16 permits · verified 2026-09-12
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Great Falls?
In short
A salon or barber in Great Falls, MT has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) charges $2,500 one-time, per application for the variance. 5 of the 16 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Great Falls
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry-Specific Municipal License (not found beyond the general Business License)only if it applies to you | Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-12 |
| Salon or Shop License | Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists | $275 to open, being a $125 license and a $150 one-time inspection fee; renewal is $125 a year | annual — the renewal window runs 3 May to 1 July | 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 Great Falls
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business License | Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | annual, renewed by the same square-footage tier | 2026-09-12 |
| Fire Life Safety Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-12 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | one-time, per sign — not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-12 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | No fee | one-time — issued after required building inspections confirm code compliance | 2026-09-12 |
| Varianceonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $2,500 one-time, per application | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
| Zoning Permit | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $1,000 one-time, per application (commercial rate; $200.00 for a residential use) | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
| Zoning Determinationonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $500 one-time, per request | one-time, per request | 2026-09-12 |
| Building Permit | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | Varies — formula on the Great Falls page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-12 |
| Conditional Use Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division) | $3,000 one-time, per application | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $35 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $35 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the MT page | annual — due between 1 January and 15 April | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Registration — Montana Department of Revenue Positiononly if it applies to you | Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax Unit | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidanceonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 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 Great Falls?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 16 records listed for a salon or barber in Great Falls, MT, 5 apply to every business of this type and 11 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 $1,275.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 16 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all.
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Great Falls permits page and the MT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Great Falls?
Permits for a salon or barber in Great Falls, MT come from 5 separate offices: Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR), City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division), Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax Unit, Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR)Issues 3 permits on this page: Business License, Fire Life Safety Plan Review, Industry-Specific Municipal License (not found beyond the general Business License)2 Park Drive South, Great Falls, MT 59401 (Civic Center) · (406) 727-8070greatfallsmt.gov/625/Business-Licensing-and-Home-Occupations
- City of Great Falls, Community Development Department (Planning & Building Division)Issues 7 permits on this page, including Sign Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Variance2 Park Drive South, Room 112, Great Falls, MT 59401 (Civic Center) · (406) 455-8430greatfallsmt.gov/893/Current-Planning
- Montana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidance1301 6th Avenue, Room 260, Helena, MT 59620 · (406) 444-3665sosmt.gov/business
- Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax UnitIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Registration — Montana Department of Revenue Position(406) 444-6900revenue.mt.gov/taxes/general-sales-tax
- Montana Board of Barbers and CosmetologistsIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon or Shop License301 South Park Avenue, 4th Floor, Helena, MT 59620 · (406) 444-6880boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/barber-and-cosmetologists
What does a salon or barber need in Great Falls 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 Great Falls: Salon or Shop License.
Salon or Shop License
A hundred and twenty-five dollars for the license itself, plus a separate $150 on-site inspection fee charged once at opening, for $275 to get started; renewal afterward is $125 a year, with no further inspection fee unless something changes. Relocating the salon or changing more than half its ownership requires a brand-new license rather than a simple renewal or transfer. All fees are stated as non-refundable.
Shared with other businesses in Great Falls
- Industry-Specific Municipal License (not found beyond the general Business License) — Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR), No fee, not applicable. Also required for retail stores, auto repair shops, veterinary clinics and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
The other 9 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Great Falls, MT; what each one involves is set out on the Great Falls permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MT and are covered on the MT state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Great Falls?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon or Shop 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 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 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 veterinary clinics page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Great Falls permits page and the MT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Montana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists — salon and shop license feesMontana Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists · 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.