12 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Gwinnett County?
In short
A salon or barber in Gwinnett County, GA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office charges $100 per Fire Certificate of Occupancy for a tenant building, per the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, Fire section for the gwinnett county fire certificate of occupancy (countywide). 5 of the 12 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 Gwinnett County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions | New construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00. | Per project, from permit issuance through final inspection. | 2026-10-02 |
| Body Art / Tattoo Health Permitonly if it applies to you | Gwinnett County Health Department, Environmental Health Section (Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale Public Health District) | Plan Review for the first work station: $315.00. Annual fee for the first work station: $450.00. Guest Body Artist Permit, for an out-of-area artist working up to seven days: $50.00 — all per the GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule, Rev. 082625, adopted August 25, 2025. The schedule sets no separate ongoing individual body-artist license fee beyond these per-station and guest-permit figures. | Annual permit per work station; the Guest Body Artist Permit covers up to seven days. | 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 Gwinnett County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Occupation Tax Certificate | Gwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office, Dept. of Planning & Development | Varies — formula on the Gwinnett County page | Annual; renewal due February 15. A $25.00 late fee applies after the deadline, with an additional 10% penalty after March 31 plus 1.5% monthly interest. | 2026-10-02 |
| Gwinnett County Fire Certificate of Occupancy (Countywide) | Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office | $100 per Fire Certificate of Occupancy for a tenant building, per the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, Fire section | Per occupancy, required before a commercial business opens or changes tenancy. | 2026-10-02 |
| Rezoning / Special Use Permit / Zoning Varianceonly if it applies to you | Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions | Varies — formula on the Gwinnett County page | Per application. | 2026-10-02 |
| Certificate of Occupancy / Tenant Name Change Permit | Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions | Varies — formula on the Gwinnett County page | Per occupancy; a Tenant Name Change Permit is required in place of a new Certificate of Occupancy when there is no construction. | 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 Gwinnett 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 Gwinnett County, GA, 5 apply to every business of this type and 7 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $175.00. 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 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Building Permit: New construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00.
Body Art / Tattoo Health Permit: Plan Review for the first work station: $315.00. Annual fee for the first work station: $450.00. Guest Body Artist Permit, for an out-of-area artist working up to seven days: $50.00 — all per the GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule, Rev. 082625, adopted August 25, 2025. The schedule sets no separate ongoing individual body-artist license fee beyond these per-station and guest-permit figures.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Gwinnett County permits page and the GA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Gwinnett County?
Permits for a salon or barber in Gwinnett County, GA come from 7 separate offices: Gwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office, Dept. of Planning & Development, Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's Office, Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions, Gwinnett County Health Department, Environmental Health Section (Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale Public Health District), 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.
- Gwinnett County Licensing & Revenue Office, Dept. of Planning & DevelopmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Business/Occupation Tax Certificate75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 · 678-377-4100www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/planning-development/services/business-license
- Gwinnett County Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Gwinnett County Fire Certificate of Occupancy (Countywide)www.gwinnettcounty.com/documents/d/gwinnett-county/fee-schedule-pdf
- Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development DivisionsIssues 3 permits on this page: Rezoning / Special Use Permit / Zoning Variance, Certificate of Occupancy / Tenant Name Change Permit, Building Permit75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 · 678-518-6020www.gwinnettcounty.com/documents/d/gwinnett-county/fee-schedule-pdf
- Gwinnett County Health Department, Environmental Health Section (Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale Public Health District)Issues 1 permit on this page: Body Art / Tattoo Health Permit455 Grayson Highway, Suite 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 · 770-963-5132www.gnrhealth.com
- 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 Gwinnett 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 Gwinnett County: Body Art / Tattoo Health Permit and Salon or Shop License.
Body Art / Tattoo Health Permit
A salon offering body-art or tattoo services in Gwinnett County needs this permit from the Health Department's Environmental Health Section. Plan Review for the first work station costs $315.00, and the Annual fee for the first work station is $450.00, both per the current GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule, Rev. 082625, adopted August 25, 2025. A visiting out-of-area artist working up to seven days instead needs a Guest Body Artist Permit, priced at $50.00. This permit applies only to the body-art/tattoo portion of a salon's services, not to a standard hair, nail, or skincare salon that performs no body art.
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 Gwinnett County
- Building Permit — Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions, New construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00., Per project, from permit issuance through final inspection.. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, childcare centres, fitness studios and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Gwinnett County, GA; what each one involves is set out on the Gwinnett 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 Gwinnett County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art / Tattoo Health Permit and Salon or Shop License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop License — Georgia state position, 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 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Restaurants | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 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 Gwinnett County permits page and the GA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- GNR Public Health — Gwinnett County environmental health fee scheduleGwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- 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.