8 permits · verified 2026-10-13
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Ramsey County Mn?
In short
A salon or barber in Ramsey County Mn, MN has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 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. 1 of the 8 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 Ramsey County Mn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous Waste Generator Licenseonly if it applies to you | Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental Health | Annual license: Base Generator Fee – non silver $102, plus cumulative per-gallon volume fees (first 10 gallons $0). Non-sewered hazardous waste, per gallon: 11–50 gallons $6.05; 51–100 $2.82; 101–250 $1.87; 251–1,000 $1.21; 1,001–10,000 $0.66; 10,001–50,000 $0.28; 50,001–100,000 $0.14; over 100,000 $0. Sewered hazardous waste, per gallon: 11–264 gallons $2.02; 265–2,640 $1.09; 2,641–10,000 $0.48; 10,001–50,000 $0.12; 50,001–100,000 $0.08; over 100,000 $0. Total Fee for Self-Audit generators that provide for silver reclamation from spent fixer solution and other identified wastes only (dental clinics, etc.) $102. One-time generation license (fees are non-cumulative), by gallons: under 50 $0; 50–100 $0; 101–264 $102; 265–1,000 $201; 1,001–2,640 $402; more than 2,640 $1,002. | license year May 1 to April 30 (Hazardous Waste Management Ordinance §4.05) | 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.
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 Ramsey County Mn?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a salon or barber in Ramsey County Mn, MN, 2 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $350.00. That is a floor, not a total. 1 of the 8 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: Annual license: Base Generator Fee – non silver $102, plus cumulative per-gallon volume fees (first 10 gallons $0). Non-sewered hazardous waste, per gallon: 11–50 gallons $6.05; 51–100 $2.82; 101–250 $1.87; 251–1,000 $1.21; 1,001–10,000 $0.66; 10,001–50,000 $0.28; 50,001–100,000 $0.14; over 100,000 $0. Sewered hazardous waste, per gallon: 11–264 gallons $2.02; 265–2,640 $1.09; 2,641–10,000 $0.48; 10,001–50,000 $0.12; 50,001–100,000 $0.08; over 100,000 $0. Total Fee for Self-Audit generators that provide for silver reclamation from spent fixer solution and other identified wastes only (dental clinics, etc.) $102. One-time generation license (fees are non-cumulative), by gallons: under 50 $0; 50–100 $0; 101–264 $102; 265–1,000 $201; 1,001–2,640 $402; more than 2,640 $1,002.
Which offices issue these permits in Ramsey County Mn?
Permits for a salon or barber in Ramsey County Mn, MN come from 5 separate offices: Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental Health, 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.
- Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Hazardous Waste Generator License2785 White Bear Ave. N, Suite 350, Maplewood, MN 55109 · 651-266-1199www.ramseycountymn.gov/businesses/licenses-permits-inspections/licenses-inspections/food-vending
- 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 Ramsey 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 Ramsey County Mn: Barber Shop Registration and Salon License.
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 Ramsey County Mn
- Hazardous Waste Generator License — Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health — Environmental Health, Annual license: Base Generator Fee – non silver $102, plus cumulative per-gallon volume fees (first 10 gallons $0). Non-sewered hazardous waste, per gallon: 11–50 gallons $6.05; 51–100 $2.82; 101–250 $1.87; 251–1,000 $1.21; 1,001–10,000 $0.66; 10,001–50,000 $0.28; 50,001–100,000 $0.14; over 100,000 $0. Sewered hazardous waste, per gallon: 11–264 gallons $2.02; 265–2,640 $1.09; 2,641–10,000 $0.48; 10,001–50,000 $0.12; 50,001–100,000 $0.08; over 100,000 $0. Total Fee for Self-Audit generators that provide for silver reclamation from spent fixer solution and other identified wastes only (dental clinics, etc.) $102. One-time generation license (fees are non-cumulative), by gallons: under 50 $0; 50–100 $0; 101–264 $102; 265–1,000 $201; 1,001–2,640 $402; more than 2,640 $1,002., license year May 1 to April 30 (Hazardous Waste Management Ordinance §4.05). Also required for auto repair shops, veterinary clinics, retail stores and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades 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 Ramsey 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 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 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 contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Ramsey County Mn permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.