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10 permits · verified 2026-10-08

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

In short

A salon or barber in Rutherford County Tn, TN has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Rutherford County Clerk, Business Tax Department charges $15 county license per location (county-only; a city license inside Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne or Eagleville is a separate fee paid to the city) for the county business license (standard or minimal activity). 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Rutherford County Tn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
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 Rutherford County Tn

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Building PermitRutherford County Building Codes DepartmentVaries — formula on the Rutherford County Tn pagevoid if work is not started within 180 days of issue2026-10-08
School Facilities Tax — New Commercial Floor Areaonly if it applies to youRutherford County Building Codes DepartmentVaries — formula on the Rutherford County Tn pageone-time, per new building or addition2026-10-08
Site Plan Review, Commercial Land Disturbance and Board of Zoning Appealsonly if it applies to youRutherford County Planning & Engineering DepartmentVaries — formula on the Rutherford County Tn pageone-time, per application2026-10-08
County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to youRutherford County Clerk, Business Tax Department$15 county license per location (county-only; a city license inside Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne or Eagleville is a separate fee paid to the city)standard license: one year, renewed at no cost when the state business tax return is filed and paid; minimal activity license: re-apply and pay $15 every year2026-10-08

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 Rutherford County Tn?

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 Rutherford County Tn, TN, 3 apply to every business of this type and 7 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 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 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Rutherford County Tn permits page and the TN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Rutherford County Tn?

Permits for a salon or barber in Rutherford County Tn, TN come from 6 separate offices: Rutherford County Building Codes Department, Rutherford County Planning & Engineering Department, Rutherford County Clerk, Business Tax Department, 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 Rutherford County Tn 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 Rutherford County Tn: Cosmetology or Barber Shop License.

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 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Rutherford County Tn, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Rutherford County Tn 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 Rutherford County Tn?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Cosmetology or Barber Shop License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Operational Permit — Repair Garage and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Tennessee Position, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Rutherford County Tn, TN, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2012
Childcare centres1011
Coffee shops3013
Contractors and trades1011
Fitness studios0010
Food trucks3013
Restaurants5015
Retail stores2012
Veterinary clinics1011

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 Rutherford County Tn permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0440-01 — cosmetology feesTennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  2. 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.