12 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Baltimore County?
In short
A salon or barber in Baltimore County, MD has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 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. 6 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 Baltimore County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trader's License | Clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County | Md. Code Ann., Bus. Reg. §17-1807(c)(4) sets an 11-bracket fee schedule by stock-in-trade value, specific to Baltimore County: $20 (stock-in-trade of $1,000 or less), rising through $40, $80, $160, $450, $500, $775, $1,000, a second $1,000 bracket immediately below the next tier, $1,250, up to $1,600 for a stock-in-trade of more than $750,000. | annual; the license year runs from May 1 through the following April 30 | 2026-10-02 |
| Barbershop Permitonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Board of Barbers, Department of Labor | $225 to open — a $56 permit plus a $169 pre-opening inspection; $56 to renew | 2 years | 2026-09-03 |
| Beauty Salon Permit | Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists, Department of Labor | $225 to open — a $56 permit plus a $169 pre-opening inspection; $56 to renew | 2 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 Baltimore County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee Schedule | Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections | Varies — formula on the Baltimore County page | per permit (1-2 year validity) | 2026-10-02 |
| Zoning, Development & Appeals Fee Scheduleonly if it applies to you | Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections | Varies — formula on the Baltimore County page | per filing | 2026-10-02 |
| Electrical Permit Fee Schedule | Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections | Varies — formula on the Baltimore County page | per permit | 2026-10-02 |
| Plumbing Inspection Fee Schedule | Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections | Varies — formula on the Baltimore County page | per permit | 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.
MD registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trader's License | Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau | Varies — formula on the MD page | 1 May to 30 April, whenever it is bought | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax License | Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division | No fee | no expiry — effective until surrendered or revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $100 one-time filing | perpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $120 one-time minimum — $100 filing plus a $20 organization and capitalization fee | perpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $300 a year | annual — due 15 April, extendable to 15 June | 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 Baltimore 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 Baltimore County, MD, 7 apply to every business of this type and 5 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 7 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $225.00. 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 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Trader's License: Md. Code Ann., Bus. Reg. §17-1807(c)(4) sets an 11-bracket fee schedule by stock-in-trade value, specific to Baltimore County: $20 (stock-in-trade of $1,000 or less), rising through $40, $80, $160, $450, $500, $775, $1,000, a second $1,000 bracket immediately below the next tier, $1,250, up to $1,600 for a stock-in-trade of more than $750,000.
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Baltimore County permits page and the MD state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Baltimore County?
Permits for a salon or barber in Baltimore County, MD come from 7 separate offices: Clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections, 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.
- Clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore CountyIssues 1 permit on this page: Trader's Licensewww.courts.state.md.us
- Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and InspectionsIssues 4 permits on this page: Building Permit Fee Schedule, Zoning, Development & Appeals Fee Schedule, Electrical Permit Fee Schedule, Plumbing Inspection Fee ScheduleCounty Office Building, 111 W. Chesapeake Ave., Towson, MD 21204 · 410-887-3616www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/pai
- Comptroller of Maryland, State License BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Trader's LicenseState License Bureau, 80 Calvert Street, Room 314, Annapolis, MD 21404-1751 · (410) 260-6240jportal.mdcourts.gov/license
- Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax LicensePO Box 549, Annapolis, MD 21411-0001 · (410) 260-7980www.marylandtaxes.gov
- Maryland State Board of Barbers, Department of LaborIssues 1 permit on this page: Barbershop Permit100 South Charles Street, Tower I, Baltimore, MD 21201 · (410) 230-6190labor.maryland.gov/license/barbers
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report700 East Pratt Street, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202-6377 · (410) 767-1340egov.maryland.gov/businessexpress
- Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists, Department of LaborIssues 1 permit on this page: Beauty Salon Permit100 South Charles Street, Tower I, Baltimore, MD 21201 · (410) 230-6190labor.maryland.gov/license/cos
What does a salon or barber need in Baltimore 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 Baltimore County: Barbershop Permit and Beauty Salon Permit.
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 Baltimore County
- Trader's License — Clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Md. Code Ann., Bus. Reg. §17-1807(c)(4) sets an 11-bracket fee schedule by stock-in-trade value, specific to Baltimore County: $20 (stock-in-trade of $1,000 or less), rising through $40, $80, $160, $450, $500, $775, $1,000, a second $1,000 bracket immediately below the next tier, $1,250, up to $1,600 for a stock-in-trade of more than $750,000., annual; the license year runs from May 1 through the following April 30. Also required for retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Baltimore County, MD; what each one involves is set out on the Baltimore 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 Baltimore County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Barbershop Permit and Beauty Salon Permit. A retail store needs Alcoholic Beverage License (Board of License Commissioners), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
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 veterinary clinics page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Baltimore County permits page and the MD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Maryland State Board of Barbers — forms and feesMaryland Department of Labor · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- COMAR 09.22.01.14 — State Board of Cosmetologists feesMaryland Department of Labor · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- 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.