10 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in St Louis?
In short
A salon or barber in St Louis, 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. City of St. Louis Building Division, Permits Section charges $80 for a unit up to 3,500 sq ft; $160 above that. A name change on an existing permit is $5. for the commercial occupancy permit. 5 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 St Louis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Prevention Permitsonly if it applies to you | St. Louis Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, Fire Marshal's Office | A $25 non-refundable application fee applies to each permit. Individual permits are then $50 each for: propane for cooking or heating (under 300 lbs per site), open flame, welding/cutting at a site, and storage tank abandonment, installation, or removal. | per permit | 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 St Louis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of St. Louis Building Division, Permits Section | Varies — formula on the St Louis page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
| Commercial Occupancy Permit | City of St. Louis Building Division, Permits Section | $80 for a unit up to 3,500 sq ft; $160 above that. A name change on an existing permit is $5. | issued once per qualifying occupancy; application valid 60 days | 2026-09-06 |
| Graduated Business License | City of St. Louis License Collector's Office | Varies — formula on the St Louis 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 St Louis?
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 St Louis, 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, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $180.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Fire Prevention Permits: A $25 non-refundable application fee applies to each permit. Individual permits are then $50 each for: propane for cooking or heating (under 300 lbs per site), open flame, welding/cutting at a site, and storage tank abandonment, installation, or removal.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the St Louis permits page and the MO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in St Louis?
Permits for a salon or barber in St Louis, MO come from 6 separate offices: City of St. Louis Building Division, Permits Section, St. Louis Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, Fire Marshal's Office, City of St. Louis License Collector's Office, 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 of St. Louis Building Division, Permits SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Commercial Occupancy PermitCity Hall, Room 425, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/building
- St. Louis Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Prevention Permits1421 N. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO · (314) 289-1960www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/fire/fire-prevention-permits-information.cfm
- City of St. Louis License Collector's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Graduated Business LicenseCity Hall, Room 102-104, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 · (314) 622-4528www.stlouis-mo.gov/license-collector/index.cfm
- 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 St Louis that other businesses do not?
1 of the 2 permits particular to a salon or barber here applies to no other business type we cover in St Louis: Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License.
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.
Shared with other businesses in St Louis
- Fire Prevention Permits — St. Louis Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, Fire Marshal's Office, A $25 non-refundable application fee applies to each permit. Individual permits are then $50 each for: propane for cooking or heating (under 300 lbs per site), open flame, welding/cutting at a site, and storage tank abandonment, installation, or removal., per permit. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in St Louis, MO; what each one involves is set out on the St Louis 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 St Louis?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Cosmetology or Barber Establishment License. A fitness studio needs nothing here that 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the St Louis permits page and the MO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.