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13 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A salon or barber in Travis County, TX has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation charges $78 per license period for the barbering and cosmetology establishment license. 7 of the 13 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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Salon / Cosmetology Establishment License — State License Applies (Travis County)only if it applies to youTravis 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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Travis County Positiononly if it applies to youTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionNo feenot applicable — Travis County issues no general business license2026-09-28
Building PermitTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project/permit2026-09-28
Development Permit (floodplain / stormwater)only if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project2026-09-28
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler / Suppression System Construction Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project, issued alongside or separately from the Building Permit above2026-09-28
Fire Code Operational Permit (hazard-specific)only if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageannual; the published Operational Permits fee schedule does not itemize a distinct renewal cadence beyond 'annual' for each hazard category2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per installation or change of use2026-09-28
Driveway, Fence, Site-Development, Demolition/Clearing and Subdivision Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per permit/project2026-09-28
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionVaries — formula on the Travis County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate statewide; the Travis County Clerk's own DBA page does not separately restate this term2026-09-28

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 Travis County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a salon or barber in Travis County, TX, 4 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 4 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $78.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all.

The other 7 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Travis County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Travis County, TX come from 6 separate offices: Travis County Clerk, Recording Division, Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center, 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 Travis 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 Travis County: Salon / Cosmetology Establishment License — State License Applies (Travis County) and Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License.

Salon / Cosmetology Establishment License — State License Applies (Travis County)

No fee applies at the county level. The Travis County Code index page lists no hair, nail or skin salon licensing chapter (its only personal-service chapter is Chapter 251, Regulations of Massage Parlors); cosmetology and barbering establishment licensing is a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation function, applied statewide under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1603 (Regulation of Barbering and Cosmetology). Only the generic unincorporated-area Building Permit and, if applicable, TNR Development Services permits recorded as separate entries would apply if a salon is sited in unincorporated Travis County; a salon inside Austin or another incorporated city falls under that city's own building and fire code instead.

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 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Travis County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Travis 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 Travis County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon / Cosmetology Establishment License — State License Applies (Travis County) and Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License. A auto repair shop needs Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249), which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Travis 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 shops1021
Childcare centres3023
Coffee shops3023
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios4024
Food trucks4024
Restaurants4024
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 Travis County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Travis County Code index — by Title, Subtitle, and Chapter (Title 2 Ordinances & Regulations: Subtitles 11 Fire & Emergency, 13 Health & Safety, 15 Environment and 19 Land Development)Travis County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. Barbering and Cosmetology (statewide salon/cosmetology establishment licensing)Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. 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.