8 permits · verified 2026-10-21
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Lackawanna County?
In short
A salon or barber in Lackawanna County, PA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 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. 2 of the 8 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 Lackawanna County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology Salon License | Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs | $142 application and initial registration | 2 years, expiring 31 January of odd-numbered years | 2026-09-03 |
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 Lackawanna County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review (Lackawanna County Conservation District)only if it applies to you | Lackawanna County Conservation District | Varies — formula on the Lackawanna County page | per project; a letter of adequacy is valid for two years | 2026-10-21 |
| County Planning Review of Subdivision and Land Development Plans (MPC §502)only if it applies to you | Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission | Varies — formula on the Lackawanna County page | per plan submission; the county has 30 days to review and comment | 2026-10-21 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | $7 per year for a for-profit entity | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Pennsylvania position | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations | No fee | set by the issuing municipality | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licenseonly if it applies to you | Pennsylvania Department of Revenue | No fee — no registration fee | 5 years, renewed automatically subject to compliance | 2026-09-03 |
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 Lackawanna County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a salon or barber in Lackawanna County, PA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 6 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. 2 of the 8 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lackawanna County permits page and the PA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Lackawanna County?
Permits for a salon or barber in Lackawanna County, PA come from 5 separate offices: Lackawanna County Conservation District, Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission, 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.
- Lackawanna County Conservation DistrictIssues 1 permit on this page: Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review (Lackawanna County Conservation District)1027 S Abington Rd, South Abington Township, PA 18411 · 570-382-3086www.lccd.net/erosion-sedimentation
- Lackawanna County Regional Planning CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: County Planning Review of Subdivision and Land Development Plans (MPC §502)Lackawanna County Government Center, 123 Wyoming Avenue, Floor 5, Scranton, PA 18503 · 570-963-6400 ext. 11720www.lackawannacounty.org/government/departments/planning2.php
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable OrganizationsIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, General Business License — Pennsylvania positionfile.dos.pa.gov
- Pennsylvania Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax Licensemypath.pa.gov
- Pennsylvania State Board of Cosmetology, Bureau of Professional and Occupational AffairsIssues 1 permit on this page: Cosmetology Salon Licensewww.pa.gov/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa/boards-commissions/cosmetology
What does a salon or barber need in Lackawanna County 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 Lackawanna County: Cosmetology Salon License.
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 other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Lackawanna County, PA; what each one involves is set out on the Lackawanna County permits page. 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 Lackawanna County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Cosmetology Salon License. A auto repair shop 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 Lackawanna County permits page and the PA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.
