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13 permits · verified 2026-09-08

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

In short

A salon or barber in Minneapolis, MN has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in person for the articles of incorporation. 3 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Minneapolis

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Salon / Barbershop Licensing — State of Minnesota License Applies (Minneapolis)only if it applies to youCity of Minneapolis, Business Licenses & Consumer ServicesNo feenot applicable2026-09-08
Commercial Building RegistrationMinneapolis Fire Department, Fire Inspection Services$58–$1,260 a year, by square footage — $58 (0–5,000 sq ft) up to $1,260 (over 2,000,000 sq ft)annual — any building the state building and fire code applies to that isn't used for living2026-09-08
Sign PermitCity of Minneapolis, Construction Code ServicesOn-premises permanent sign $215; on-premises temporary sign $50; off-premises advertising sign $1,250. A $1.00 Minnesota State Surcharge is added on top of each.one-time, per sign2026-09-08
Barber Shop Registrationonly if it applies to youMinnesota Board of Barber Examiners$85 a year, initial and renewal alike1 year — expires 30 June2026-09-03
Salon LicenseMinnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners$350 initial license for three years — $250 plus a $100 application fee; $225 to renew3 years, expiring on the last day of the month of initial licensure2026-09-03

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 Minneapolis

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Minneapolis Activity-Specific License Listonly if it applies to youCity of Minneapolis, Business Licenses & Consumer ServicesNo feenot applicable2026-09-08
Certificate of OccupancyCity of Minneapolis, Construction Code ServicesNo feerequired before occupying a new building or a new use of an existing one (MSBC section 1300.0220)2026-09-08
Commercial Building PermitCity of Minneapolis, Construction Code ServicesVaries — formula on the Minneapolis pageone-time, per project2026-09-08

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division$135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in personperpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December2026-09-03
General Business License — Minnesota state positiononly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeset by the city2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division$135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in personperpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December2026-09-03
Annual Renewalonly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeannual — due by 31 December every year after the year of formation2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax AccountMinnesota Department of Revenue, Business RegistrationNo feevalid until cancelled or revoked2026-09-03

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 Minneapolis?

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 Minneapolis, MN, 6 apply to every business of this type and 7 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 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $350.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 6 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Commercial Building Registration: $58–$1,260 a year, by square footage — $58 (0–5,000 sq ft) up to $1,260 (over 2,000,000 sq ft)

Sign Permit: On-premises permanent sign $215; on-premises temporary sign $50; off-premises advertising sign $1,250. A $1.00 Minnesota State Surcharge is added on top of each.

The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Minneapolis permits page and the MN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Minneapolis?

Permits for a salon or barber in Minneapolis, MN come from 7 separate offices: City of Minneapolis, Business Licenses & Consumer Services, City of Minneapolis, Construction Code Services, Minneapolis Fire Department, Fire Inspection Services, 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.

What does a salon or barber need in Minneapolis that other businesses do not?

3 of the 5 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Minneapolis: Salon / Barbershop Licensing — State of Minnesota License Applies (Minneapolis), Barber Shop Registration and Salon License.

Salon / Barbershop Licensing — State of Minnesota License Applies (Minneapolis)

The City charges no fee under this record. The City's salon business guide states: 'Barbershops, hair and nail salons are licensed by the State of Minnesota.' The same guide lists the City's role as zoning verification before signing a lease and the Certificate of Occupancy that the state salon license application requires; the City's Certificate of Occupancy Policy states that there is no fee for the certificate of occupancy inspection.

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.

Shared with other businesses in Minneapolis

  • Commercial Building Registration — Minneapolis Fire Department, Fire Inspection Services, $58–$1,260 a year, by square footage — $58 (0–5,000 sq ft) up to $1,260 (over 2,000,000 sq ft), annual — any building the state building and fire code applies to that isn't used for living. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
  • Sign Permit — City of Minneapolis, Construction Code Services, On-premises permanent sign $215; on-premises temporary sign $50; off-premises advertising sign $1,250. A $1.00 Minnesota State Surcharge is added on top of each., one-time, per sign. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Minneapolis, MN; what each one involves is set out on the Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis?

The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 2 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon / Barbershop Licensing — State of Minnesota License Applies (Minneapolis), Barber Shop Registration and Salon License. A fitness studio needs nothing here that a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Minneapolis, MN, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Fitness studios2230
Retail stores2230
Auto repair shops4232
Veterinary clinics4232
Coffee shops6234
Restaurants6234
Childcare centres2052
Contractors and trades4054
Food trucks4054

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 and fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Minneapolis permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. City of Minneapolis — Salon Business GuideCity of Minneapolis · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
  2. Minnesota Statutes section 154.003 — barber board fees including shop registrationMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  3. 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
  4. 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.