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11 permits · verified 2026-09-04

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

In short

A salon or barber in Chicago, IL has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection charges $500 for a 2-year term for the salon or barbershop license. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-04 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Chicago

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Salon or Barbershop LicenseChicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection$500 for a 2-year term2 years2026-09-04
Salon or Shop RegistrationIllinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation$40 application; $40 to renew2 years, expiring 30 November of even-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 Chicago

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Sign Permitonly if it applies to youChicago Department of BuildingsVaries — formula on the Chicago pageper sign2026-09-04
Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to youChicago Department of BuildingsNo feeissued once per qualifying project — not a recurring license2026-09-04
Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to youChicago Department of BuildingsVaries — formula on the Chicago pageone-time, per project2026-09-04
Business LicenseChicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer ProtectionVaries — formula on the Chicago page2 years2026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

IL 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
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youIllinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services$150 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youIllinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services$175 one-time — $150 filing fee plus $25 minimum initial franchise taxno expiry, but an annual report and franchise tax are due every year2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youIllinois Secretary of State, Department of Business ServicesVaries — formula on the IL pageannual — an LLC files before the first day of its anniversary month2026-09-03
Certificate of Registration (Form REG-1)Illinois Department of Revenue, Central Registration DivisionNo feecontinuous — no renewal2026-09-03
General Business License — Illinois position (city, not state)Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic OpportunityNo feeset by the issuing municipality2026-09-03

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 Chicago?

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 Chicago, IL, 5 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 $540.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Chicago?

Permits for a salon or barber in Chicago, IL come from 6 separate offices: Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Chicago Department of Buildings, Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Illinois Department of Revenue, Central Registration Division, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. 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 Chicago 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 Chicago: Salon or Barbershop License and Salon or Shop Registration.

Salon or Barbershop License

A salon or barbershop within 1,000 feet of another personal-services establishment needs a Special Use Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals on top of this license, and BACP paperwork must already be on file before that permit can even be sought.

Salon or Shop Registration

Illinois does not separate salons from barbershops. One registration class — salon or shop — covers a cosmetology salon, an esthetics salon, a hair braiding salon, a nail technology salon and a barber shop alike, all at $40, which makes this one of the cheapest premises licenses in the country. A separate application is needed for each location, and you may not operate without the certificate in hand. This is entirely distinct from the practitioner licenses, which cost $100 to $150 and renew on their own cycle. The registration expires on 30 November of even-numbered years with a renewal window opening on 1 September.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Chicago, IL; what each one involves is set out on the Chicago permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IL and are covered on the IL state page.

How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Chicago?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon or Barbershop License and Salon or Shop Registration. A auto repair shop needs Motor Vehicle Repair License, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Chicago, IL, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Childcare centres2022
Coffee shops5025
Contractors and trades4024
Fitness studios0020
Food trucks3023
Restaurants5025
Retail stores0020
Veterinary clinics2022

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 Chicago permits page and the IL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Chicago BACP — salon and barbershop licenseChicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  2. Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — salon or shop registration applicationIllinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  3. Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — license renewal information and feesIllinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation · 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.