South Carolina salon licensing

How to get a salon license in South Carolina

To open a salon in South Carolina you need a Salon License for the business, issued by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $100 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $72. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: South Carolina Board of Cosmetology
Business license: Salon License
New salon fee: $100
Renewal: Every 2 years, $72
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: Booth Renter license
Barbershops: Own license: Barbershop license

Licensed by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in South Carolina

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 South Carolina license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The South Carolina cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Put a licensed person in charge. The salon must designate a manager who is a current South Carolina licensed cosmetologist, esthetician or nail technician.
3
Apply for the Salon License with the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (application), paying $100 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
4
Pass the inspection before you open. the South Carolina 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.
5
If you rent out chairs, check your renters' licenses. In South Carolina a booth renter needs a Booth Renter license ($100). Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
6
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every 2 years for $72.
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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

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

Good to know

What else South Carolina asks of a salon

A salon license is valid only for the location named on it and cannot move to a new location, even to another suite in the same building; a new application and inspection are needed.
A completed, signed Salon Self-Inspection Report must be submitted with the salon application and fee before a license will be issued.
If the board cannot complete the inspection before the projected opening date, it may issue a temporary permit for up to 90 days to operate until the inspection is made.

Sources

What South Carolina's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the South Carolina 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: “Upon approval of a salon, a salon license must be issued and the license must be displayed in a conspicuous place.”
scstatehouse.gov
Fees for a new salon: “Check or money order only, in the amount of $100 made payable to SC Board of Cosmetology (Fees are non-refundable).”
llr.sc.gov
“Salon$100$72#122”
llr.sc.gov
Renewal: “The holder of a license for a salon or a school shall renew the license biennially on a date set by the board by the payment of a renewal fee established by the board in regulation.”
scstatehouse.gov
“Salon$100$72#122”
llr.sc.gov
Inspection: “A salon cannot open for business until an inspection has been conducted.”
llr.sc.gov
“requirements have been met, within ten working days, prior to issuance of a salon license.”
scstatehouse.gov
Person in charge: “Salon Manager must be a current SC licensed cosmetologist, esthetician or nail technician.”
llr.sc.gov
“The applicant shall designate a manager of the salon who will be responsible for compliance”
scstatehouse.gov
Barbershops: “Initial Barbershop licensure, the license fee is $250”
llr.sc.gov
“You cannot open or practice within the barbershop until you have been inspected and licensed by the Board of Barber Examiners.”
llr.sc.gov
Booth renters: “No, the booth renter license is nontransferable. If you start working at a new salon, you must apply for a new booth renter license and return your previous license to the Board.”
llr.sc.gov
“Booth Renter$100$72#122”
llr.sc.gov
Who licenses salons: “The Board also licenses and regulates cosmetology schools and programs, booth renters and salons.”
llr.sc.gov
Also good to know: “Salon licenses are not transferrable to a new location, and this applies even if your salon is a salon suite.”
llr.sc.gov
Also good to know: “This form must be completed, signed and submitted with the Salon application along with the applicable fee before a license will be issued.”
llr.sc.gov
Also good to know: “completed before the projected opening date, the board may issue a temporary permit for not more”
scstatehouse.gov

Questions

South Carolina salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in South Carolina?

A new Salon License costs $100 to the state and is renewed every 2 years for $72. 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 South Carolina?

South Carolina'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, and the salon must designate a manager who is a current South Carolina licensed cosmetologist, esthetician or nail technician.. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology before you sign a lease.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in South Carolina?

Yes. the South Carolina 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.

Do booth renters need their own license in South Carolina?

Yes. A booth renter in South Carolina needs a Booth Renter license, $100, as well as a practitioner license.

Does a barbershop need a different license in South Carolina?

Yes. Barbershops have a license of their own in South Carolina: the Barbershop license, issued by the South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners ($250 for a new shop).

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