West Virginia salon licensing

How to get a salon license in West Virginia

To open a salon in West Virginia you need a Salon License for the business, issued by the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists, on top of the license each stylist or technician holds. It costs $90 to the state and is renewed every year for $40. Every fact below is quoted from the state's own pages, read on October 17, 2026.

Licensed by: West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists
Business license: Salon License
New salon fee: $90
Renewal: Every year, $40
Inspection before opening: Yes
Owner must hold a license: Not stated
Booth renters need a license: Booth or chair rental registration
Barbershops: Same license

Licensed by the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.How to apply The state's own words

Step by step

Opening a salon in West Virginia

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 West Virginia license of their own. The West Virginia cosmetology, barber, nail and esthetician licenses page lists each one's training hours, fees and renewal.
2
Put a licensed person in charge. Every salon must be run under the supervision and management of a board licensee.
3
Apply for the Salon License with the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists (application), paying $90 to the state. Apply before you open: the business needs its own license to operate.
4
Pass the inspection before you open. the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists 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 West Virginia a booth renter needs a Booth or chair rental registration. Put the terms in a booth rental agreement.
6
Put the renewal in your calendar. The salon license is renewed every year for $40.
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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia salon inspection checklist lists every sanitation rule an inspector checks.

West Virginia's $90 for a new salon is below the middle of the 46 states with a published fee, $123.

Good to know

What else West Virginia asks of a salon

A salon must give the board written notice at least 20 days before opening. If no inspection is made within 10 days after opening, the salon may open provisionally, subject to a later inspection.
A mobile salon needs its own mobile shop license, separate from the salon license.
Every salon must be operated under the supervision and management of a licensed professional, and must display a suitable sign at the main entrance.

Sources

What West Virginia's official pages say

Each fact above, in the words of the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists'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: “acquire a salon license to do business”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Fees for a new salon: “APPLICATION FEE $90.00”
agencies.wvsto.com
Renewal: “All salon licenses must be renewed annually on or before July 1 and pay a renewal fee.”
code.wvlegislature.gov
“Annual renewal fee for beauty, barber, manicure, and aesthetician shop $40.00”
wvpebd.gov
Inspection: “Notify the board, in writing, at least twenty days before the proposed opening date, so there can be an inspection of the salon”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Person in charge: “Every salon in this state offering the services set forth in this article shall be operated under the supervision and management of a professional licensee or certificate holder licensed under this article.”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Barbershops: “TYPE OF SHOP check one”
agencies.wvsto.com
“APPLICATION FEE $90.00”
agencies.wvsto.com
Booth renters: “Booth or chair rental registration requirements.”
code.wvlegislature.gov
“Any professional licensee or certificate holder who elects to rent or lease a booth or chair from a licensed salon owner and/or operator must comply with the following to receive a registration from the board”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Who licenses salons: “West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists”
agencies.wvsto.com
Also good to know: “if an inspection is not made within ten days of the opening of the salon, or a salon license to open has not been granted or refused, then the salon may open provisionally”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Also good to know: “Prior to opening a mobile shop, any person, firm, or corporation owning and/or operating the mobile shop shall meet the following requirements to acquire a mobile shop license to do business”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Also good to know: “Every salon in this state offering the services set forth in this article shall be operated under the supervision and management of a professional licensee or certificate holder licensed under this article.”
code.wvlegislature.gov

Questions

West Virginia salon licenses, answered

How much is a salon license in West Virginia?

A new Salon License costs $90 to the state and is renewed every year for $40. 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 West Virginia?

West Virginia'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 every salon must be run under the supervision and management of a board licensee.. If you are not licensed yourself, ask the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists before you sign a lease.

Is a new salon inspected before it opens in West Virginia?

Yes. the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists 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 West Virginia?

Yes. A booth renter in West Virginia needs a Booth or chair rental registration, as well as a practitioner license.

Does a barbershop need a different license in West Virginia?

No. In West Virginia 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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