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12 permits · verified 2026-10-09

What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Nashville Davidson?

In short

A salon or barber in Nashville Davidson, TN has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety charges $55 per use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit has been issued (Metro Code § 16.28.110 E) for the use and occupancy (u&o) permit / certificate of occupancy. 7 of the 12 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 Nashville Davidson

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Cosmetology / Barber Shop LicenseDavidson County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionNew shop, relocated shop, or change of ownership (cosmetology, barber, manicure, skin care, natural hair styling, eyelash services): $150. New dual shop: $200. Renewal: $75 ($100 for a dual shop).set by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners2026-09-05
Cosmetology or Barber Shop LicenseTennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners$150 to open — a $100 license plus a $50 inspection; $75 to renew2 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.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Nashville Davidson

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Metro Business Tax LicenseDavidson County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageannual, tied to the state business tax return2026-09-05
Use and Occupancy (U&O) Permit / Certificate of OccupancyMetro Department of Codes and Building Safety$55 per use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit has been issued (Metro Code § 16.28.110 E)one-time, per occupancy or change of use2026-10-09
Commercial Building Permit and Plans Examination (Metro Codes)Metro Department of Codes and Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageper permit2026-10-09
Sign Permit (Metro Codes)only if it applies to youMetro Department of Codes and Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageper permit2026-10-09
Burglar and Fire Alarm Registration Permitonly if it applies to youNashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageone year; renewals due on or before the end of the month in which the permit was issued2026-10-09

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

TN 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 Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsVaries — formula on the TN pageno expiry, but an annual report on the same per-member scale is due each year2026-09-03
For-Profit Corporation Charteronly if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a $20 annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Standard or Minimal Activity Business Licenseonly if it applies to youTennessee Department of Revenue$15 per jurisdiction per location — charged again by the city if it has enacted the taxannual for a standard license, renewed free when the tax return is filed2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsVaries — formula on the TN pageannual — due the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year ends2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax Certificate of RegistrationTennessee Department of RevenueNo feeno expiry stated2026-09-03

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 Nashville Davidson?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a salon or barber in Nashville Davidson, TN, 6 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 6 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $205.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 12 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:

Cosmetology / Barber Shop License: New shop, relocated shop, or change of ownership (cosmetology, barber, manicure, skin care, natural hair styling, eyelash services): $150. New dual shop: $200. Renewal: $75 ($100 for a dual shop).

The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Nashville Davidson permits page and the TN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Nashville Davidson?

Permits for a salon or barber in Nashville Davidson, TN come from 6 separate offices: Davidson County Clerk, Business Tax Division, Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, Tennessee Department of Revenue, Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. 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 Nashville Davidson 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 Nashville Davidson: Cosmetology / Barber Shop License and Cosmetology or Barber Shop License.

Cosmetology / Barber Shop License

A state shop license, not a distinct Metro-issued credential — no Metro-specific salon/barbershop license beyond this and the standard business tax registration was found.

Cosmetology or Barber Shop License

The two boards merged in 2014 but the licenses did not: barbering and cosmetology still sit under separate statutes and separate rule chapters, at the same headline price. A shop offering both needs a dual license, at $200 to open and $100 to renew. One divergence is worth knowing because the board's own public fee page understates it — the late renewal penalty is $50 on the cosmetology side and $75 on the barber side, and the rules control. A mobile shop is licensed at the same fees and must operate under a fixed primary shop. Applications and fees are good for only ninety days. The practitioners themselves are far cheaper at $60.

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

How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Nashville Davidson?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Cosmetology / Barber Shop License and Cosmetology or Barber Shop License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others) and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Tennessee Position, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Nashville Davidson, TN, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2022
Childcare centres3023
Coffee shops9029
Contractors and trades4024
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks7027
Restaurants9029
Retail stores3023
Veterinary clinics2022

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 Nashville Davidson permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — shop license feesTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
  2. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0440-01 — cosmetology feesTennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  3. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0200-01 — barber fees and certificate termsTennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · 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.