New Hampshire salon licensing
How to get a salon license in New Hampshire
To open a salon in New Hampshire you need a Shop License for the business, issued by the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $260 to the state (application fee $110 plus first inspection $150) and is renewed every 2 years for $110. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.
- Licensed by
- OPLC
- Business license
- Shop License
- New salon fee
- $260
- Renewal
- Every 2 years, $110
- Inspection before opening
- Yes
- Owner must hold a license
- No
- Booth renters need a license
- Booth Rental License
- Barbershops
- Same license
Licensed by the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC).Apply with OPLC License lookup The state's own words
Step by step
Opening a salon in New Hampshire
- 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 New Hampshire license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The New Hampshire 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 does not practice, the salon must employ a licensed cosmetologist, barber, manicurist or esthetician as manager.
- 3
Apply for the Shop License with OPLC (application), paying $260 to the state (application fee $110 plus first inspection $150). Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
- 4
Pass the inspection before you open. OPLC 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
If you rent out chairs, check your renters' licenses. In New Hampshire a booth renter needs a Booth Rental License ($75). Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
- 6
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years for $110.
- 7
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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.
- New Hampshire's $260 for a new salon is above the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.
Good to know
What else New Hampshire asks of a salon
- A shop must be at least 144 square feet, including the lavatory and reception areas.
- A new shop application must include a Certificate of Occupancy or a letter from the town or city stating the shop complies with plumbing, electrical and building codes.
- A shop with a manager must notify the board immediately when the manager leaves and assign a new manager.
Sources
What New Hampshire's official pages say
Each fact above, in the words of OPLC'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
“It shall be a misdemeanor for any person, as owner, manager, or agent, to open, establish, conduct, or maintain a shop without first having obtained a shop license from the board.”
gc.nh.gov - Fees for a new salon
“| Application Fee | $110.00 |”
oplc.nh.gov “| Initial Inspection Fee | $150.00 |”
oplc.nh.gov - Other license types
“At this time the inspection fee is billed separately via emailed invoice”
oplc.nh.gov - Renewal
“For shops, the “Renewal Application for Two-Year Shop License” form, revised July 2018”
gencourt.state.nh.us “| Renewal Fee | $110.00 |”
oplc.nh.gov - Inspection
“provided that the salon, barbershop, or mobile barbershop meets all requirements established in the rules of the board, including passing an inspection.”
gc.nh.gov “A school or shop initial license, including initial licenses required due to relocation, shall be issued upon compliance with Bar 404.01 and completion of an inspection”
gencourt.state.nh.us “New Shops will be scheduled for an inspection upon the OPLC receiving and processing a completed application.”
oplc.nh.gov - The owner
“the board may issue a license to an owner of a salon or barbershop who does not personally engage in cosmetology, barbering, or esthetics”
gc.nh.gov - Person in charge
“employs a licensed cosmetologist, barber, manicurist, or esthetician as manager in the salon or barbershop”
gc.nh.gov “Shops required to have a manager shall notify the board immediately if the current manager leaves and assign a new manager as required by RSA 313-A:19, IV.”
gencourt.state.nh.us - Barbershops
““Shop” means any salon or barbershop licensed in accordance with RSA 313-A:19.”
gencourt.state.nh.us - Booth renters
“A licensee wishing to obtain a shop license in accordance with RSA 313-A:19, II, to operate an independently owned booth”
gencourt.state.nh.us “In the amount of $75.00 for an independent booth renter.”
gencourt.state.nh.us “For booth rentals, the “Renewal Application for Two-Year Booth Rental License” form, revised July 2018”
gencourt.state.nh.us - Who licenses salons
“The Board licenses qualified individuals and businesses, establishes and enforces administrative rules and laws”
oplc.nh.gov - Also good to know
“A shop shall be at least 144 square feet including the lavatory area and reception area.”
gencourt.state.nh.us - Also good to know
“Certificate of Occupancy or a letter from your town/city on the town/city letterhead that states your shop/facility is in compliance with plumbing, electrical and building codes.”
oplc.nh.gov - Also good to know
“Shops required to have a manager shall notify the board immediately if the current manager leaves and assign a new manager as required by RSA 313-A:19, IV.”
gencourt.state.nh.us
Questions
New Hampshire salon licenses, answered
How much is a salon license in New Hampshire?
Do you need a license to own a salon in New Hampshire?
Is a new salon inspected before it opens in New Hampshire?
Do booth renters need their own license in New Hampshire?
Does a barbershop need a different license in New Hampshire?
Plan the rest
Before you sign a lease
- Every step to opening a salon in New Hampshire, as a checklist
- What New Hampshire inspectors check, as a printable checklist
- Are haircuts taxable in New Hampshire? Sales tax on services, products and the permit
- Hours and fees for each New Hampshire cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician license
- See what it costs to open a salon, line by line
- Write it up with the salon business plan template
- Find a name and a free domain
- Renting out chairs? Start from a booth rental agreement
Salon licenses in other states
Ready when you are
Open with the website and the bookings ready
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