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16 permits · verified 2026-10-19

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

In short

A salon or barber in Lexington County, SC has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Lexington County Community Development Department, Zoning charges $90 per permit for the home occupation permit (unincorporated lexington county). 9 of the 16 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-19 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Lexington County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Home Occupation Permit (unincorporated Lexington County)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Zoning$90 per permitas for a zoning permit: effective two years from approval, with five one-year extensions (Zoning Ordinance §171.10)2026-10-19
Barbershop PermitSouth Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation$250 to open; renewal is $125biennial for a fixed shop; a mobile barbershop renews annually under the statute2026-09-03
Salon LicenseSouth Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation$100 to open; renewal is $72biennial, on the board's own renewal cycle2026-09-03

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 Lexington County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Zoning Permit for a Nonresidential Land Use Activity (unincorporated Lexington County)Lexington County Community Development Department, ZoningVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageeffective two years from approval, with five one-year extensions while the permit's obligations are met (Zoning Ordinance §171.10); a new owner or transfer of ownership needs a new permit2026-10-19
Sign Permit (Zoning, unincorporated Lexington County)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, ZoningVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageper sign; a term is not stated in the Zoning Ordinance or the fee schedule2026-10-19
Building Permit and Commercial Plan Review (Lexington County Building Inspection)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Building InspectionVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageper project; a permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance or is suspended or abandoned for 90 days, with written extensions of up to 90 days each (County Code §14-265)2026-10-19
Certificate of Occupancy (Lexington County Building Inspection)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Building InspectionVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageone-time, issued on completion of the permitted work; a new certificate is needed for a change in occupancy classification2026-10-19
Landscape Permit for Nonresidential Development (unincorporated Lexington County)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, ZoningVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageeffective two years from approval, with five one-year extensions while the permit's obligations are met (Landscape and Open Space Ordinance §1.3.1)2026-10-19
Commercial Land Development Plan Review and County Land Disturbance Permit (Lexington County Land Development Division)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Land Development DivisionVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageper project; a term is not stated on the Commercial Plan Review page or the fee schedule2026-10-19
Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit (Lexington County Public Works Stormwater Division)only if it applies to youLexington County Public Works Stormwater Division (PW/SWD)$440 per permitper project; the permit outlines the activities allowed on site2026-10-19
Floodplain Permit for Development in the Special Flood Hazard Area (unincorporated Lexington County)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Floodplain ManagementVaries — formula on the Lexington County pageper development2026-10-19

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

SC 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
Corporate Annual Report and License Feeonly if it applies to youSouth Carolina Department of RevenueVaries — formula on the SC pageannual — due on the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the tax year ends2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youSouth Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings$110 one-time filingperpetual — an LLC files no annual report in South Carolina2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youSouth Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings$135 at filing — $110 to the Secretary of State plus the $25 initial license feeperpetual, but an annual report and license fee are due every year2026-09-03
Retail LicenseSouth Carolina Department of Revenue$50 for each permanent location, and it is not refundableno expiry while the same person trades at the same location2026-09-03
Local Business LicenseSouth Carolina Department of RevenueVaries — formula on the SC page1 May to 30 April, the same in every South Carolina jurisdiction2026-09-03

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 Lexington County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 16 records listed for a salon or barber in Lexington County, SC, 5 apply to every business of this type and 11 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 5 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $400.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 of the 16 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all.

The other 9 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lexington County permits page and the SC state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Lexington County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Lexington County, SC come from 9 separate offices: Lexington County Community Development Department, Zoning, Lexington County Community Development Department, Building Inspection, Lexington County Community Development Department, Land Development Division, Lexington County Public Works Stormwater Division (PW/SWD), Lexington County Community Development Department, Floodplain Management, South Carolina Department of Revenue, South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings, South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. 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 Lexington County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 3 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Lexington County: Barbershop Permit and Salon License.

Home Occupation Permit (unincorporated Lexington County)

Zoning Ordinance §21.22 defines a home occupation as a business-type activity of a nonresidential nature based or performed within a dwelling unit or a residential accessory structure; the owner/operator must reside at the residence, and "Home occupations shall require zoning permits in addition to those of their residential principal activities." A home occupation may not occupy more than 25 percent of the dwelling's total floor area and in no event more than 750 square feet, and it may not include "the manufacture or repair of transportation related equipment", the temporary storage of vehicles for sale, or "animal impoundment activities (kennel)", so an auto repair shop does not qualify. Without a Board of Zoning Appeals variance, a home occupation may not have exterior displays, outdoor storage, hazardous equipment, non-residential structural alterations, excess traffic, a non-resident employee, or "Teaching of more than six pupils simultaneously", which limits home fitness instruction. Regular care of more than six individuals, counting those who live at the site, needs a special exception, and no special exception may be granted for home occupation day care of more than 12; a day care home is not held to the floor-area limits. Per the county's "Development Review and Permit Fees – Effective 7/1/2026" schedule, linked under "Fee Structure" on the Community Development Fees & Ordinances page, the Home Occupation Permit is $90.00. The county's application form (Application for a Zoning – Home Occupation Permit) still labels the rule "21.21 Home Occupations"; the current ordinance numbers it §21.22. State licenses for salons, child care and contractors are separate state records.

Barbershop Permit

A barbershop costs two and a half times what a salon costs — $250 to open against $100, and $125 to renew against $72 — even though the two boards sit in the same building. As with a salon, the permit is location-specific and not transferable, a change of owner or of location costs the full $250 again, and the application must be filed at least fifteen working days before opening with no trading until the fees are paid and the inspection passed. A change of name or of manager is only $10. The physical rules are unusually prescriptive and worth reading before signing a lease: at least five feet between barber chairs measured centre to centre, complete separation from any residence, a ceiling-height partition from any room in other use, smooth-finished walls, ceilings and floors, no exposed pipework, adequate toilet facilities, an accessible working fire extinguisher, and a cabinet of clean towels plus a container for soiled ones for each barber. Note a live conflict on mobile units: the statute says a mobile barbershop permit is renewed annually while the regulation says biennially.

Salon License

A hundred dollars to open and $72 to renew, which is among the cheapest salon licensing in the country — but the license is unusually brittle. It is valid only for the named owner at the named location and is not transferable, so a change of owner, a change of location and even a change of name each require a fresh $100 application rather than an amendment. A new location must be applied for twenty working days before opening and must pass an inspection within ten working days before the license issues. A salon closed permanently must return its license, and any closure beyond sixty days must be notified. Renewing late costs $122 rather than $72. One caution on the renewal date: the regulation says renewal is due before 1 July, while the board runs its cosmetology cycle to 10 March of odd-numbered years, and the regulation has not been conformed to the practice — confirm your own date with the board rather than relying on either.

The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Lexington County, SC; what each one involves is set out on the Lexington County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across SC and are covered on the SC state page.

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

The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Barbershop Permit and Salon License. A fitness studio needs nothing here that a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Lexington County, SC, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Fitness studios1120
Retail stores1120
Childcare centres2121
Contractors and trades3122
Auto repair shops1031
Coffee shops2032
Food trucks2032
Restaurants2032
Veterinary clinics1031

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 Lexington County permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Development Review and Permit Fees – Effective 7/1/2026Lexington County Community Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  2. Lexington County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance 26-03, June 23, 2026 edition)Lexington County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  3. Application for a Zoning – Home Occupation PermitLexington County Community Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  4. ZoningCounty of Lexington, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  5. South Carolina Regulations chapter 10 — the fee schedules for the barber, contractor, residential builder and veterinary boardsSouth Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  6. South Carolina Code chapter 40-7 — barbershop registration, inspection before opening and mobile barbershop renewalSouth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  7. South Carolina Regulation 35-15 — salon licenses, tied to a named owner and a named location and not transferableSouth Carolina Board of Cosmetology · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  8. South Carolina Code section 40-13-250 — biennial renewal of cosmetology licensesSouth Carolina General Assembly · 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.