South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

Barbershop Permit

A barbershop costs two and a half times what a salon costs — $250 to open against $100, and $125 to renew against $72 — even though the two boards sit in the same building. As with a salon, the permit is location-specific and not transferable, a change of owner or of location costs the full $250 again, and the application must be filed at least fifteen working days before opening with no trading until the fees are paid and the inspection passed. A change of name or of manager is only $10. The physical rules are unusually prescriptive and worth reading before signing a lease: at least five feet between barber chairs measured centre to centre, complete separation from any residence, a ceiling-height partition from any room in other use, smooth-finished walls, ceilings and floors, no exposed pipework, adequate toilet facilities, an accessible working fire extinguisher, and a cabinet of clean towels plus a container for soiled ones for each barber. Note a live conflict on mobile units: the statute says a mobile barbershop permit is renewed annually while the regulation says biennially.