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15 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A salon or barber in Bexar County, TX has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office charges $30 flat, per Knox Box, Knox Padlock, or siren-operated electric gate registration for the knox box / access-control device registration. 6 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Bexar County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Bexar County)only if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment LicenseTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation$78 per license periodtwo years2026-08-21

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 Bexar County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingBexar County ClerkVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate; the Bexar County Clerk's own page does not restate the term separately2026-09-28
Annual Fire/Life-Safety InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageongoing; the Fire Marshal's Office aims to inspect each commercial occupancy on an annual cycle2026-09-28
Fire Marshal Building/Construction Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageproject-based (not recurring), except a renewal fee if construction lapses before completion2026-09-28
Knox Box / Access-Control Device Registrationonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's Office$30 flat, per Knox Box, Knox Padlock, or siren-operated electric gate registrationone-time registration, unless the device is replaced2026-09-28
Change of Occupancy Permit/InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageissued once per change of occupancy, business, or ownership event; not a recurring renewal2026-09-28
Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$50 per activityissued once per qualifying activity2026-09-28
Stormwater Quality Site Development Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$500 flat, per Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit application, payable to the Bexar County Clerkissued once per project; disturbance may not begin until the permit is issued2026-09-28
Right-of-Way Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public WorksVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageissued once per activity or connection2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Environmental ServicesVaries — formula on the Bexar County pagerenewal every 5 years for an existing standard system; new installation or initial registration is a one-time permit2026-09-28
General Business License — Bexar County Positiononly if it applies to youBexar County ClerkNo feenot applicable — the County Clerk's page states that Assumed Name Certificates are not business licenses and refers license questions to the City of San Antonio2026-09-28

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

TX 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
Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$300 one-time filingno expiry2026-08-20
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$25 one-time filingup to ten years, renewable2026-08-21
Texas Sales and Use Tax PermitTexas Comptroller of Public AccountsNo fee — there is no fee for this permitno expiry while actively engaged in business2026-08-21

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 Bexar County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a salon or barber in Bexar County, TX, 5 apply to every business of this type and 10 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, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $78.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 15 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Bexar County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Bexar County, TX come from 7 separate offices: Bexar County Clerk, Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, Bexar County Public Works, Bexar County Environmental Services, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. 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 Bexar County 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 Bexar County: Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Bexar County) and Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License.

Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Bexar County)

No fee applies. The County's own Businesses page lists no salon license among its programs; cosmetology and barbering are licensed statewide by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under Texas Occupations Code Chapters 1602 and 1603, a state-level credential. Only the generic unincorporated-area Fire Marshal and Public Works requirements listed as a separate Bexar County requirement, such as the building permit and annual fire inspection, would apply if a salon is sited in unincorporated Bexar County.

Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License

Establishment licenses are valid for two years from the date of issue, so the $78 is a two-year cost rather than an annual one — worth halving before you compare it with a yearly permit elsewhere. The fee applies to standard and specialty establishments; a mini-establishment license is $70. It covers full-service, mobile and specialty establishments, and applies to licenses expiring on or after 1 September 2023. Individual practitioners are licensed separately from the establishment, so a salon needs both its own license and a license for each operator working in it.

The other 10 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Bexar County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Bexar County permits page. The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.

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

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Bexar County) and Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License. A auto repair shop needs Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permits and Auto Repair Shop — Fire Marshal and Site Permits Apply (Bexar County), which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Bexar County, TX, 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 shops4024
Contractors and trades3023
Fitness studios3023
Food trucks6026
Restaurants6026
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 Bexar County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Businesses (the County's own index of business-facing programs; contains no general business license, veterinary, salon, fitness-studio, or auto-repair license)Bexar County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Barbering and Cosmetology Fee Changes — TDLRTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.