South Dakota salon licensing
How to get a salon license in South Dakota
To open a salon in South Dakota you need a Salon/Booth License for the business, issued by the South Dakota Cosmetology Commission, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $75 to the state and is renewed every year for $55. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.
- Licensed by
- South Dakota Cosmetology Commission
- Business license
- Salon/Booth License
- New salon fee
- $75
- Renewal
- Every year, $55
- Inspection before opening
- No, after opening
- Owner must hold a license
- Not stated
- Booth renters need a license
- Booth license
- Barbershops
- Own license: Barber Shop license
Licensed by the South Dakota Cosmetology Commission.How to apply License lookup The state's own words
Step by step
Opening a salon in South Dakota
- 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 Dakota license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The South Dakota cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
- 2
Apply for the Salon/Booth License with the South Dakota Cosmetology Commission (application), paying $75 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
- 3
Expect inspections after you open. the South Dakota Cosmetology Commission does not inspect before opening, but it does inspect licensed salons, so be ready from day one.
- 4
If you rent out chairs, check your renters' licenses. In South Dakota a booth renter needs a Booth license. Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
- 5
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every year for $55.
- 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 South Dakota 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 Dakota salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.
- South Dakota's $75 for a new salon is below the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.
Good to know
What else South Dakota asks of a salon
- A new salon needs at least 120 sq ft of working space for the first licensee, not counting restroom or storage closets.
- Licensed salons and booths are inspected at least once a year after they are licensed.
- A salon license covers only the original owner and the original physical address. A move or a change of ownership requires a new license.
Sources
What South Dakota's official pages say
Each fact above, in the words of the South Dakota Cosmetology Commission'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
“Use the Salon/Booth Permit License Application (available on our Forms page) to apply for a new salon/booth permit.”
dlr.sd.gov - Fees for a new salon
“If you are opening a new cosmetology, esthetics, or nail salon or booth, you must apply for your first license, which is a 90-day permit. The fee is $75.”
dlr.sd.gov “The Fee is $75.00.”
dlr.sd.gov - Other license types
“request a pre-inspection for a fee of $75.00.”
dlr.sd.gov - Renewal
“The Salon/Booth license renewal fee is $55 and is due on or before the opening (anniversary) date.”
dlr.sd.gov “If your salon or booth passes inspection, we will issue a license that will expire annually”
dlr.sd.gov - Inspection
“You have 90 days from the date your permit is issued to be inspected.”
dlr.sd.gov “You may not open for business before the salon/booth permit license is received by mail and posted.”
dlr.sd.gov - Barbershops
“To apply for a Barber Shop license, you must complete this form and return the original to the address shown above,”
dlr.sd.gov - Booth renters
“A booth license is for an individual acting as an independent contractor, renting space in a salon.”
dlr.sd.gov “A booth licensee must have a South Dakota sales tax license.”
dlr.sd.gov - Who licenses salons
“South Dakota Cosmetology Commission - Licensing and Examinations”
dlr.sd.gov - Also good to know
“A minimum of 120 sq ft of working space for the first licensee”
dlr.sd.gov - Also good to know
“Established salons and booths will be inspected annually, at a minimum.”
dlr.sd.gov - Also good to know
“All salon and booth licenses are valid for the original owner(s) and original physical address only.”
dlr.sd.gov
Questions
South Dakota salon licenses, answered
How much is a salon license in South Dakota?
Do you need a license to own a salon in South Dakota?
Is a new salon inspected before it opens in South Dakota?
Do booth renters need their own license in South Dakota?
Does a barbershop need a different license in South Dakota?
Plan the rest
Before you sign a lease
- Every step to opening a salon in South Dakota, as a checklist
- What South Dakota inspectors check, as a printable checklist
- Are haircuts taxable in South Dakota? Sales tax on services, products and the permit
- Hours and fees for each South Dakota 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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