12 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Douglas County Co?
In short
A salon or barber in Douglas County Co, CO has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division charges $50 one-time filing, online only for the articles of incorporation. 7 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Douglas County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Art License (conditional — tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics)only if it applies to you | Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health | Body art license $355 a year; plan review application $100; special event inspection, additional plan review hours, change of owner, site assessment or additional inspections $60 an hour (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule). | annual | 2026-10-10 |
| Massage Facility License (unincorporated Douglas County)only if it applies to you | Douglas County Department of Community Development, Planning Services | New license $100; transfer $50; biennial renewal $25 (county massage facility licensure procedures §5-203.2, adopted 11-4-2024 by Res. No. R-024-124; the same amounts first set by Resolution No. 2023-045, Exhibit A, April 11, 2023). Ordinance No. O-023-001 §4(c) caps the fee at $150 for issuing or renewing a license. | biennial (renewed every two years); a temporary license on a sale or change of ownership is valid for 30 days | 2026-10-10 |
| 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 Douglas County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit (conditional — premises on a septic system)only if it applies to you | Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Douglas County Co page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Building Permit (unincorporated Douglas County)only if it applies to you | Douglas County Building Division | Varies — formula on the Douglas County Co page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Planning and Zoning Approvals — Site Improvement Plan, Use by Special Review, Sign, Home Occupation (unincorporated Douglas County)only if it applies to you | Douglas County Department of Community Development, Planning Services | Varies — formula on the Douglas County Co page | per application | 2026-10-10 |
| General Business Licensing — county statement (Colorado Department of Revenue)only if it applies to you | Colorado Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the Douglas County Co page | not applicable; this record carries the county's published statement | 2026-10-10 |
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 Douglas County Co?
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 Douglas County Co, CO, 2 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $35.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 12 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 License (conditional — tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics): Body art license $355 a year; plan review application $100; special event inspection, additional plan review hours, change of owner, site assessment or additional inspections $60 an hour (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule).
Massage Facility License (unincorporated Douglas County): New license $100; transfer $50; biennial renewal $25 (county massage facility licensure procedures §5-203.2, adopted 11-4-2024 by Res. No. R-024-124; the same amounts first set by Resolution No. 2023-045, Exhibit A, April 11, 2023). Ordinance No. O-023-001 §4(c) caps the fee at $150 for issuing or renewing a license.
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Douglas County Co permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Douglas County Co?
Permits for a salon or barber in Douglas County Co, CO come from 7 separate offices: Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health, Douglas County Department of Community Development, Planning Services, Douglas County Building Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, 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.
- Douglas County Health Department, Environmental HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Body Art License (conditional — tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics), Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit (conditional — premises on a septic system)11045 E Lansing Circle, Third Floor, Englewood, CO 80112 · 720-643-2400www.douglasco.gov/health-department/how-to-start-a-food-business
- Douglas County Department of Community Development, Planning ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Massage Facility License (unincorporated Douglas County), Planning and Zoning Approvals — Site Improvement Plan, Use by Special Review, Sign, Home Occupation (unincorporated Douglas County)100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 · 303-660-7460www.douglasco.gov/planning/development-review-regulations
- Douglas County Building DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit (unincorporated Douglas County)100 Third Street, Suite #20, Castle Rock, CO 80104 · 303-660-7497www.douglasco.gov/building-division/permits
- Colorado Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business Licensing — county statement (Colorado Department of Revenue)tax.colorado.gov
- 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 Douglas County Co 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 Douglas County Co: Body Art License (conditional — tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics) and Shop and Salon Registration.
Body Art License (conditional — tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics)
A salon or studio in Douglas County that offers tattooing, body piercing or permanent cosmetics needs a Body Art License from the Douglas County Health Department, $355 a year. The plan review application fee is $100, and special event inspections, additional plan review hours, change of owner, site assessments and additional inspections are billed at $60 an hour. The figure is from the Douglas County Health Department's 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule, in the fees set by the Douglas County Board of Health effective November 1, 2025. A salon without body art services has no body art license under this record.
Massage Facility License (unincorporated Douglas County)
The county's Massage Facility Licensing page states that any business in unincorporated Douglas County where massage therapy or full-body massage is practiced or administered must obtain a Massage Facility License, and that new facilities need the license before opening. Resolution No. 2023-045, Exhibit A (adopted April 11, 2023), sets the fees at $100 for a new license, $50 for a transfer and $25 for the biennial renewal; Ordinance No. O-023-001 §4(c) caps the fee at one hundred and fifty dollars for issuing or renewing a license. Under §7 of the ordinance, a temporary license valid for thirty days is available on a sale or change of ownership. The county page lists exemptions that may be requested, including barber shops and beauty salons where state-licensed barbers and cosmetologists provide massage in the ordinary course of their professions, and bona fide athletic clubs that do not receive more than 10 percent of gross income from massage. Applications require criminal background checks. Contact Planning Resources at 303-660-7460 or MassageLicense@douglasco.gov.
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.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Douglas County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Douglas County Co 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 Douglas County Co?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art License (conditional — tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics) and Shop and Salon Registration. A fitness studio needs Pool / Spa / Spray Pad License (conditional — studio with a pool or spa), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 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 Douglas County Co permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 2026 DCHD Environmental Health Fee Schedule (Board of Health fees effective November 1, 2025; state-set fees effective September 1, 2025)Douglas County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Douglas County massage facility licensure procedures, §5-203.2 Application Fee (adopted 11-4-2024 by Res. No. R-024-124)Douglas County Board of County Commissioners (eCode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Ordinance No. O-023-001, massage facility licensing (recorded May 5, 2023)Douglas County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Massage Facility LicensingDouglas County Department of Community Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Resolution No. 2023-045, massage facility licensure fees (adopted April 11, 2023)Douglas County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- 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.