12 permits · verified 2026-10-13
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Dakota County Mn?
In short
A salon or barber in Dakota County Mn, MN has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Dakota County Transportation Department, Highway Permit Office charges $350 per commercial access permit, as published on the county's driveway and new street permits page for the driveway and new street access permit — commercial access onto a county highway. 4 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-13 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Dakota County Mn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous Waste Generator Licenseonly if it applies to you | Dakota County Environmental Resources Department | As the county's hazardous waste license page puts it: "All generators pay a base fee plus each generator pays a gallonage fee, which is calculated on each incremental gallon." The dollar rates are not published on that page or on the license application form; the county invoices the license after the annual report is filed. Contact Environmental Resources, 952-891-7557, for the current amounts. | annual; full generators renew each year by filing the annual hazardous waste report by Jan. 31, then paying the invoice; minimal generators file a one-time registration | 2026-10-13 |
| Barber Shop Registrationonly if it applies to you | Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners | $85 a year, initial and renewal alike | 1 year — expires 30 June | 2026-09-03 |
| Salon License | Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners | $350 initial license for three years — $250 plus a $100 application fee; $225 to renew | 3 years, expiring on the last day of the month of initial licensure | 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 Dakota County Mn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoreland / Floodplain Permit (Ordinance 50, townships)only if it applies to you | Dakota County Environmental Resources Department | Varies — formula on the Dakota County Mn page | per project; obtained before the work starts | 2026-10-13 |
| Driveway and New Street Access Permit — commercial access onto a county highwayonly if it applies to you | Dakota County Transportation Department, Highway Permit Office | $350 per commercial access permit, as published on the county's driveway and new street permits page | per access | 2026-10-13 |
| Business Recycling and Organics Requirements (Ordinance 110) | Dakota County Environmental Resources Department | Varies — formula on the Dakota County Mn page | ongoing; annual report on the county's form due by Jan. 31 each year | 2026-10-13 |
| Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) Construction Permitonly if it applies to you | Dakota County Environmental Resources Department | Varies — formula on the Dakota County Mn page | permits are valid for up to one year from their date of issue | 2026-10-13 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MN registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person | perpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Minnesota state positiononly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | set by the city | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person | perpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | annual — due by 31 December every year after the year of formation | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax Account | Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration | No fee | valid until cancelled or revoked | 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 Dakota County Mn?
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 Dakota County Mn, MN, 3 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $350.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Hazardous Waste Generator License: As the county's hazardous waste license page puts it: "All generators pay a base fee plus each generator pays a gallonage fee, which is calculated on each incremental gallon." The dollar rates are not published on that page or on the license application form; the county invoices the license after the annual report is filed. Contact Environmental Resources, 952-891-7557, for the current amounts.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Dakota County Mn permits page and the MN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Dakota County Mn?
Permits for a salon or barber in Dakota County Mn, MN come from 6 separate offices: Dakota County Environmental Resources Department, Dakota County Transportation Department, Highway Permit Office, Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration, Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners, Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Dakota County Environmental Resources DepartmentIssues 4 permits on this page: Shoreland / Floodplain Permit (Ordinance 50, townships), Business Recycling and Organics Requirements (Ordinance 110), Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) Construction Permit, Hazardous Waste Generator License14955 Galaxie Ave W, Apple Valley, MN 55124 · 952-891-7557dakotacountymn.gov/businesses/licenses-permits/hazardous-waste-licenses
- Dakota County Transportation Department, Highway Permit OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Driveway and New Street Access Permit — commercial access onto a county highway952-891-7115dakotacountymn.gov/businesses/licenses-permits/highway-permits/right-of-way
- Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Minnesota state position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Renewal332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · (651) 296-2803www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business RegistrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax Account600 North Robert Street, St Paul, MN 55146 · (651) 282-5225www.revenue.state.mn.us/minnesota-tax-id-requirements
- Minnesota Board of Barber ExaminersIssues 1 permit on this page: Barber Shop Registration335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 120, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · (651) 201-2820mn.gov/boards/barber-examiners
- Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist ExaminersIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon License1000 University Avenue West, Suite 100, St Paul, MN 55104mn.gov/boards/cosmetology
What does a salon or barber need in Dakota County Mn 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 Dakota County Mn: Barber Shop Registration and Salon License.
Hazardous Waste Generator License
The county's license page states: "By state law, hazardous waste generators in Dakota County must be licensed." It sets two levels. A minimal generator — a business producing 10 gallons or less of hazardous waste a year and/or only exempt waste — files a one-time Minimal Quantity Generator Registration Form. A full generator producing more than 10 gallons a year submits an online notification through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's portal, files the Dakota County license application, and renews every year: the county emails a secure link at the start of the year, the annual hazardous waste report is due by Jan. 31, and an invoice for the license follows. A new waste stream must be reported to the county within 75 days of first producing it. The page lists batteries, electronics, fluorescent bulbs and waste aerosols/compressed gas cylinders as exempt wastes, saying "If your business only generates the following waste, no license is needed", provided those wastes are recycled or sent to a licensed or permitted company. Typical generators among the tracked industries are auto repair shops (solvents, used fluids, paint), contractors, salons, veterinary clinics and some retail stores. The fee is a base fee plus a per-gallon fee as the county's page describes; the dollar rates are not published on the county's page or application form.
Barber Shop Registration
Minnesota keeps two entirely separate boards for barbering and cosmetology, at different addresses, on quite different economics: eighty-five dollars a year here against three hundred and fifty for three years there. The premises credential is a registration rather than a license, and the shop must at all times be under the direct supervision of a registered barber whose owner holds a current shop registration card. Everything expires on 30 June regardless of when it was issued, and the board mails renewal notices in May purely as a courtesy — it says explicitly that renewing on time is the owner's responsibility with or without the form. Restoring a lapsed registration costs $105 and a change of ownership or location $55.
Salon License
One price covers every salon type — cosmetology, nail, esthetician and advanced practice esthetician all pay the same. Three years makes it good value against the barber shop's annual $85, though the shapes are so different that comparing them is awkward. Expediting an initial license costs a further $300. The penalties are where it bites: fifty dollars for a late renewal, a hundred for failing to display the current license, a hundred and fifty for a reinspection and five hundred if an inspector finds an expired salon operating. The board must decide a complete application within fifteen working days, or five for an expedited or military application.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Dakota County Mn, MN; what each one involves is set out on the Dakota County Mn permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MN and are covered on the MN state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Dakota County Mn?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Barber Shop Registration and Salon License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop License — Minnesota state 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 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 8 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
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 Dakota County Mn permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Business Hazardous Waste Licenses (last updated 08/21/2026)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Minn. Stat. §473.811 — metropolitan county solid and hazardous waste powers (subd. 5b: county permits or licenses for hazardous waste generation)Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Hazardous Waste Generator License Application (PDF)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Business Licenses and Permits (index of county-issued business licenses and permits)Dakota County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-13
- Minnesota Statutes section 154.003 — barber board fees including shop registrationMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners — Owning a Barbershop, stating that all barber shop registrations expire June 30 annuallyMinnesota Board of Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Minnesota Statutes section 155A.25 — cosmetology fees, including the three-year salon licenseMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · 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.