Washington salon licensing

How to get a salon license in Washington

To open a salon in Washington you need a Salon/Shop License for the business, issued by the Washington State Department of Licensing, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $126 to the state (application $121 plus license print fee $5) and is renewed every year for $121. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: Washington State Department of Licensing
Business license: Salon/Shop License
New salon fee: $126
Renewal: Every year, $121
Inspection before opening: Not stated
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: Salon/shop license of their own
Barbershops: Same license

Licensed by the Washington State Department of Licensing.How to apply License lookup The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in Washington

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 Washington license of their own, which you can check in the state's license lookup. The Washington cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Apply for the Salon/Shop License with the Washington State Department of Licensing (application), paying $126 to the state (application $121 plus license print fee $5). Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
3
If you rent out chairs, check your renters' licenses. In Washington a booth renter needs a Salon/shop license of their own ($121). Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
4
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every year for $121.
5
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 Washington 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 Washington salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

Washington's $126 for a new salon is above the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else Washington asks of a salon

The salon must certify public liability insurance of at least $100,000 for combined bodily injury and property damage liability.
Before applying for the license, get a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number by filing a business license application with the Department of Revenue.
The DOL-issued salon/shop license must be posted in the salon's reception area.

Sources

What Washington's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the Washington State Department of Licensing'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: “Complete a Salon/Shop, Personal Service, or Mobile Unit License Application”
dol.wa.gov
“Anyone who operates a Salon Shop, Personal Service, or Mobile Unit in Washington where Cosmetology, Barbering, Manicuring, Hair Design, Esthetics, or Master Esthetics services are performed for a fee.”
dol.wa.gov
Fees for a new salon: “Salon/shop: License application 121.00 *Reduced license application (permanent cosmetics) 15.00 Renewal (one-year license) 121.00”
app.leg.wa.gov
“Late renewal penalty 60.00 License print fee 5.00”
app.leg.wa.gov
Other license types: “*Reduced license application (permanent cosmetics) 15.00”
app.leg.wa.gov
Renewal: “Salon/shop: License application 121.00 *Reduced license application (permanent cosmetics) 15.00 Renewal (one-year license) 121.00”
app.leg.wa.gov
Barbershops: “Anyone who operates a Salon Shop, Personal Service, or Mobile Unit in Washington where Cosmetology, Barbering, Manicuring, Hair Design, Esthetics, or Master Esthetics services are performed for a fee.”
dol.wa.gov
Booth renters: “This license is also required for those renting booths or chairs at a salon.”
dor.wa.gov
“An operator that leases space must obtain both a valid operator and salon/shop license for that specific location.”
app.leg.wa.gov
“Salon/shop: License application 121.00 *Reduced license application (permanent cosmetics) 15.00 Renewal (one-year license) 121.00”
app.leg.wa.gov
Who licenses salons: “Mail your form(s) and a check or money order for the license fee (payable to the Department of Licensing) to:”
dol.wa.gov
Also good to know: “Certify that the salon/shop or mobile unit is covered by a public liability insurance policy in an amount not less than one hundred thousand dollars for combined bodily injury and property damage liability”
app.leg.wa.gov
Also good to know: “File a business license application with the Department of Revenue (DOR) to get a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number.”
dol.wa.gov
Also good to know: “Salon/shop or mobile unit licenses issued by the department must be posted in the salon/shop or mobile unit's reception area.”
app.leg.wa.gov

Questions

Washington salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in Washington?

A new Salon/Shop License costs $126 to the state (application $121 plus license print fee $5) and is renewed every year for $121. Permanent cosmetics salons pay a reduced $15 application fee. 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 Washington?

Washington'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/Shop License. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the Washington State Department of Licensing before you sign a lease.

Do booth renters need their own license in Washington?

Yes. A booth renter in Washington needs a Salon/shop license of their own, $121, as well as a practitioner license.

Does a barbershop need a different license in Washington?

No. In Washington the same establishment license covers barbershops and salons.

Plan the rest

Before you sign a lease

Salon licenses in other states

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