10 permits · verified 2026-10-01
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Montgomery County Pa?
In short
A salon or barber in Montgomery County Pa, PA 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. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations charges $125 one-time filing for the articles of incorporation. 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-01 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Montgomery County Pa
| 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 Montgomery County Pa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Inspections, Hauler License, Fill Registry, Re-Use/Redesignonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Office of Public Health | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County Pa page | Annual, per vehicle, for the Liquid Sewage Hauler License; one-time, per action, for every other fee on this record. | 2026-10-01 |
| On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Site Evaluation & New/Repair Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Office of Public Health | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County Pa page | One-time, per application; related inspection fees are billed separately under the companion On-Lot Sewage inspections record here. | 2026-10-01 |
| Individual Water Supply / Irrigation & Geothermal Well Permitonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Office of Public Health | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County Pa page | Per permit or action. | 2026-10-01 |
| County Planning Commission (Act 247) Subdivision & Land Development Reviewonly if it applies to you | Montgomery County Planning Commission | Varies — formula on the Montgomery County Pa page | Per application. | 2026-10-01 |
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 Montgomery County Pa?
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 Montgomery County Pa, PA, 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.
Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $142.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Montgomery County Pa permits page and the PA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County Pa?
Permits for a salon or barber in Montgomery County Pa, PA come from 5 separate offices: Montgomery County Office of Public Health, Montgomery County 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.
- Montgomery County Office of Public HealthIssues 3 permits on this page: On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Inspections, Hauler License, Fill Registry, Re-Use/Redesign, On-Lot Sewage Disposal — Site Evaluation & New/Repair Permit, Individual Water Supply / Irrigation & Geothermal Well PermitMontgomery County Human Services Center, 1430 DeKalb Street, Norristown, PA 19404-0311 (P.O. Box 311) · 610-278-3000www.montgomerycountypa.gov/departments/health-human-services/office-public-health/programs-services/permitting-licensing
- Montgomery County Planning CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: County Planning Commission (Act 247) Subdivision & Land Development Reviewwww.montgomerycountypa.gov/departments/planning-commission/subdivision-land-development-reviews
- 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 Montgomery County Pa 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 Montgomery County Pa: 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 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Montgomery County Pa, PA; what each one involves is set out on the Montgomery County Pa 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 Montgomery County Pa?
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 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Coffee shops | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 10 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Restaurants | 9 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Retail stores | 8 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 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 Montgomery County Pa 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.
