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9 permits · verified 2026-09-29

What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Etowah County Al?

In short

A salon or barber in Etowah County Al, AL has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Etowah County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health, Northeastern District) charges $300 per application, one-time, for a commercial conventional (code 606) or commercial engineered (code 610) system; an expedited application adds $150 (code 615) for the commercial onsite sewage (septic) permit. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-29 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Etowah County Al

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Salon / Barbershop Licenses (Ala. Code §40-12-61, §40-12-58, §40-12-124)Etowah County Probate Office (Judge of Probate Scott W. Hassell)Combined state and county totals: beauty shop under §40-12-61, owner $16 plus $6 for each additional operator; barbershop under §40-12-58, $4.75 for the first chair plus $3.75 for each additional chair; independent operator not in a §61 shop under §40-12-124, $8.50.annual, October 1 to September 30; due October 1, delinquent November 1 with a 15 percent penalty plus interest2026-09-29
Commercial Onsite Sewage (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youEtowah County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health, Northeastern District)$300 per application, one-time, for a commercial conventional (code 606) or commercial engineered (code 610) system; an expedited application adds $150 (code 615)one-time, per application2026-09-29
Salon and Barber Shop LicenseAlabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering$200 new shop; renewal is $150biennial — expiring 30 September, renewable to 31 October, in odd-numbered years2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

AL registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to youAlabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the AL pageannual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November2026-09-03
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youAlabama Secretary of State, Business Services$200 one-time filingperpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 20242026-09-03
Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to youAlabama Secretary of State, Business Services$200 one-time filingperpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 20242026-09-03
Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to youAlabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesNo feenot applicable — the filing no longer exists2026-09-03
Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to youAlabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the AL pageannual — due when the matching federal return is due2026-09-03
Sales Tax LicenseAlabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionNo feeannual — renew online between 1 November and 31 December2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a salon or barber in Etowah County Al?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a salon or barber in Etowah County Al, AL, 3 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Salon / Barbershop Licenses (Ala. Code §40-12-61, §40-12-58, §40-12-124): Combined state and county totals: beauty shop under §40-12-61, owner $16 plus $6 for each additional operator; barbershop under §40-12-58, $4.75 for the first chair plus $3.75 for each additional chair; independent operator not in a §61 shop under §40-12-124, $8.50.

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Etowah County Al permits page and the AL state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Etowah County Al?

Permits for a salon or barber in Etowah County Al, AL come from 6 separate offices: Etowah County Probate Office (Judge of Probate Scott W. Hassell), Etowah County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health, Northeastern District), Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division, Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services, Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division, Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a salon or barber need in Etowah County Al that other businesses do not?

2 of the 3 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Etowah County Al: Salon / Barbershop Licenses (Ala. Code §40-12-61, §40-12-58, §40-12-124) and Salon and Barber Shop License.

Salon / Barbershop Licenses (Ala. Code §40-12-61, §40-12-58, §40-12-124)

ALDOR's Quick Reference Guide lists a beauty shop or salon under §40-12-61, a barbershop under §40-12-58 and a nail salon under §40-12-124, and points to the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering for occupational licensing. The shop owner pays $16 plus $6 per additional operator; a barbershop pays $4.75 for the first chair plus $3.75 for each additional chair; an independent operator working outside a §61 shop pays $8.50. The figures are the statutory base totals from the October 2022 ALDOR Handbook. Issued by the Etowah County Probate Office at (256) 549-5337; a municipal business license is separate.

Salon and Barber Shop License

Alabama merged its cosmetology and barbering boards, and the statutory definition of a shop covers both trades plus mobile salons — so a barber shop, a hair salon and a mobile unit all take the same license at the same price, and the rules provide only two business license types in total, shop and school. Two hundred dollars new, $150 to renew, with everything else priced modestly: relocation $50, a name or ownership change $25, and $25 for both together. Miss the 31 October postmark and the late charge is $54. The fee schedule here is unusually current, having been amended with effect from May 2026. Remember the second license: a salon also owes the beauty parlour privilege license at $16 for the owner plus $6 or $9 for each additional operator, or the barber shop version at $4.75 for the first chair plus $3.75 for each additional one, and the county issuing it is not required to check that the board license exists.

Shared with other businesses in Etowah County Al

  • Commercial Onsite Sewage (Septic) Permit — Etowah County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health, Northeastern District), $300 per application, one-time, for a commercial conventional (code 606) or commercial engineered (code 610) system; an expedited application adds $150 (code 615), one-time, per application. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, contractors and trades, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.

The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across AL and are covered on the AL state page.

How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Etowah County Al?

The closest match is a retail store, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon / Barbershop Licenses (Ala. Code §40-12-61, §40-12-58, §40-12-124) and Salon and Barber Shop License. A retail store needs Store License (Ala. Code §40-12-315, state portion only) and Store License, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Etowah County Al, AL, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Retail stores3122
Veterinary clinics3122
Auto repair shops4123
Coffee shops6125
Contractors and trades6125
Restaurants7126
Food trucks6036

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Etowah County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Alabama Department of Revenue — Handbook of Privilege and Store Licenses, October 2022, with the fee schedule for each business typeAlabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  2. Alabama Department of Revenue Quick Reference Guide (Oct. 2022) — Title 40-12 classification codes by business typeAlabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  3. Etowah County Business License department pageEtowah County Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  4. Alabama Administrative Code rule 250-X-2-.01 — Board of Cosmetology and Barbering fee schedule, effective 15 May 2026Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  5. Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering — renewal FAQ, with the odd-year expiry and late feeAlabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.