10 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Kansas City?
In short
A salon or barber in Kansas City, MO has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division charges $50 filed online; $105 on paper for the articles of organization (llc). 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Kansas City
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon/Barbershop City Licensing — Business License Applies (Kansas City)only if it applies to you | City of Kansas City, Business License Division, Revenue Department | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-06 |
| Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License | Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners | $100 to open; renewal is $50 | biennial | 2026-09-04 |
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 Kansas City
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy | City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division | No fee | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division | Varies — formula on the Kansas City page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
| Business License (RD-105) | City of Kansas City, Business License Division, Revenue Department | Varies — formula on the Kansas City page | annual | 2026-09-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MO registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $50 filed online; $105 on paper | perpetual — a Missouri LLC files no annual report at all | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division | Varies — formula on the MO page | perpetual, but an annual registration report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Corporate Annual Registration Reportonly if it applies to you | Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division | Varies — formula on the MO page | annual by default, due the month the corporation was formed — a two-year cycle may be elected instead, at $40 online or $90 on paper | 2026-09-04 |
| Retail Sales License | Missouri Department of Revenue | No fee | no expiry — valid until revoked by the director or surrendered when sales stop | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Missouri state positiononly if it applies to you | Missouri Department of Revenue | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-04 |
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 Kansas City?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a salon or barber in Kansas City, MO, 5 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $100.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Kansas City permits page and the MO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Kansas City?
Permits for a salon or barber in Kansas City, MO come from 5 separate offices: City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division, City of Kansas City, Business License Division, Revenue Department, Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division, Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, Missouri Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City Planning and Development Department, Permits DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building PermitCity Hall, 5th Floor, 414 E 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106 · (816) 513-1500www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/city-planning-development
- City of Kansas City, Business License Division, Revenue DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Salon/Barbershop City Licensing — Business License Applies (Kansas City), Business License (RD-105)414 E 12th Street, 1st Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106 · (816) 513-1120www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/finance/tax-home/business-license
- Missouri Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Corporate Annual Registration Report600 West Main Street, Room 322, Jefferson City, MO 65101 · (866) 223-6535www.sos.mo.gov/business
- Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber ExaminersIssues 1 permit on this page: Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License3605 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65109 · (573) 751-1052pr.mo.gov/cosbar.asp
- Missouri Department of RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Sales License, General Business License — Missouri state positiondor.mo.gov/business
What does a salon or barber need in Kansas City 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 Kansas City: Salon/Barbershop City Licensing — Business License Applies (Kansas City) and Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License.
Salon/Barbershop City Licensing — Business License Applies (Kansas City)
No separate fee applies for a salon: the Revenue Division's Tax Guide for Hair Salons and Barbershops states that hair salons and barbershops 'must be registered and licensed to do business in Kansas City, Missouri', lists the RD-100 registration and the annual RD-105 business license (cost based on gross receipts) as the City's licensing steps, and names no separate salon or barbershop license. The salon also needs the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners license. Per the same guide, if all stylists or barbers are independent contractors, the operator and each stylist or barber must obtain their own business license, and booth-rental or service money received by the operator counts as the operator's gross receipts.
Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License
A hundred dollars to open a barber shop or a cosmetology establishment and $50 to renew, on a two-year cycle for both trades — Missouri regulates barbering and cosmetology through the same board and the same establishment fee structure. The minimum cosmetology fee covers up to three operators, including apprentices or students on a temporary permit; a fourth operator and each one beyond costs a further $10. A change of location costs the full $100 again; a change of ownership is $100 for cosmetology or $50 for a barber shop. An establishment that opened without registering first is charged a $100 delinquent fee, and reinstating a lapsed license costs $80.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Kansas City, MO; what each one involves is set out on the Kansas City permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MO and are covered on the MO state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Kansas City?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon/Barbershop City Licensing — Business License Applies (Kansas City) and Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License. A auto repair shop needs Auto Repair City Licensing — Business License Applies (Kansas City), Automotive Repair Shop License — Missouri state position, Salvage Business License (rebuilder or body shop) and Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Station Permit, 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 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
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 Kansas City permits page and the MO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Kansas City — Tax Guide for Hair Salons and BarbershopsCity of Kansas City, Revenue Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Missouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — establishment fee scheduleMissouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- 20 CSR 2085-10.010 and 2085-10.050 — cosmetology and barber establishment licensing, on a biennial cycleMissouri State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.