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7 permits · verified 2026-10-21

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

In short

A salon or barber in Erie County Pa, PA 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. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations charges $125 one-time filing for the articles of incorporation. 1 of the 7 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-21 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Erie County Pa

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Body Art Establishment Licenseonly if it applies to youErie County Department of HealthPer the ECDH Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services, effective January 1, 2025: annual Body Art license $170 (§1.G); initial application $150 (§3.A); Temporary Body Art License $70 (§7.C).one year; the regulations state 'Licenses must be renewed annually and are valid for one year after date of issuance'2026-10-21
Cosmetology Salon LicensePennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs$142 application and initial registration2 years, expiring 31 January of odd-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.

PA 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
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations$7 per year for a for-profit entityannual2026-09-03
General Business License — Pennsylvania positionPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable OrganizationsNo feeset by the issuing municipality2026-09-03
Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licenseonly if it applies to youPennsylvania Department of RevenueNo fee — no registration fee5 years, renewed automatically subject to compliance2026-09-03

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 Erie County Pa?

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 Erie County Pa, PA, 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.

Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $142.00. That is a floor, not a total. 1 of the 7 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Body Art Establishment License: Per the ECDH Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services, effective January 1, 2025: annual Body Art license $170 (§1.G); initial application $150 (§3.A); Temporary Body Art License $70 (§7.C).

Which offices issue these permits in Erie County Pa?

Permits for a salon or barber in Erie County Pa, PA come from 4 separate offices: Erie County Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, Bureau of Professional and Occupational 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 Erie County Pa 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 Erie County Pa: Body Art Establishment License and Cosmetology Salon License.

Body Art Establishment License

A salon that offers tattooing or body piercing in Erie County, Pennsylvania needs a Body Art Establishment License from the Erie County Department of Health; a salon offering neither is outside these regulations. The Department's Tattoos and Body Piercing page states that it "is responsible for inspecting and licensing body art establishments throughout Erie County. This includes tattoo and piercing establishments", and lists the Body Art Establishment Regulations (2016). Section 4(b) of the regulations provides: "No person shall operate a body art establishment in Erie County without a valid License issued by the Department", "Licenses are not transferable" and "Licenses must be renewed annually and are valid for one year after date of issuance"; §4(c) requires a Temporary License to operate at a temporary event such as a fair or festival. The fees are per the Erie County Department of Health 'Fee Schedule for Environmental Health Services', which gives an effective date of January 1, 2025 and which the Erie County Board of Health minutes of October 28, 2024 describe as "approved by County Council": $170 for the annual license, $150 for the initial application and $70 for a temporary license. The schedule (§10.A) provides an automatic increase: 'Effective January 1 of every third year following the date of approval, all fees outlined in this fee schedule shall be subject to an increase of 7.5%, rounded to the nearest dollar', and states that the increase 'will occur automatically without the need for further approval or notice'.

Cosmetology Salon License

$142 to open and $144 every two years to renew — one of the few licenses where renewal costs more than the initial application. The same figure covers a cosmetology, nail technology or esthetician salon. The license expires on 31 January of odd-numbered years whatever month you were licensed, so a salon opening in December pays for barely a year the first time round. Nail technicians, teachers and schools renew in EVEN years, so a salon with staff runs two cycles. A pre-license inspection is mandatory and the Board will not issue until it is done, which is the step that sets your opening date. Moving premises costs $105 where a new inspection is needed and $45 where it is not; a reinspection is $91. The shop license is entirely separate from the individual licenses of the people working in it — an owner who also practises needs both.

The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across PA and are covered on the PA state page.

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

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Body Art Establishment License and Cosmetology Salon License. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Facility License (annual), Temporary Food License (per unit, per event), Retail Food Facility License and Food Employee Certification, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Erie County Pa, PA, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops4024
Contractors and trades4024
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks4024
Restaurants4024
Retail stores4024

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 Erie County Pa permits page and the PA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Erie County Department of Health Fee Schedule for Environmental Health ServicesErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  2. Erie County Department of Health Body Art Establishment Regulations (May 2016)Erie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  3. Tattoos and Body PiercingErie County Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  4. Erie County Board of Health Meeting Minutes, 10.28.2024Erie County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  5. 49 Pa. Code section 7.2 — cosmetology fees, the column effective 1 July 2024 being operativePennsylvania Code and Bulletin · 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.