11 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Cobb County?
In short
A salon or barber in Cobb County, GA has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division charges $110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge for the articles of incorporation. 5 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Cobb County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Health Spa" (Massage/Spa) Licenseonly if it applies to you | Cobb County Business License Division (Community Development Agency) | $100.00 non-refundable application fee, payable at the time the application is submitted, plus the regular gross-receipts Occupation Tax, plus a $200.00 regulatory fee. | annual license; an employee or independent-contractor work permit issued separately by the Police Permits Unit runs 12 months | 2026-10-02 |
| Body Art (Tattoo/Piercing) Studio and Artist Permitonly if it applies to you | Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Environmental Health | Plan review: new facility $250; existing facility, no changes $110, minor changes $175, major (structural) changes $235; plan resubmittal $110. Annual inspection $410. Temporary event inspection: 1-4 days $105; 5-7 days $155. Body artist certification exam fee: $50 per service (tattooing, piercing, or microblading). Guest body artist permit: $105. | annual studio permit; temporary-event and guest-artist permits are per event, and the certification exam is per service | 2026-10-02 |
| Salon or Shop License | Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers | $75 new license and renewal alike, plus a $5 online or $10 paper processing fee | biennial — expires 30 June 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 Cobb County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit / Land Disturbance Permitonly if it applies to you | Cobb County Community Development, Development & Inspections Division | Varies — formula on the Cobb County page | per project | 2026-10-02 |
| Occupation Tax Certificate / Business License | Cobb County Business License Division (Community Development Agency) | Varies — formula on the Cobb County page | annual, calendar year | 2026-10-02 |
| Onsite Sewage Management (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you | Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Cobb County page | per project | 2026-10-02 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
GA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration | Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services Division | No fee | no renewal — valid until cancelled, suspended or revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate)only if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | No fee | set by the issuing city or county, usually annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge | no expiry, but an annual registration is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge | no expiry, but an annual registration is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Registrationonly if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $60 a year — $50 plus a $10 service charge; $40 for a nonprofit | annual — filed between 1 January and 1 April | 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 Cobb County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a salon or barber in Cobb County, GA, 3 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $75.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 11 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:
"Health Spa" (Massage/Spa) License: $100.00 non-refundable application fee, payable at the time the application is submitted, plus the regular gross-receipts Occupation Tax, plus a $200.00 regulatory fee.
Body Art (Tattoo/Piercing) Studio and Artist Permit: Plan review: new facility $250; existing facility, no changes $110, minor changes $175, major (structural) changes $235; plan resubmittal $110. Annual inspection $410. Temporary event inspection: 1-4 days $105; 5-7 days $155. Body artist certification exam fee: $50 per service (tattooing, piercing, or microblading). Guest body artist permit: $105.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Cobb County permits page and the GA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Cobb County?
Permits for a salon or barber in Cobb County, GA come from 6 separate offices: Cobb County Business License Division (Community Development Agency), Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Environmental Health, Cobb County Community Development, Development & Inspections Division, Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services Division, Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division, Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Cobb County Business License Division (Community Development Agency)Issues 2 permits on this page: "Health Spa" (Massage/Spa) License, Occupation Tax Certificate / Business License1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite 400, Marietta, GA 30064 · 770-528-8410www.cobbcounty.gov/community-development/business-license
- Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Environmental HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Body Art (Tattoo/Piercing) Studio and Artist Permit, Onsite Sewage Management (Septic) Permitcobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/programs/environmental-health/food-service
- Cobb County Community Development, Development & Inspections DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit / Land Disturbance Permitassets.cobbcounty.gov/files/2024-06/2024%20Fee%20Schedule%20Update_Final.pdf
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration1800 Century Boulevard NE, Atlanta, GA 30345-3205 · (877) 423-6711gtc.dor.ga.gov
- Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate), Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Registration2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Suite 313, Floyd West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334-1530 · (404) 656-2817ecorp.sos.ga.gov
- Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and BarbersIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon or Shop License3920 Arkwright Road, Suite 195, Macon, GA 31210 · (404) 424-9966goals.sos.ga.gov
What does a salon or barber need in Cobb 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 Cobb County: Body Art (Tattoo/Piercing) Studio and Artist Permit and Salon or Shop License.
Body Art (Tattoo/Piercing) Studio and Artist Permit
A salon in Cobb County that offers tattoo, piercing, or microblading services needs this permit from Cobb & Douglas Public Health, separate from any general salon licensing; a salon offering only hair, nail, or skincare services with no body-art work has no obligation under this program. This page carries the same January 1, 2027 successor-schedule notice found on the agency's other Environmental Health pages, with no figures yet published for that later schedule as of October 2026, so every figure above is the current, in-effect schedule.
Salon or Shop License
One license class covers everything: the barber and cosmetology boards merged in 2015, so there is no separate beauty salon, nail salon, esthetician or barber shop fee — all are the same $75. Legacy barber shop licenses can be renewed but no longer newly issued. Georgia does not license mobile salons at all, and the board says so plainly; a unit qualifies only if anchored on the ground in a permanent location. Home-based salons are allowed. The owner need not be a licensed practitioner but must complete a board-approved health, safety and sanitation course. A change of name, location or ownership needs a fresh application rather than an amendment, and paper applications are no longer accepted.
Shared with other businesses in Cobb County
- "Health Spa" (Massage/Spa) License — Cobb County Business License Division (Community Development Agency), $100.00 non-refundable application fee, payable at the time the application is submitted, plus the regular gross-receipts Occupation Tax, plus a $200.00 regulatory fee., annual license; an employee or independent-contractor work permit issued separately by the Police Permits Unit runs 12 months. Also required for 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 Cobb County, GA; what each one involves is set out on the Cobb County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across GA and are covered on the GA state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Cobb County?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art (Tattoo/Piercing) Studio and Artist Permit and Salon or Shop License. A fitness studio needs Swimming Pool Permit, 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 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 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 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 Cobb County permits page and the GA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Cobb & Douglas Public Health — Tattoos and Piercings (body art) fee pageCobb & Douglas Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers — fee scheduleGeorgia Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Georgia Comp. R. & Regs. chapter 295-2 — expiration and renewal dates for every license administered by the Professional Licensing Boards DivisionGeorgia Secretary of State · 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.