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7 permits · verified 2026-10-08

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

In short

A salon or barber in Union County Nj, NJ has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 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. 2 of the 7 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Union County Nj

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Planning Board Site Plan Review (Building or Expanding a Commercial Site Along a County Road)only if it applies to youUnion County Planning Board, Bureau of Planning and Economic DevelopmentVaries — formula on the Union County Nj pagecounty action within 30 days of a complete application (§308); approval valid 3 years if the municipality gave preliminary approval only, 2 years if it gave final approval (§312)2026-10-08

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 Union County Nj?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 7 records listed for a salon or barber in Union County Nj, NJ, 2 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.

2 of the 7 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:

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 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Union County Nj permits page and the NJ state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Union County Nj?

Permits for a salon or barber in Union County Nj, NJ come from 3 separate offices: Union County Planning Board, Bureau of Planning and Economic Development, 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 Union County Nj that other businesses do not?

1 of the 1 permit particular to a salon or barber here applies to no other business type we cover in Union County Nj: Cosmetology and Hairstyling Shop License.

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 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Union County Nj, NJ; what each one involves is set out on the Union County Nj 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 Union County Nj?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs 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 Union County Nj, NJ, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2012
Childcare centres1011
Coffee shops3013
Contractors and trades5015
Fitness studios0010
Food trucks3013
Restaurants3013
Retail stores0010
Veterinary clinics2012

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

  1. 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
  2. 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.