12 permits · verified 2026-10-20
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in St Johns County?
In short
A salon or barber in St Johns County, FL has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division charges $28 per application: "Certificate for Home Office, Rural Industry or Business Office (includes Change of Use)" (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026) for the zoning approval of the business location (unincorporated st. johns). 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-20 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in St Johns County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbershop License | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Board of Cosmetology and Barbers' Board | $125 application and original license | 2 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Cosmetology or Specialty Salon License | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Board of Cosmetology and Barbers' Board | $90 application and initial license | 2 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 St Johns County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Local Business Tax Receipt | St. Johns County Tax Collector | Varies — formula on the St Johns County page | annual; the fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30, and a receipt first taken out in the second half of the year pays one-half the annual rate (Ordinance 87-36, Section 2) | 2026-10-20 |
| Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | $28 per application: "Certificate for Home Office, Rural Industry or Business Office (includes Change of Use)" (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026) | one-time, for each new business location or change of use in unincorporated St. Johns County, before the county business tax receipt is issued | 2026-10-20 |
| Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Building Department | Varies — formula on the St Johns County page | per project | 2026-10-20 |
| Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | Varies — formula on the St Johns County page | one-time per sign; a new permit is needed for structural alteration or for work on more than one-sixth of a sign structure in a year | 2026-10-20 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
FL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (LLC)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report (Corporation)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | Varies — formula on the FL page | annual, due by 1 May | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)only if it applies to you | Florida Department of Revenue | No fee — no fee to register | no fixed expiry | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business Tax Receipt | Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations | No fee | annual — every receipt expires on 30 September | 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 St Johns County?
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 St Johns County, FL, 4 apply to every business of this type and 8 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, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $215.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 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 other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the St Johns County permits page and the FL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in St Johns County?
Permits for a salon or barber in St Johns County, FL come from 6 separate offices: St. Johns County Tax Collector, St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division, St. Johns County Building Department, Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Board of Cosmetology and Barbers' Board. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- St. Johns County Tax CollectorIssues 1 permit on this page: County Local Business Tax Receipt904-209-2250sjctax.us/local-business-tax
- St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns), Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084 · 904-209-0675www.sjcfl.us/faqs/do-i-need-a-license-to-do-business-in-st-johns-county-2
- St. Johns County Building DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)904-827-6800www.sjcfl.us/permit-guidelines-and-general-information
- Florida Department of State, Division of CorporationsIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report (LLC)efile.sunbiz.org
- Florida Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)floridarevenue.com/taxes/eservices/Pages/registration.aspx
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Board of Cosmetology and Barbers' BoardIssues 2 permits on this page: Barbershop License, Cosmetology or Specialty Salon Licensewww.myfloridalicense.com
What does a salon or barber need in St Johns County 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 St Johns County: Barbershop License and Cosmetology or Specialty Salon License.
Barbershop License
$125 to open — $75 application plus $50 for the original license — and $105 every two years to renew. That renewal is more than two and a half times what a cosmetology salon pays, which is the sharpest difference between Florida's two personal-care regimes and the reason the distinction is worth getting right before you apply. Moving a barbershop to a new location carries a $125 transfer fee set by statute. Renewing late adds $25.
Cosmetology or Specialty Salon License
$90 to open — a $50 non-refundable application fee plus a $40 salon license fee — then $40 every two years to renew. Renewing late within twenty-four months adds a $25 delinquency fee on top of the renewal. Do not assume a barbershop costs the same: Florida licenses barbershops through a different board at $125 initially and $105 biennially, so a shop offering both may need to think about which license it holds. A mobile cosmetology salon may not be charged more than a fixed location.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Johns County, FL; what each one involves is set out on the St Johns County permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across FL and are covered on the FL state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in St Johns County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Barbershop License and Cosmetology or Specialty Salon License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Marshal Permits: Kitchen Hood, Fire Suppression and Annual Operational Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns), 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 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 St Johns County permits page and the FL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Florida Administrative Code rules 61G3-20.003, 61G3-20.0035 and 61G3-20.010 — barbershop application, original license and biennial renewal feesFlorida Department of State, Administrative Code · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Florida Administrative Code rules 61G5-24.005 and 61G5-24.009 — cosmetology salon license and biennial renewal feesFlorida Department of State, Administrative Code · 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.