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10 permits · verified 2026-10-10

What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Burlington County?

In short

A salon or barber in Burlington County, NJ has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services charges $75 a year; $30 for a nonprofit for the annual report. 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Burlington County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility Application (Plan Review)only if it applies to youBurlington County Health Department, Environmental SectionPer the county Health Department's plan review fee memo (effective January 1, 2021) and the county's Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility application: new facility $100.00; alteration to existing facility $75.00. Checks payable to the County of Burlington.one-time, per new or altered facility2026-10-10
Cosmetology and Hairstyling Shop LicenseNew Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, Division of Consumer Affairs$250–$350 initial — $350 in the first year of the biennial cycle, $250 in the second; $200 to renewbiennial — renews in July of even-numbered years2026-09-03

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 Burlington County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Septic System and Potable Well Permits (Plan Review and Inspection)only if it applies to youBurlington County Health Department, Environmental SectionVaries — formula on the Burlington County pageper application2026-10-10
County Planning Board Site Plan Review (County Roads and Drainage)only if it applies to youBurlington County Planning BoardVaries — formula on the Burlington County pageone-time, per application2026-10-10
County Road Occupancy, Road Opening and Driveway Access Permitonly if it applies to youBurlington County Department of Public Works, Engineering DivisionVaries — formula on the Burlington County pageper permit2026-10-10

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

NJ 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
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services$75 a year; $30 for a nonprofitannual — due the last day of the entity's anniversary month2026-09-03
General Business License — New Jersey Business Action Center Positiononly if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNo feeset by the municipality2026-09-03
Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services$100 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month2026-09-03
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youNew Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services$100 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month2026-09-03
Business Registration (Form NJ-REG)New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesNo feeone-time registration — no renewal2026-09-03

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 Burlington County?

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 Burlington County, NJ, 2 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

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:

Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility Application (Plan Review): Per the county Health Department's plan review fee memo (effective January 1, 2021) and the county's Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility application: new facility $100.00; alteration to existing facility $75.00. Checks payable to the County of Burlington.

Cosmetology and Hairstyling Shop License: $250–$350 initial — $350 in the first year of the biennial cycle, $250 in the second; $200 to renew

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Burlington County permits page and the NJ state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Burlington County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Burlington County, NJ come from 5 separate offices: Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Section, Burlington County Planning Board, Burlington County Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, Division of Consumer Affairs. 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 Burlington County 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 Burlington County: Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility Application (Plan Review) and Cosmetology and Hairstyling Shop License.

Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility Application (Plan Review)

The county's fee memo for Retail Food, Recreational Bathing, Body Art and Mobile/Temporary Establishments states that 'The above charges became effective on January 1, 2021' (marked 'Revised 1/21'), and the county's current Environmental Health page links it under the label 'NEW FEES for Retail Food, Body Art, Bathing Places and Mobile/Temporary Establishments'. The memo states that checks are payable to the County of Burlington, that applications received without the required fee are returned without action, and that inspectors are not authorized to receive payments. The county resolution adopting the memo is not published on the county site. The county's Application for Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facilities prints the same fees (new $100.00, alteration $75.00) and sets out the opening steps: apply to the Health Department, which has 30 business days to review the application; apply to the township for zoning, construction, plumbing, fire and electrical permits, which the form states 'may not be released to start construction until BCHD architectural approval letter is received'; and a pre-opening inspection. Step 6 states: 'The applicant must go to the township to apply for a township permit & certificate of occupancy (if applicable)'. The form lists practitioner training requirements, including 100 hours of training and an exam for permanent cosmetics. A salon needs this application only if it offers tattooing, body piercing, permanent cosmetics or ear piercing. The New Jersey Department of Health's Directory of Local Health Departments, dated 10/05/2026, lists the Burlington County Health Department as the local health department for all 40 municipalities in the county.

Cosmetology and Hairstyling Shop License

One license covers six shop types — cosmetology and hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, skin care, manicuring and hair braiding — because New Jersey has no separate barber board and no separate barber shop fee. The initial cost depends on where in the two-year cycle you apply: a $150 application fee that includes the inspection, plus $200 in the first year of the cycle or $100 in the second. Renewal is $200. The hard trap is lateness: more than ninety days past expiry the board will not renew at all and the owner must reapply as an initial license, so the $50 reinstatement fee is available only inside that window. The shop must employ a practitioner with three years' experience and occupy at least three hundred and fifty square feet, with a certificate of occupancy, zoning and fire permits attached to the application. The owner need not personally be licensed.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Burlington County, NJ; what each one involves is set out on the Burlington County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NJ and are covered on the NJ state page.

How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Burlington County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art & Ear-Piercing Facility Application (Plan Review) and Cosmetology and Hairstyling Shop License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Motor Vehicle Commission Position (New Jersey) and Auto Body Repair Facility License, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Burlington County, NJ, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2022
Childcare centres1021
Coffee shops5025
Contractors and trades3023
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks3023
Restaurants5025
Retail stores3023
Veterinary clinics3023

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 Burlington County permits page and the NJ state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Burlington County Health Department memorandum, Retail Food, Recreational Bathing, Body Art Establishment Plan Review Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2021; Revised 1/21)Burlington County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  2. Burlington County Health Department, Application for Body Art & Ear-Piercing FacilitiesBurlington County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  3. Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Health pageBurlington County, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
  4. Directory of Local Health Departments in New Jersey (dated 10/05/2026)New Jersey Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  5. New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling — application to operate a new shopNew Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  6. New Jersey Administrative Code chapter 13:28 — Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling fee schedule (Internet Archive capture of the official document, 20 February 2025; the live file now returns 404)New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · 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.