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11 permits · verified 2026-10-02

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

In short

A salon or barber in Chesterfield County Va, VA has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue charges $550,000 gross receipts a year — the amount below which the flat $10 fee applies instead of the percentage tax, and the amount subtracted when computing the percentage tax above it for the bpol no-tax-below / percentage-tax reduction threshold. 7 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Chesterfield County Va

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Massage Clinic / Massage Therapist PermitChesterfield County Police Department, Office of the Chief of PoliceInitial: $100.00 for a massage clinic permit and $30.00 for a licensed massage therapist permit. Renewal: $50.00 for a massage clinic permit and $30.00 for a licensed massage therapist permit, every three years.3 years, expiring on the anniversary of issuance2026-10-02
Salon, Shop, Spa or Parlor LicenseVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Barbers and Cosmetology$234.50 every two years — a $220 fee plus a $7.25-a-year technology charge2 years from the last day of the month of issue2026-09-03

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 Chesterfield County Va

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Building PermitChesterfield County Department of Building InspectionVaries — formula on the Chesterfield County Va pageone-time, per project; the fee schedule itself is reviewed annually by the Board of Supervisors and can change at the next fiscal year2026-10-02
BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License) Registration and Flat-Fee BracketChesterfield County Commissioner of the RevenueVaries — formula on the Chesterfield County Va pagecalendar year; renew by March 12026-10-02
BPOL Percentage Tax on Gross ReceiptsChesterfield County Commissioner of the RevenueVaries — formula on the Chesterfield County Va pagecalendar year; renew by March 12026-10-02
BPOL No-Tax-Below / Percentage-Tax Reduction ThresholdChesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue$550,000 gross receipts a year — the amount below which the flat $10 fee applies instead of the percentage tax, and the amount subtracted when computing the percentage tax above itcalendar year2026-10-02

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

VA 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 youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a $50 annual registration fee is due every year2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageno expiry, but an annual registration fee and a free annual report are due2026-09-03
Annual Registration Feeonly if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageannual — the last day of the twelfth month after the month of formation2026-09-03
Dealer's Certificate of RegistrationVirginia Department of TaxationNo feeindefinite — valid until the business closes or the certificate is revoked2026-09-03
General Business License — Local BPOL License (Virginia)only if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageannual — usually due 1 March2026-09-03

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 Chesterfield County Va?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a salon or barber in Chesterfield County Va, VA, 7 apply to every business of this type and 4 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, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $550,234.50. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 11 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:

Massage Clinic / Massage Therapist Permit: Initial: $100.00 for a massage clinic permit and $30.00 for a licensed massage therapist permit. Renewal: $50.00 for a massage clinic permit and $30.00 for a licensed massage therapist permit, every three years.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Chesterfield County Va?

Permits for a salon or barber in Chesterfield County Va, VA come from 6 separate offices: Chesterfield County Police Department, Office of the Chief of Police, Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection, Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue, Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk, Virginia Department of Taxation, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Barbers and Cosmetology. 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 Chesterfield County Va 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 Chesterfield County Va: Massage Clinic / Massage Therapist Permit and Salon, Shop, Spa or Parlor License.

Massage Clinic / Massage Therapist Permit

No person may perform a massage for consideration in Chesterfield County unless the therapist holds both a Virginia massage-therapist license and a county permit, and, at a clinic, the clinic itself also holds a county massage clinic permit (Code § 15-92). These permits are issued by the Chief of Police, not the Health Department or the Commissioner of the Revenue. Applicants pay the county treasurer $100 for a massage clinic permit and $30 for a licensed massage therapist permit initially, and $50 and $30 respectively to renew, with each permit expiring three years after issuance (Code § 15-101(a)). The Chief of Police may refer an application to the building, health, fire or zoning departments for input before deciding it (Code § 15-102), and a permit is non-transferable and may be revoked or suspended for cause (Code §§ 15-104, 15-105). This requirement is separate from, and in addition to, the BPOL 'massage therapists and massage clinic operators' tax classification recorded in the BPOL percentage-tax record above — one is a Chief-of-Police permit under Chapter 15, the other a revenue classification under Chapter 6, and neither substitutes for the other. The county's own Business License Classification Affidavit (Q12) independently confirms this permit requirement by asking a massage-parlor applicant to submit a copy of their Chesterfield Police Department permit.

Salon, Shop, Spa or Parlor License

The regulation says $220 and the counter charges $234.50, because a technology fee of $7.25 a year was added from 1 July 2026 and runs until 30 June 2030, after which the figure drops back. One license covers a barber shop, cosmetology salon, nail salon or waxing salon, but an esthetics spa is licensed under a separate chapter at the same price — so a salon adding master esthetics services pays twice. There is no late fee at all, which sounds generous and is not: you get thirty days, and from day thirty-one you owe the full $440 reinstatement. After two years past expiry reinstatement is impossible and you reapply from scratch. The license belongs to the firm and does not transfer, so dissolving or converting the company voids it. The owner need not be a licensed practitioner.

The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Chesterfield County Va, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Chesterfield County Va permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across VA and are covered on the VA state page.

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

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Massage Clinic / Massage Therapist Permit and Salon, Shop, Spa or Parlor License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Chesterfield County Va, VA, 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 centres1021
Coffee shops5025
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios0020
Food trucks4024
Restaurants7027
Retail stores1021
Veterinary clinics1021

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 Chesterfield County Va permits page and the VA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Code of the County of Chesterfield, Chapter 15, Article V, 'Administration of Massage for Consideration' (§§ 15-91-15-106)Chesterfield County / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. Business License Classification Affidavit (10/2023) — Q8 VDH permit, Q9 ABC license, Q12 massage-parlor/Police-permit requirementChesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  3. 18VAC41-20-140 — Board for Barbers and Cosmetology fee scheduleVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. 18VAC41-20-160 — expiration of barber and cosmetology licensesVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · 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.