12 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Aurora?
In short
A salon or barber in Aurora, CO has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division charges $850 flat; $500 is refunded if a standard Certificate of Occupancy issues before the temporary one expires for the temporary certificate of occupancy. 4 of the 12 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 Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon/Barbershop Registration — State DORA Applies (Aurora)only if it applies to you | City of Aurora Business Licensing | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Sign Permit | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | $385 flat, per permit (all sign types) | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-08 |
| Fire Inspection | Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections | By occupancy type: Assembly $135 (50–500 occupants) up to $1,353 (over 5,001); Business/Mercantile/Undetermined starts at $17.25 (0–500 sq ft), scaling with an added $2.50 per 1,000 sq ft for larger spaces; Nursing Homes $202; Hospitals $868. Non-compliance reinspection is $63.50 (first) or $174 (subsequent). Special permits: Tents $115, Carnival/Fair $232, High-Piled Storage $347, Firework Sales $376, Hazardous Materials $434. | recurring — 1, 2, or 3 years depending on risk class | 2026-09-08 |
| Shop and Salon Registration | Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure, Division of Professions and Occupations | $35 new registration; renewal is $26 | biennial — every registration expires on 30 November of 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 Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Sales/Use Tax License | City of Aurora Business Licensing | Varies — formula on the Aurora page | 2 years | 2026-09-08 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | $850 flat; $500 is refunded if a standard Certificate of Occupancy issues before the temporary one expires | temporary, pending final approval | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Aurora page | one-time, per project | 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.
CO registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division | Varies — formula on the CO page | 2 years — every license expires on 31 December of an odd-numbered year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Periodic Reportonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $25 a year; $50 more if filed late | annual — due in the entity's own periodic report month | 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 Aurora?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a salon or barber in Aurora, CO, 6 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 6 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $420.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 12 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:
Fire Inspection: By occupancy type: Assembly $135 (50–500 occupants) up to $1,353 (over 5,001); Business/Mercantile/Undetermined starts at $17.25 (0–500 sq ft), scaling with an added $2.50 per 1,000 sq ft for larger spaces; Nursing Homes $202; Hospitals $868. Non-compliance reinspection is $63.50 (first) or $174 (subsequent). Special permits: Tents $115, Carnival/Fair $232, High-Piled Storage $347, Firework Sales $376, Hazardous Materials $434.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Aurora permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Aurora?
Permits for a salon or barber in Aurora, CO come from 6 separate offices: City of Aurora Business Licensing, City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division, Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure, Division of Professions and Occupations. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Aurora Business LicensingIssues 2 permits on this page: Salon/Barbershop Registration — State DORA Applies (Aurora), Business/Sales/Use Tax License(303) 739-7057www.auroragov.org
- City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Commercial Sign Permit15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 2400, Aurora, CO 80012 · (303) 739-7420www.auroragov.org
- Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire InspectionsIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Inspection(303) 326-8998www.auroragov.org
- Colorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally), Articles of Organization (LLC), Periodic Report1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 · (303) 894-2200www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/businessHome.html
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax License1375 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80261 · (303) 238-7378tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-account-license
- Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure, Division of Professions and OccupationsIssues 1 permit on this page: Shop and Salon Registration1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202 · (303) 894-7800dpo.colorado.gov/BarberCosmetology
What does a salon or barber need in Aurora that other businesses do not?
2 of the 4 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Aurora: Salon/Barbershop Registration — State DORA Applies (Aurora) and Shop and Salon Registration.
Salon/Barbershop Registration — State DORA Applies (Aurora)
The City of Aurora's Quick Reference Guide for Aurora Businesses lists 'Barbershop or Cosmetology Shop Registration' as required for any business engaged in barbering, hairstyling, nail technician, esthetician or cosmetology services, and directs applicants to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (303.894.7800). The guide states no separate fee and no separate city process for this registration on top of the general Aurora business license.
Shop and Salon Registration
Thirty-five dollars covers a fixed establishment, a temporary one, a mobile unit or a school, and one registration covers whichever services are ticked — barbering, cosmetology, esthetics or manicuring — with no separate booth registration. The registration attaches to the physical location, so there is no reciprocity from another state and a change of ownership needs a fresh application at the full fee. The owner need not hold a practitioner license. Colorado merged its barber and cosmetology regulation into a single office under a director rather than a board. One caveat on the renewal figure: the regulatory agencies department publishes no current fee schedule at all — the $26 is the last officially published amount, from the state's own 2025 sunset review, and predates the November 2025 renewal cycle.
Shared with other businesses in Aurora
- Commercial Sign Permit — City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division, $385 flat, per permit (all sign types), one-time, per sign. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
- Fire Inspection — Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections, By occupancy type: Assembly $135 (50–500 occupants) up to $1,353 (over 5,001); Business/Mercantile/Undetermined starts at $17.25 (0–500 sq ft), scaling with an added $2.50 per 1,000 sq ft for larger spaces; Nursing Homes $202; Hospitals $868. Non-compliance reinspection is $63.50 (first) or $174 (subsequent). Special permits: Tents $115, Carnival/Fair $232, High-Piled Storage $347, Firework Sales $376, Hazardous Materials $434., recurring — 1, 2, or 3 years depending on risk class. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; 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 Aurora, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Aurora permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CO and are covered on the CO state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Aurora?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 2 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon/Barbershop Registration — State DORA Applies (Aurora) and Shop and Salon Registration. A fitness studio needs nothing here that 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
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 auto repair shops page and fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Aurora permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Aurora — Quick Reference Guide for Aurora Businesses (2024 update)City of Aurora Business Licensing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure — applications and forms, with the registration expiry dateColorado Division of Professions and Occupations · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Colorado Office of Policy, Research and Regulatory Reform — 2025 sunset review of the Barber and Cosmetologist Act, with the business registration fee tableColorado Department of Regulatory Agencies · 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.