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9 permits · verified 2026-10-13

What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in St Louis County Mn?

In short

A salon or barber in St Louis County Mn, MN has 2 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. 2 of the 9 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 St Louis County Mn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
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 St Louis County Mn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
SSTS (Septic) Permit to Construct and Operating Permitonly if it applies to youSt. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Onsite Wastewater DivisionVaries — formula on the St Louis County Mn pagepermit to construct per project; operating permit renewed on the county's renewal cycle2026-10-13
Land Use Permit, Home Business (Performance Standard) Permit and Conditional Use Permitonly if it applies to youSt. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Land Use DivisionVaries — formula on the St Louis County Mn pageper permit, for the approved project or use2026-10-13

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

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 St Louis County Mn?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a salon or barber in St Louis County Mn, MN, 2 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $350.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the St Louis County Mn permits page and the MN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in St Louis County Mn?

Permits for a salon or barber in St Louis County Mn, MN come from 6 separate offices: St. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Onsite Wastewater Division, St. Louis County Planning & Zoning — Land Use Division, 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 St Louis County Mn that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in St Louis 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.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Louis County Mn, MN; what each one involves is set out on the St Louis 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 St Louis County Mn?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 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.

Permits particular to each business type in St Louis County Mn, MN, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Childcare centres2022
Coffee shops2022
Contractors and trades3023
Fitness studios0020
Food trucks2022
Restaurants3023
Retail stores4024
Veterinary clinics1021

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 St Louis County Mn permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Minnesota Statutes section 154.003 — barber board fees including shop registrationMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  2. 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
  3. 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.