New Jersey salon licensing

How to get a salon license in New Jersey

To open a salon in New Jersey you need a Shop License for the business, issued by the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $350 to the state and is renewed every 2 years. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling
Business license: Shop License
New salon fee: $350
Renewal: Every 2 years
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: No
Booth renters need a license: Chair/Booth Rental License
Barbershops: Not stated

Licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in New Jersey

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 Jersey license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The New Jersey cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Put a licensed person in charge. Every shop must employ a licensee with at least three years of licensed experience to oversee its management.
3
Apply for the Shop License with the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (application), paying $350 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
4
Pass the inspection before you open. the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling 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 Jersey a booth renter needs a Chair/Booth Rental License. Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
6
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years.
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 Jersey 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 Jersey salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

New Jersey's $350 for a new salon is above the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else New Jersey asks of a salon

A new shop application must include municipal approval: a Certificate of Occupancy or Approval, a zoning certificate where required, and a fire permit.
Licensed premises must be at least 350 square feet with one lavatory, per the Board's shop form (N.J.A.C. 13:28-2.5).
It is unlawful to operate a shop before the Board issues the shop license.

Sources

What New Jersey's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling'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: “No. Your obligation is to hire a manager who has at least three years of experience as a licensed cosmetologist-hairstylist and to apply for a shop license.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Fees for a new salon: “A nonrefundable application filing fee of $350.00 in the even year of the biennial period of licensure, or $250.00 in the odd year of”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Other license types: “A nonrefundable application filing fee of $350.00 in the even year of the biennial period of licensure, or $250.00 in the odd year of”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Renewal: “Salon licenses renew every two years in July of even years.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Inspection: “All salons must be inspected prior to the issuance of a license.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
The owner: “No. Your obligation is to hire a manager who has at least three years of experience as a licensed cosmetologist-hairstylist and to apply for a shop license.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Person in charge: “All shops must have an experienced practicing licensee (E.P.L.) employed to oversee the management of the shop.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Booth renters: “The applicant must submit an online application and pay the application fee, and the chair/booth must pass the inspection.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
“Yes. A chair/ booth rental license must be renewed biannually.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Who licenses salons: “The New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling board licenses and regulates barbers, beauticians, cosmetology-hairstylists, manicurists, skin care specialists, teachers, shops and schools”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Also good to know: “Final Certificate of Occupancy or Approval from the municipality where the shop is located along with:”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Also good to know: “All licensed premises shall contain not less than 350 square feet of space and one lavatory within the shop.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov
Also good to know: “Please remember that it is unlawful to operate a shop without first having obtained a license to do so.”
njconsumeraffairs.gov

Questions

New Jersey salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in New Jersey?

A new Shop License costs $350 to the state and is renewed every 2 years. The filing fee is $250 instead if you apply in the second year of the board's 2-year licensing cycle. 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 New Jersey?

No. New Jersey's official pages say the owner does not need a practitioner license of their own, but the business needs a Shop License and everyone who does services needs their own license. Every shop must employ a licensee with at least three years of licensed experience to oversee its management.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in New Jersey?

Yes. the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling 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 New Jersey?

Yes. A booth renter in New Jersey needs a Chair/Booth Rental License, as well as a practitioner license.

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

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