10 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Huntsville?
In short
A salon or barber in Huntsville, AL has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services charges $200 one-time filing for the certificate of formation (llc). 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Huntsville
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal Business License — Barbershop or Beauty Shop | City of Huntsville Finance Department, Revenue Division | Schedule 7: $50.00 for the first chair or station, plus $20.00 for each additional chair or station, required whether or not the chair is in use. Retail sale of product requires a separate merchant-retail license. | annual — calendar year, expires December 31 | 2026-09-08 |
| Salon and Barber Shop License | Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering | $200 new shop; renewal is $150 | biennial — expiring 30 September, renewable to 31 October, in odd-numbered years | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Huntsville
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Huntsville Inspection Office | Varies — formula on the Huntsville page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Rezoning Applicationonly if it applies to you | City of Huntsville Planning Department | Varies — formula on the Huntsville page | one-time, per application | 2026-09-08 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | No fee | not applicable — the filing no longer exists | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — due when the matching federal return is due | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | No fee | annual — renew online between 1 November and 31 December | 2026-09-03 |
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 Huntsville?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a salon or barber in Huntsville, AL, 4 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 10 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:
Municipal Business License — Barbershop or Beauty Shop: Schedule 7: $50.00 for the first chair or station, plus $20.00 for each additional chair or station, required whether or not the chair is in use. Retail sale of product requires a separate merchant-retail license.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Huntsville permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Huntsville?
Permits for a salon or barber in Huntsville, AL come from 7 separate offices: City of Huntsville Inspection Office, City of Huntsville Finance Department, Revenue Division, City of Huntsville Planning Department, 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.
- City of Huntsville Inspection OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permit(256) 427-5331www.huntsvilleal.gov/development/building-construction/building-license-permits
- City of Huntsville Finance Department, Revenue DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Municipal Business License — Barbershop or Beauty Shopwww.huntsvilleal.gov/business/licensing-permits/business-licenses
- City of Huntsville Planning DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Rezoning Application(256) 427-5100www.huntsvilleal.gov/development/building-construction/planning
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: State and County Business Privilege License2545 Taylor Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 · (334) 353-7827www.revenue.alabama.gov/business-license
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation (LLC), Certificate of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report (abolished)770 Washington Avenue, Suite 580, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 242-5324www.sos.alabama.gov/business-entities
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Business Privilege Tax, Sales Tax LicensePO Box 327710, Montgomery, AL 36132-7710 · (334) 242-1490www.revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/business-tax-online-registration-system
- Alabama Board of Cosmetology and BarberingIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon and Barber Shop License100 North Union Street, Suite 324, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (800) 815-7453www.aboc.alabama.gov
What does a salon or barber need in Huntsville that other businesses do not?
2 of the 2 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Huntsville: Municipal Business License — Barbershop or Beauty Shop and Salon and Barber Shop License.
Municipal Business License — Barbershop or Beauty Shop
On top of, not instead of, the state cosmetology/barbering board's own shop license recorded at the state layer.
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.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Huntsville, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Huntsville permits 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 Huntsville?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Municipal Business License — Barbershop or Beauty Shop and Salon and Barber Shop License. A auto repair shop needs Municipal Business License — Repairs, Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License and Store License, which a salon or barber does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a salon or barber | Only a salon or barber needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Huntsville permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Huntsville — License Fees by Schedule, current through Ordinance 23-321 (effective April 27, 2023)City of Huntsville, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- 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
- 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.