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13 permits · verified 2026-10-02

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

In short

A salon or barber in Anne Arundel County, MD has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Maryland State Board of Barbers, Department of Labor charges $225 to open — a $56 permit plus a $169 pre-opening inspection; $56 to renew for the barbershop permit. 7 of the 13 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 Anne Arundel County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Kennel / Pet-Care-Business / Grooming-Parlor Licenseonly if it applies to youAnne Arundel County Animal Services$250–$500 a year: $250 for a kennel licensed for 15 to 50 dogs/cats (Commercial License I), $500 for more than 50 (Commercial License II)annual; expires each June 30, with renewal available within 90 days of expiration and a $25-per-month late fee thereafter2026-10-02
Trader's LicenseClerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County$15–$800 a year, by 21 statutory tiers keyed to the value of the applicant's stock-in-trade (Md. Code, Business Regulation Article §17-1807(c)(2)): $15 at the lowest tier (stock-in-trade value up to $1,000), rising through $18, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $100, $125, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, $400 and $500 at intermediate tiers, up to $800 at the highest tier (stock-in-trade value over $750,000)annual (Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §§ 17-1806 and 17-1807, the provisions cited here, state no renewal date)2026-10-02
Zoning Certificate of Use — Home Occupationonly if it applies to youAnne Arundel County Department of Inspections and PermitsNo fee amount for this certificate is published on the county's Zoning Certificate of Use FAQ page; contact the Department of Inspections and Permits, 410-222-7730, for the current amount.ongoing, tied to the use continuing to qualify as a home occupation2026-10-02
Barbershop Permitonly if it applies to youMaryland State Board of Barbers, Department of Labor$225 to open — a $56 permit plus a $169 pre-opening inspection; $56 to renew2 years2026-09-03
Beauty Salon PermitMaryland State Board of Cosmetologists, Department of Labor$225 to open — a $56 permit plus a $169 pre-opening inspection; $56 to renew2 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 Anne Arundel County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building / Electrical / Gas / Grading / Mechanical / Plumbing Permitsonly if it applies to youAnne Arundel County Department of Inspections and PermitsVaries — formula on the Anne Arundel County pageper permit2026-10-02
Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permitsonly if it applies to youAnne Arundel County Department of Inspections and PermitsVaries — formula on the Anne Arundel County pageper permit2026-10-02
City of Annapolis Business Licensing (Stacks on County Requirements)only if it applies to youCity of Annapolis, Licenses & Permits DivisionVaries — formula on the Anne Arundel County pageset by the City of Annapolis; not stated in the county-level sources cited here2026-10-02

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

MD 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
Trader's LicenseComptroller of Maryland, State License BureauVaries — formula on the MD page1 May to 30 April, whenever it is bought2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax LicenseComptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration DivisionNo feeno expiry — effective until surrendered or revoked2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$120 one-time minimum — $100 filing plus a $20 organization and capitalization feeperpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$300 a yearannual — due 15 April, extendable to 15 June2026-09-03

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 Anne Arundel County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a salon or barber in Anne Arundel County, MD, 4 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 $225.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Commercial Kennel / Pet-Care-Business / Grooming-Parlor License: $250–$500 a year: $250 for a kennel licensed for 15 to 50 dogs/cats (Commercial License I), $500 for more than 50 (Commercial License II)

Trader's License: $15–$800 a year, by 21 statutory tiers keyed to the value of the applicant's stock-in-trade (Md. Code, Business Regulation Article §17-1807(c)(2)): $15 at the lowest tier (stock-in-trade value up to $1,000), rising through $18, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $100, $125, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, $400 and $500 at intermediate tiers, up to $800 at the highest tier (stock-in-trade value over $750,000)

Zoning Certificate of Use — Home Occupation: No fee amount for this certificate is published on the county's Zoning Certificate of Use FAQ page; contact the Department of Inspections and Permits, 410-222-7730, 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 Anne Arundel County permits page and the MD state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Anne Arundel County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Anne Arundel County, MD come from 9 separate offices: Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits, Anne Arundel County Animal Services, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, City of Annapolis, Licenses & Permits Division, Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau, Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division, Maryland State Board of Barbers, Department of Labor, Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division, Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists, Department of Labor. 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 Anne Arundel County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 5 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Anne Arundel County: Barbershop Permit and Beauty Salon Permit.

Commercial Kennel / Pet-Care-Business / Grooming-Parlor License

A pet shop (retail-store) or a salon offering pet grooming at a commercial scale above the home-occupation threshold (more than 2 animals under separate ownership) in Anne Arundel County needs a Commercial Kennel license from Anne Arundel County Animal Services, 411 Maxwell Frye Rd, Millersville. The current two-tier fee schedule, in effect since Bill No. 58-25 took effect on August 25, 2025, is $250 a year for a Commercial License I (15 to 50 dogs/cats) and $500 a year for a Commercial License II (more than 50); an earlier three-tier schedule no longer applies. The license expires each June 30, with renewal available within 90 days of expiration and a $25-per-month late fee after that. The ordinance's own text excludes veterinary hospitals or clinics, and any federally regulated research facility, from the definition of a commercial kennel, so a veterinary practice does not need this specific license.

Barbershop Permit

Identical in price and structure to a beauty salon permit — $56 plus a $169 inspection to open and $56 to renew — but issued by a different board under a different chapter, and expiring on a different date: barbershops run to 31 May of an odd year where salons run to 31 October. A shop doing both trades therefore holds two permits on two clocks. A mobile barbershop costs the same $225 and requires the applicant already to own premises.

Beauty Salon Permit

The $225 is two charges: a $56 permit and a $169 pre-opening inspection that must happen before the permit issues, with a temporary license emailed meanwhile. Renewal is just the $56, unless you are more than forty-five days late, when the inspection fee is charged again. One permit covers every limited service — nails, lashes, blow-dry, esthetics all fall under the same license and there is no booth-rental permit at all. A premises offering both cosmetology and barbering needs two applications and two fees. One discrepancy worth knowing: the board's own forms page still cites a $150 inspection fee while the regulation says $169, and $56 plus $169 is exactly the $225 the board charges, so the regulation is the one to trust.

Shared with other businesses in Anne Arundel County

  • Trader's License — Clerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, $15–$800 a year, by 21 statutory tiers keyed to the value of the applicant's stock-in-trade (Md. Code, Business Regulation Article §17-1807(c)(2)): $15 at the lowest tier (stock-in-trade value up to $1,000), rising through $18, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $100, $125, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, $400 and $500 at intermediate tiers, up to $800 at the highest tier (stock-in-trade value over $750,000), annual (Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §§ 17-1806 and 17-1807, the provisions cited here, state no renewal date). Also required for retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops, auto repair shops, fitness studios and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
  • Zoning Certificate of Use — Home Occupation — Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits, No fee amount for this certificate is published on the county's Zoning Certificate of Use FAQ page; contact the Department of Inspections and Permits, 410-222-7730, for the current amount., ongoing, tied to the use continuing to qualify as a home occupation. Also required for childcare centres and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Anne Arundel County, MD; what each one involves is set out on the Anne Arundel County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MD and are covered on the MD state page.

How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Anne Arundel County?

The closest match is a retail store, which shares 2 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Zoning Certificate of Use — Home Occupation, Barbershop Permit and Beauty Salon Permit. A retail store needs nothing here that a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Anne Arundel County, MD, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Retail stores2230
Veterinary clinics3231
Fitness studios1140
Auto repair shops2141
Childcare centres2141
Coffee shops8147
Restaurants8147
Contractors and trades2052
Food trucks5055

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 auto repair shops page and childcare centres page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Anne Arundel County permits page and the MD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Anne Arundel County Commercial Kennel / Pet Care Business license information sheet, with fee schedule and veterinary-clinic exclusionAnne Arundel County Animal Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. Anne Arundel County Bill No. 58-25, enacted text (effective August 25, 2025) — amended the commercial kennel fee schedule and the home-occupation section's prior numberingAnne Arundel County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  3. Maryland State Board of Barbers — forms and feesMaryland Department of Labor · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. COMAR 09.22.01.14 — State Board of Cosmetologists feesMaryland Department of Labor · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  5. Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists — forms and feesMaryland Department of Labor · 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.