11 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Washoe County?
In short
A salon or barber in Washoe County, NV has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washoe County Community Services Department, Building Division charges $50 per inspection for the building division business license inspection (unincorporated area). 7 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Washoe County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NNPH Invasive Body Decoration Establishment Permit (tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics)only if it applies to you | Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health Services | Establishment permit $445 per year; construction plan review $445. Temporary events: event coordinator permit $878; vendor permit (without wheels) $430; mobile vendor permit (with wheels) $277; late fee 100% of the permit fee for missing the submittal date, 200% within 3 business days of the cutoff (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026). | annual; temporary permits per event | 2026-10-09 |
| Salon and Barbershop Establishment License | Nevada State Board of Cosmetology | $215 for a two-year term or $415 for four years; renewal is $200 or $400 respectively | the licensee elects either a two-year or a four-year term | 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 Washoe County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washoe County Building Permit (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Washoe County Community Services Department, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Washoe County page | per project | 2026-10-09 |
| Building Division Business License Inspection (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Washoe County Community Services Department, Building Division | $50 per inspection | per business license application, where an inspection is required | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Business License Inspection and Operational Permits — Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districtonly if it applies to you | Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District | Varies — formula on the Washoe County page | per inspection; operational permits annual; temporary permits per event | 2026-10-09 |
| Washoe County General Business License (unincorporated area; includes home-based and mobile businesses) | Washoe County Community Services Department, Business License Division | Varies — formula on the Washoe County page | annual; expires on the last day of the anniversary month (WCC 25.029) | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
NV registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Listonly if it applies to you | Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division | Varies — formula on the NV page | annual, filed alongside the state business license renewal | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales and Use Tax Permit | Nevada Department of Taxation | $15 for each location, one time | no expiration — valid until suspended or revoked | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division | Varies — formula on the NV page | perpetual, but an annual list and the state business license are both due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| State Business License | Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division | $200 a year for most entity types; a corporation pays $500 | annual — due on the last day of the anniversary month the license was first filed | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division | $225 $75 to file plus a $150 initial list, filed together | perpetual, but an annual list and the state business license are both due every year | 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 Washoe County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a salon or barber in Washoe County, NV, 4 apply to every business of this type and 7 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 4 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $215.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
NNPH Invasive Body Decoration Establishment Permit (tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics): Establishment permit $445 per year; construction plan review $445. Temporary events: event coordinator permit $878; vendor permit (without wheels) $430; mobile vendor permit (with wheels) $277; late fee 100% of the permit fee for missing the submittal date, 200% within 3 business days of the cutoff (NNPH EHS Fees FY27, effective July 1, 2026).
Salon and Barbershop Establishment License: $215 for a two-year term or $415 for four years; renewal is $200 or $400 respectively
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washoe County permits page and the NV state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Washoe County?
Permits for a salon or barber in Washoe County, NV come from 7 separate offices: Washoe County Community Services Department, Building Division, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, Washoe County Community Services Department, Business License Division, Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health Services, Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division, Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, Nevada Department of Taxation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Washoe County Community Services Department, Building DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Washoe County Building Permit (unincorporated area), Building Division Business License Inspection (unincorporated area)1001 E. Ninth St., Reno, NV 89512 · 775-328-2020www.washoecounty.gov/building/getting_started/how_much_will_my_permit-cost.php
- Truckee Meadows Fire Protection DistrictIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Business License Inspection and Operational Permits — Truckee Meadows Fire Protection Districttmfpd.us/fire-code
- Washoe County Community Services Department, Business License DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Washoe County General Business License (unincorporated area; includes home-based and mobile businesses)1001 E. Ninth St., Bldg A, Reno, NV 89512 · 775-328-3733www.washoecounty.gov/csd/planning_and_development/business_license/bl_fees/bl_annual_renewals.php
- Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: NNPH Invasive Body Decoration Establishment Permit (tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics)1001 E. Ninth St., Bldg B, Reno, NV 89512 · 775-328-2434nnph.org/resources/fees/ehs-fees.php
- Nevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Annual List, Articles of Incorporation, State Business License, Articles of Organization (LLC)401 North Carson Street, Carson City, NV 89701 · (775) 684-5708www.nvsos.gov
- Nevada State Board of CosmetologyIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon and Barbershop Establishment License8945 West Russell Road, Suite 200, Las Vegas, NV 89148 · (702) 508-0015www.nvcosmo.com
- Nevada Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax Permit3850 Arrowhead Drive, Carson City, NV 89706 · (775) 684-2000tax.nv.gov
What does a salon or barber need in Washoe 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 Washoe County: NNPH Invasive Body Decoration Establishment Permit (tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics) and Salon and Barbershop Establishment License.
NNPH Invasive Body Decoration Establishment Permit (tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics)
A salon that offers tattooing, body piercing or permanent cosmetics anywhere in Washoe County, including Reno and Sparks, needs a Northern Nevada Public Health invasive body decoration (IBD) establishment permit; a salon offering only hair, nail or skin services is licensed by the Nevada state boards rather than under this permit. The annual establishment permit is $445, and construction plan review for a new studio is $445. The schedule marks the establishment permit with an application fee but does not print its amount; contact NNPH EHS for the current amount. Temporary body art events need a $878 event coordinator permit, submitted at least 30 days ahead, and each vendor a $430 permit (without wheels, at least 14 days ahead) or a $277 mobile vendor permit (with wheels); late applications pay 100% or 200% of the permit fee. The figures are from Northern Nevada Public Health's official 'EHS Fees FY27' schedule, the FY2026-27 schedule effective July 1, 2026. NNPH has scheduled a public hearing on proposed Environmental Health fees for December 17, 2026. Ask NNPH EHS at 775-328-2434.
Salon and Barbershop Establishment License
Nevada regulates cosmetology and barbering through a single combined board, so a barbershop takes the identical establishment license as a salon rather than a separate credential. The choice is the licensee's own: pay $215 for a two-year term or $415 to cover four years in one filing, and renewal follows the same split, $200 or $400. The same fee structure covers a mobile cosmetological establishment. An opening inspection that fails costs a further $25 to have re-inspected.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washoe County, NV; what each one involves is set out on the Washoe County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NV and are covered on the NV state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Washoe County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs NNPH Invasive Body Decoration Establishment Permit (tattoo, piercing, permanent cosmetics) and Salon and Barbershop Establishment License. A auto repair shop needs Auto Body Shop License, 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 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 7 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 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 Washoe County permits page and the NV state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- EHS Fees FY27 (Environmental Health Services fee schedule, 'Effective 7/1/2026' column)Northern Nevada Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Environmental Health Services Fees page (links 'CLICK HERE FOR FY26/27 FEES')Northern Nevada Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Schedule of Fees page ('Sept. 23, 2026 Update': proposed EHS fees, public hearing December 17, 2026)Northern Nevada Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Nevada State Board of Cosmetology — establishment application and renewal feesNevada State Board of Cosmetology · 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.