8 permits · verified 2026-09-03
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Washington?
In short
A salon or barber in Washington, DC has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 3 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division charges $300 per filing, every two years for the biennial report. 4 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-03 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Washington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty and Grooming Services License | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division | $49–$198 per license term — $49 six months for a chair or booth, $99 two years, $198 four years | 2 or 4 years, or 6 months for a barber chair or beauty booth | 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 Washington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Business License | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division | Varies — formula on the Washington page | 2 or 4 years, or 6 months where eligible | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | District of Columbia Department of Buildings | Varies — formula on the Washington page | not stated in the published schedule | 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.
DC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biennial Reportonly if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $300 per filing, every two years | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500) | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | No fee | one-time registration | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | Varies — formula on the DC page | no expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $99 one-time filing | no expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Clean Hands | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | No fee | does not expire — validated in real time | 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 Washington?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a salon or barber in Washington, DC, 5 apply to every business of this type and 3 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
4 of the 8 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:
Beauty and Grooming Services License: $49–$198 per license term — $49 six months for a chair or booth, $99 two years, $198 four years
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington permits page and the DC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Washington?
Permits for a salon or barber in Washington, DC come from 4 separate offices: District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division, District of Columbia Department of Buildings, District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division, District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Basic Business License, Beauty and Grooming Services License1100 4th Street SW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20024 · (202) 671-4500mybusiness.dc.gov
- District of Columbia Department of BuildingsIssues 1 permit on this page: Certificate of Occupancydob.dc.gov
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Biennial Report, Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC)1100 4th Street SW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20024 · (202) 671-4500mybusiness.dc.gov
- District of Columbia Office of Tax and RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500), Certificate of Clean Handsmytax.dc.gov
What does a salon or barber need in Washington that other businesses do not?
1 of the 1 permit particular to a salon or barber here applies to no other business type we cover in Washington: Beauty and Grooming Services License.
Beauty and Grooming Services License
$99 for two years or $198 for four, and the six-month $49 term exists here for a specific reason: a single barber chair or beauty booth can be licensed on its own, which suits chair renters who are not opening a whole shop. The category covers barber shops, beauty shops, nails, esthetics, electrology and braiding, and endorsements within it cost nothing. Two things sit outside the license fee. DC Health must inspect the premises before the license issues, and every practitioner needs their own license from the Board of Barber and Cosmetology — $65 to apply plus $110 for the license, renewing at $110 for operators and owners and $155 for managers and instructors. Barber licenses expire on 30 September of odd years and cosmetology on 15 April of even years, so a shop with both runs two renewal cycles.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington, DC; what each one involves is set out on the Washington permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across DC and are covered on the DC state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Washington?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Beauty and Grooming Services License. A auto repair shop needs Auto Repair Surety Bond, 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 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 Washington permits page and the DC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — Beauty and Grooming Services license category and feesDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · 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.