16 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in North Charleston?
In short
A salon or barber in North Charleston, SC has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of North Charleston Zoning Division charges $10 flat for the zoning verification letter. 9 of the 16 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 North Charleston
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit | City of North Charleston Building and Development Services | Same valuation-tiered schedule as the commercial building permit: above $1,000, each tier is the $30.00 application filing fee plus the tier amount ($15/$5, $260/$4, $460/$3, $1,660/$2 per thousand by tier) under City Code Chapter 5, Appendix A Permit Fees Schedule; or a flat $30.00 for a banner sign. Re-inspection is $50.00. This fee chart does not include the city business license. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-08 |
| Barbershop Permit | South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | $250 to open; renewal is $125 | biennial for a fixed shop; a mobile barbershop renews annually under the statute | 2026-09-03 |
| Salon License | South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | $100 to open; renewal is $72 | biennial, on the board's own renewal cycle | 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 North Charleston
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Permitonly if it applies to you | City of North Charleston Building and Development Services | Varies — formula on the North Charleston page | commercial permits expire 180 days after issuance unless extended (City Code § 5-312) | 2026-10-09 |
| Plumbing Permitonly if it applies to you | City of North Charleston Building and Development Services | Varies — formula on the North Charleston page | commercial permits expire 180 days after issuance unless extended (City Code § 5-312) | 2026-10-09 |
| Zoning Verification Letteronly if it applies to you | City of North Charleston Zoning Division | $10 flat | one-time, per verification request | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of North Charleston Building and Development Services | Varies — formula on the North Charleston page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Business License (Business License Tax) | City of North Charleston One Stop Shop, Finance Department | Varies — formula on the North Charleston page | annual — the license year runs May 1 to April 30 (City Code § 10.5-18); the tax is due on or before April 30 each year (§ 10.5-19) | 2026-10-09 |
| Mechanical Permitonly if it applies to you | City of North Charleston Building and Development Services | Varies — formula on the North Charleston page | commercial permits expire 180 days after issuance unless extended (City Code § 5-312) | 2026-10-09 |
| Variance / Special Exception / Appeal of Staff Determinationonly if it applies to you | City of North Charleston Zoning Division | $100 per application | one-time, per application | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Protection System and Construction Fire Permitsonly if it applies to you | North Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the North Charleston page | per project | 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.
SC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Annual Report and License Feeonly if it applies to you | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the SC page | annual — due on the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the tax year ends | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings | $110 one-time filing | perpetual — an LLC files no annual report in South Carolina | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings | $135 at filing — $110 to the Secretary of State plus the $25 initial license fee | perpetual, but an annual report and license fee are due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Retail License | South Carolina Department of Revenue | $50 for each permanent location, and it is not refundable | no expiry while the same person trades at the same location | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business License | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the SC page | 1 May to 30 April, the same in every South Carolina jurisdiction | 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 North Charleston?
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 North Charleston, SC, 7 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 7 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 ones particular to this business that vary:
Sign Permit: Same valuation-tiered schedule as the commercial building permit: above $1,000, each tier is the $30.00 application filing fee plus the tier amount ($15/$5, $260/$4, $460/$3, $1,660/$2 per thousand by tier) under City Code Chapter 5, Appendix A Permit Fees Schedule; or a flat $30.00 for a banner sign. Re-inspection is $50.00. This fee chart does not include the city business license.
The other 8 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the North Charleston permits page and the SC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in North Charleston?
Permits for a salon or barber in North Charleston, SC come from 8 separate offices: City of North Charleston Building and Development Services, City of North Charleston Zoning Division, City of North Charleston One Stop Shop, Finance Department, North Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, 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.
- City of North Charleston Building and Development ServicesIssues 5 permits on this page, including Sign Permit, Electrical Permit, Plumbing Permit2500 City Hall Lane, North Charleston, SC 29406 · (843) 740-2562www.northcharleston.org/business/construction_and_development/permits/permit_fees.php
- City of North Charleston Zoning DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Zoning Verification Letter, Variance / Special Exception / Appeal of Staff Determination2500 City Hall Lane, North Charleston, SC 29406www.northcharleston.org/business/zoning/index.php
- City of North Charleston One Stop Shop, Finance DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Business License (Business License Tax)2500 City Hall Lane, 3rd Floor, North Charleston, SC 29406 · (843) 740-2639www.northcharleston.org/business/business_licenses.php
- North Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Protection System and Construction Fire Permits(843) 740-2625fire.northcharleston.org/services/fire_permits.php
- South Carolina Department of RevenueIssues 3 permits on this page: Corporate Annual Report and License Fee, Retail License, Local Business LicensePO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214 · (803) 898-3153dor.sc.gov/businesses
- South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and RegulationIssues 1 permit on this page: Barbershop Permit110 Centerview Drive, Columbia, SC 29210 · (803) 896-4588llr.sc.gov/bar
- South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business FilingsIssues 2 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201 · (803) 734-2158sos.sc.gov/online-filings/business-entities
- South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and RegulationIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon License110 Centerview Drive, Columbia, SC 29210 · (803) 896-4588llr.sc.gov/cosmo
What does a salon or barber need in North Charleston 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 North Charleston: Barbershop Permit and Salon License.
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.
Shared with other businesses in North Charleston
- Sign Permit — City of North Charleston Building and Development Services, Same valuation-tiered schedule as the commercial building permit: above $1,000, each tier is the $30.00 application filing fee plus the tier amount ($15/$5, $260/$4, $460/$3, $1,660/$2 per thousand by tier) under City Code Chapter 5, Appendix A Permit Fees Schedule; or a flat $30.00 for a banner sign. Re-inspection is $50.00. This fee chart does not include the city business license., one-time, per sign. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in North Charleston, SC; what each one involves is set out on the North Charleston 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 North Charleston?
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.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a salon or barber | Only a salon or barber needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the auto repair shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the North Charleston permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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
- South Carolina Code chapter 40-7 — barbershop registration, inspection before opening and mobile barbershop renewalSouth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- 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
- 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.