12 permits · verified 2026-10-14
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Scott County Ia?
In short
A salon or barber in Scott County Ia, IA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Scott County Planning & Development charges $30 application fee per application, as published on the Planning & Development Floodplain Development page for the floodplain development permit (unincorporated scott county). 6 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Scott County Ia
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Occupation / Home Industry Approval (unincorporated Scott County)only if it applies to you | Scott County Planning & Development | As published on the Planning & Development Home Business page: Home Occupation $25; Home Industry $50, collected with the submittal of the application. A no-impact home-based business as defined in Iowa Code §335.35(1)(c) needs no county approval (Iowa Code §335.35(3)). | one-time approval, obtained before the business starts | 2026-10-14 |
| Tanning Facility Inspection (Scott County, including cities)only if it applies to you | Scott County Health Department | Inspection fees are established by resolution of the Scott County Board of Supervisors (County Code §39-6(C)) and billed by the Health Department, payable to the Scott County Treasurer; the amount is not published on the Health Department's Tanning page. Bills unpaid 45 days after billing carry a $25.00 penalty for each month or fraction delinquent. Contact the Health Department (563-326-8618) for the current amount. | pre-opening inspection, then yearly inspections; the state permit to operate is issued by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing | 2026-10-14 |
| Barbering or Cosmetology Establishment License | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing | $80 to apply; renewal is $80 | renews on a schedule opening sixty days before expiry with a thirty-day grace period after | 2026-09-04 |
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 Scott County Ia
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit (unincorporated Scott County)only if it applies to you | Scott County Planning & Development | Varies — formula on the Scott County Ia page | per sign installation | 2026-10-14 |
| Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Scott County)only if it applies to you | Scott County Planning & Development | $30 application fee per application, as published on the Planning & Development Floodplain Development page | per project; applications may be submitted at any time | 2026-10-14 |
| Building Permit (unincorporated Scott County and the eight 28E cities)only if it applies to you | Scott County Planning & Development | Varies — formula on the Scott County Ia page | per the permit provisions of the building codes adopted under County Code chapter 5 | 2026-10-14 |
| Private Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permits (Scott County, including cities)only if it applies to you | Scott County Health Department | Varies — formula on the Scott County Ia page | construction and reconstruction permits expire 12 months from the date the permit fees are received and are not transferable; abandonment permits are valid 60 days; the annual operational permit is renewed each calendar year (County Code §23-5) | 2026-10-14 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
IA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 one-time filing | perpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 one-time filing | perpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Permit | Iowa Department of Revenue | No fee | no expiration — stays effective until cancelled or revoked | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Iowa positiononly if it applies to you | Iowa Economic Development Authority, Business License Information Center | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Biennial Reportonly if it applies to you | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the IA page | an LLC files between 1 January and 1 April of every odd year; a corporation files in the same window of every even year | 2026-09-04 |
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 Scott County Ia?
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 Scott County Ia, IA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $80.00. 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 / Home Industry Approval (unincorporated Scott County): As published on the Planning & Development Home Business page: Home Occupation $25; Home Industry $50, collected with the submittal of the application. A no-impact home-based business as defined in Iowa Code §335.35(1)(c) needs no county approval (Iowa Code §335.35(3)).
Tanning Facility Inspection (Scott County, including cities): Inspection fees are established by resolution of the Scott County Board of Supervisors (County Code §39-6(C)) and billed by the Health Department, payable to the Scott County Treasurer; the amount is not published on the Health Department's Tanning page. Bills unpaid 45 days after billing carry a $25.00 penalty for each month or fraction delinquent. Contact the Health Department (563-326-8618) 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 Scott County Ia permits page and the IA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Scott County Ia?
Permits for a salon or barber in Scott County Ia, IA come from 6 separate offices: Scott County Planning & Development, Scott County Health Department, Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Iowa Department of Revenue, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Business License Information Center. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Scott County Planning & DevelopmentIssues 4 permits on this page: Sign Permit (unincorporated Scott County), Home Occupation / Home Industry Approval (unincorporated Scott County), Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Scott County), Building Permit (unincorporated Scott County and the eight 28E cities)Administrative Center, 600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801-1003 · 563-326-8643www.scottcountyiowa.gov/planning/building-permits
- Scott County Health DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Private Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permits (Scott County, including cities), Tanning Facility Inspection (Scott County, including cities)600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801 · 563-326-8618www.scottcountyiowa.gov/health/food/licensing
- Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Biennial Report321 East 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319 · (515) 281-5204sos.iowa.gov/business
- Iowa Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Permit1305 East Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50319 · (515) 281-3114revenue.iowa.gov/permits-licensing/business-permit-registration
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Barbering or Cosmetology Establishment License6200 Park Avenue, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321 · (515) 281-3425dial.iowa.gov
- Iowa Economic Development Authority, Business License Information CenterIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — Iowa position1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200, Des Moines, IA 50315 · (515) 348-6200opportunityiowa.gov/business/small-business-entrepreneurs/small-business-resources/business-license-information-center
What does a salon or barber need in Scott County Ia 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 Scott County Ia: Tanning Facility Inspection (Scott County, including cities) and Barbering or Cosmetology Establishment License.
Tanning Facility Inspection (Scott County, including cities)
Scott County Code Chapter 39 (Tanning Facilities, Adopted 04/14/22) applies, under §39-8, "throughout Scott County, Iowa, including cities and towns therein." A salon or other business operating tanning devices has a pre-opening inspection before the facility opens and annual inspections by the Scott County Health Department (§39-6); a salon without tanning devices has no tanning inspection. The Health Department's Tanning Program page states that it routinely inspects licensed tanning establishments in Scott County in accordance with Chapter 39, that yearly inspections check equipment, sanitation, records and staff knowledge, that tanning operators must take a Tanning Operator Exam, and that operators must obtain a permit for their tanning from the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Under §39-6(C) inspection fees are set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors and are payable to the Scott County Treasurer, with a $25.00 penalty for each month a bill is more than 45 days overdue; the fee amount is not published on the Tanning page. Contact Scott County Health Department, 600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801, 563-326-8618 or health@scottcountyiowa.gov.
Barbering or Cosmetology Establishment License
Iowa merged its cosmetology and barbering regulation into one board under a 2023 reorganisation, and a salon and a barbershop now pay the identical $80 establishment fee under the identical rule chapter — anything describing a separate cosmetology board, or citing the old chapter 645 numbering from before the merger, is describing an agency that no longer exists in that form. An individual practitioner's own license is $60, and renewing more than thirty days after expiry adds a further $60 late fee. The application fee is stated as nonrefundable regardless of outcome.
Shared with other businesses in Scott County Ia
- Home Occupation / Home Industry Approval (unincorporated Scott County) — Scott County Planning & Development, As published on the Planning & Development Home Business page: Home Occupation $25; Home Industry $50, collected with the submittal of the application. A no-impact home-based business as defined in Iowa Code §335.35(1)(c) needs no county approval (Iowa Code §335.35(3))., one-time approval, obtained before the business starts. Also required for contractors and trades, auto repair shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Scott County Ia, IA; what each one involves is set out on the Scott County Ia permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IA and are covered on the IA state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Scott County Ia?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Tanning Facility Inspection (Scott County, including cities) and Barbering or Cosmetology Establishment License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Iowa 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 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 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 contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Scott County Ia permits page and the IA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Scott County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 39 (Tanning Facilities), §§39-6, 39-8 (Adopted 04/14/22)Scott County, Iowa, Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Tanning Program pageScott County, Iowa, Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing — barbering and cosmetology establishment license, $80 for either tradeIowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.