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13 permits · verified 2026-10-27

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

In short

A salon or barber in Imperial County, CA has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division charges $20 per filing, biennial for the statement of information (llc). 6 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Imperial County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registrationonly if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionTattoo and Body Art Facility annual health permit $267.00; Tattoo and Body Art Practitioner Registration $150.00 (each permitted location); Mobile Operation annual health permit $243.00; Event Organizer health permit $407.00; Temporary booth health permit $237.00; Event Late Submittal Expedited Processing Fee $75.00 plus the permit fee. Re-inspection $163.00; enforcement activity $163.00/hr.annual (facility permit, practitioner registration, mobile operation); per event (organizer and temporary booth)2026-10-27
Environmental Health Plan Review (facility plans and building plan review)only if it applies to youImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionFacility plan review and construction inspections, billed at time and materials (T/M) against a deposit: projects costing less than $5,000 — $500 deposit; $5,001-$30,000 — $1,000.00 deposit; more than $30,000 — $1,500.00 deposit. EH Building Plan Review: base fee $153.00 at submittal; then minor impact review $213.00, moderate impact review $328.00 or major impact review $525.00. EH Water Potability Review $234.00.one-time per project2026-10-27
Cosmetology or Barbering Establishment LicenseCalifornia Board of Barbering and Cosmetology$50 application and initial license2 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.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Imperial County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County General Business License (unincorporated Imperial County)Imperial County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Licensing DivisionVaries — formula on the Imperial County pagelicense periods of one month or less, or more than one month and up to one full year, per the Treasurer-Tax Collector's sheet2026-10-27
Building Permit (unincorporated Imperial County)only if it applies to youImperial County Planning & Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Imperial County pageper project2026-10-27
Land Use / Zoning Application (unincorporated Imperial County)only if it applies to youImperial County Planning & Development ServicesVaries — formula on the Imperial County pageper application2026-10-27

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

CA 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
Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$20 per filing, biennialbiennial2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$70 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually2026-09-03
Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$25 per filing, annualannual2026-09-03
Seller's Permitonly if it applies to youCalifornia Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationNo fee — no fee to applyno expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller2026-09-03
Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to youCalifornia Franchise Tax BoardVaries — formula on the CA pageannual, until the entity is cancelled2026-09-03
General Business License — California position (city or county, not state)California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county2026-09-03

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 Imperial County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a salon or barber in Imperial County, CA, 3 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registration: Tattoo and Body Art Facility annual health permit $267.00; Tattoo and Body Art Practitioner Registration $150.00 (each permitted location); Mobile Operation annual health permit $243.00; Event Organizer health permit $407.00; Temporary booth health permit $237.00; Event Late Submittal Expedited Processing Fee $75.00 plus the permit fee. Re-inspection $163.00; enforcement activity $163.00/hr.

Environmental Health Plan Review (facility plans and building plan review): Facility plan review and construction inspections, billed at time and materials (T/M) against a deposit: projects costing less than $5,000 — $500 deposit; $5,001-$30,000 — $1,000.00 deposit; more than $30,000 — $1,500.00 deposit. EH Building Plan Review: base fee $153.00 at submittal; then minor impact review $213.00, moderate impact review $328.00 or major impact review $525.00. EH Water Potability Review $234.00.

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Imperial County permits page and the CA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Imperial County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Imperial County, CA come from 7 separate offices: Imperial County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Licensing Division, Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division, Imperial County Planning & Development Services, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board, California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. 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 Imperial County 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 Imperial County: Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registration and Cosmetology or Barbering Establishment License.

Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registration

Environmental Health's Body Art page says the Body Art Program 'is responsible for regulating the operation of tattoo, permanent cosmetics, body piercing and branding facilities and practitioners in Imperial County.' A salon offering tattooing, piercing or permanent cosmetics needs the $267.00 annual facility permit, and each practitioner registers at $150.00 for each permitted location where they work. Mobile body art operations, event organizers and temporary booths have their own permits. Fees are as published on the Environmental Health Fees page, effective January 1, 2024; the page's ordinance text says 'Fees can be adjusted annually utilizing Consumer Price Index (CPI)', and its implementation note says annual Body Art Operations fees take effect on the first day of July following enactment. A salon that offers only hair, nail or skin services, without body art, has no body art permit.

Cosmetology or Barbering Establishment License

$50 covers the application and the initial license together — it is one combined fee, not two — and renewal is $40 every two years, with a $20 delinquency fee. The establishment license is separate from every practitioner license held by the people working there. Three rules catch owners out: only the owner may apply, only one license is issued per address, and the license is valid only for the location and the owners named on it. Moving premises, selling the business, or adding or removing a partner all require a fresh application rather than an amendment. A mobile unit is licensed separately at $50 plus a $100 initial inspection and license fee. A license left unrenewed for five years is cancelled outright.

Shared with other businesses in Imperial County

  • Environmental Health Plan Review (facility plans and building plan review) — Imperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division, Facility plan review and construction inspections, billed at time and materials (T/M) against a deposit: projects costing less than $5,000 — $500 deposit; $5,001-$30,000 — $1,000.00 deposit; more than $30,000 — $1,500.00 deposit. EH Building Plan Review: base fee $153.00 at submittal; then minor impact review $213.00, moderate impact review $328.00 or major impact review $525.00. EH Water Potability Review $234.00., one-time per project. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, retail stores and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Imperial County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Imperial County permits page. The 7 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CA and are covered on the CA state page.

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

The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art Facility Permit and Practitioner Registration and Cosmetology or Barbering Establishment License. A fitness studio needs Public Pool / Spa Annual Health Permit, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Imperial County, CA, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Fitness studios2121
Food trucks5124
Coffee shops7126
Restaurants7126
Retail stores7126
Auto repair shops2032
Childcare centres1031
Contractors and trades1031
Veterinary clinics1031

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 fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Imperial County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Environmental Health FeesImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Body ArtImperial County Public Health Department, Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. California Code of Regulations title 16 section 998, Schedule of Fees, as published by the Board of Barbering and CosmetologyCalifornia Board of Barbering and Cosmetology · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. California Business and Professions Code section 7415 — two-year license term for barbering and cosmetology licensesCalifornia Legislative Information · 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.