Good to know

What else Missouri asks of a salon

An establishment application must be submitted at least 30 days before the planned opening, and the establishment may not open until the board approves it after an inspection.
The establishment license covers only its current location and owners; moving or changing owners requires a new application.
The application requires a detailed floor plan of the establishment.

Sources

What Missouri's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners'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: “Every establishment in which the occupation of cosmetology is practiced shall be required to obtain a license from the board.”
revisor.mo.gov
“The establishment license application shall be submitted on a form provided by the board”
sos.mo.gov
Fees for a new salon: “Application/License (Full Service and Rental Station) $100”
sos.mo.gov
“Full Service Establishment $100”
pr.mo.gov
Other license types: “for up to three (3) operators, including apprentices, students with temporary permits, or both.”
pr.mo.gov
“Additional Operator $ 10”
sos.mo.gov
Renewal: “shall be renewed biennially and shall expire on September 30 of each odd-numbered year”
pr.mo.gov
“Renewal (Full Service and Rental Station) $ 75”
sos.mo.gov
Inspection: “the establishment passes a board inspection, and the application is approved by the board”
sos.mo.gov
Barbershops: “The owner of every establishment in which the occupation of barbering is practiced shall obtain a license for such establishment”
revisor.mo.gov
“1. Certificate of Registration/License $100”
sos.mo.gov
Booth renters: “shall be required to obtain a separate establishment license for the rental space”
sos.mo.gov
“Cosmetology Rental Station/Independent Contractors $100”
pr.mo.gov
Who licenses salons: “The Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners reminds all licensees and members of the public”
pr.mo.gov
Also good to know: “shall submit an application to the board at least thirty (30) days prior to the anticipated opening of the establishment”
sos.mo.gov
Also good to know: “license issued is only valid for the current location and current establishment owner(s).”
pr.mo.gov
Also good to know: “Please provide a detailed floor plan of your establishment.”
pr.mo.gov

Questions

Missouri salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Missouri?

A new Cosmetology Establishment License costs $100 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $75. The fee covers up to three operators; each additional operator costs $10 more. 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 Missouri?

Missouri'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 Establishment License. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners before you sign a lease.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in Missouri?

Yes. the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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 Missouri?

Yes. A booth renter in Missouri needs an Establishment license for rental space (booth or chair renter), $100, as well as a practitioner license.

Does a barbershop need a different license in Missouri?

Yes. Barbershops have a license of their own in Missouri: the Barber Establishment License ($100 for a new shop).

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

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