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12 permits · verified 2026-10-31

What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Houston County?

In short

A salon or barber in Houston County, GA 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. Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division charges $110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge for the articles of incorporation. 6 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-31 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Houston County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Home Occupation Special Exception (home-based businesses)only if it applies to youHouston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's OfficeNo Special Exception fee is printed on the county's Home Occupation form; contact Building Inspection, Planning & Zoning, (478) 542-2018, for any amount that applies.until the applicant leaves the premises or the home occupation stops for six consecutive months (Land Development Regulations Section 95.2)2026-10-31
Body Art Establishment Permit and Artist Licenseonly if it applies to youHouston County Health Department, Environmental Health (North Central Health District)The Houston County Board of Health's body art rules require applicants to "pay a fee determined by the Houston County Board of Health"; contact Houston County Environmental Health, (478) 218-2020, for the current amount.one year from issuance; establishment permits and artist licenses automatically expire in one year and must be renewed2026-10-31
Salon or Shop LicenseGeorgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers$75 new license and renewal alike, plus a $5 online or $10 paper processing feebiennial — expires 30 June of odd-numbered years2026-09-03

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 Houston County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Occupational Tax Certificate (business license), unincorporated Houston CountyHouston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's OfficeVaries — formula on the Houston County pagecurrent calendar year; the county's application states that "all fees are due and payable by February 28 of each year"2026-10-31
Zoning Compliance for the Business LicenseHouston County Building Inspection, Planning & ZoningVaries — formula on the Houston County pageper application, before the Occupational Tax Certificate issues2026-10-31
Building and Fire Inspection of the Business Locationonly if it applies to youHouston County Building Inspection, Planning & ZoningVaries — formula on the Houston County pageper business location, before the Occupational Tax Certificate issues2026-10-31
Building Permit (unincorporated Houston County)only if it applies to youHouston County Building Inspection, Planning & ZoningVaries — formula on the Houston County pageper project2026-10-31

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Sales and Use Tax Certificate of RegistrationGeorgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services DivisionNo feeno renewal — valid until cancelled, suspended or revoked2026-09-03
General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate)only if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county, usually annual2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service chargeno expiry, but an annual registration is due each year2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service chargeno expiry, but an annual registration is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Registrationonly if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$60 a year — $50 plus a $10 service charge; $40 for a nonprofitannual — filed between 1 January and 1 April2026-09-03

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 Houston 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 Houston County, GA, 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, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $75.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 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:

Home Occupation Special Exception (home-based businesses): No Special Exception fee is printed on the county's Home Occupation form; contact Building Inspection, Planning & Zoning, (478) 542-2018, for any amount that applies.

Body Art Establishment Permit and Artist License: The Houston County Board of Health's body art rules require applicants to "pay a fee determined by the Houston County Board of Health"; contact Houston County Environmental Health, (478) 218-2020, for the current amount.

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Houston County permits page and the GA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Houston County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Houston County, GA come from 6 separate offices: Houston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's Office, Houston County Building Inspection, Planning & Zoning, Houston County Health Department, Environmental Health (North Central 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.

What does a salon or barber need in Houston 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 Houston County: Body Art Establishment Permit and Artist License and Salon or Shop License.

Body Art Establishment Permit and Artist License

This permit applies to a salon only as a scope consequence: a salon offering tattooing, body piercing or other body art in Houston County needs it, and a salon offering only hair, nail or skin services without body art has no body art permit. Under the Houston County Board of Health's Rules and Regulations of Body Art, effective August 6, 2015, the establishment permit issues after an inspection shows compliance and on a completed application with applicable fees, must be displayed near the front entrance, and automatically expires in one year. Each artist holds a Body Art License, valid for one year, for which the applicant pays a fee determined by the Board of Health and passes a Health Department-approved exam. The North Central Health District's Body Art page states that body art establishments and artists are regulated under O.C.G.A. 31-3-6. Contact Houston County Environmental Health, 98 Cohen Walker Drive, Warner Robins, (478) 218-2020.

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 Houston County

  • Home Occupation Special Exception (home-based businesses) — Houston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's Office, No Special Exception fee is printed on the county's Home Occupation form; contact Building Inspection, Planning & Zoning, (478) 542-2018, for any amount that applies., until the applicant leaves the premises or the home occupation stops for six consecutive months (Land Development Regulations Section 95.2). Also required for childcare centres, contractors and trades, food trucks and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Houston County, GA; what each one involves is set out on the Houston 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 Houston County?

The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art Establishment Permit and Artist License and Salon or Shop License. A childcare centre needs Child Care Learning Centre License, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Houston County, GA, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Childcare centres2121
Retail stores3122
Contractors and trades4123
Food trucks4123
Auto repair shops1031
Coffee shops5035
Fitness studios1031
Restaurants5035
Veterinary clinics1031

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 retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Houston County permits page and the GA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Rules and Regulations of Body Art, Effective August 6, 2015, Houston County Board of HealthHouston County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  2. Body ArtNorth Central Health District (Georgia DPH District 5-2) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  3. County Environmental Health OfficesNorth Central Health District (Georgia DPH District 5-2) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  4. Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers — fee scheduleGeorgia Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  5. 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.