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12 permits · verified 2026-10-02

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

In short

A salon or barber in Prince William County, VA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Prince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development Division charges $183.20 one-time, per occupancy change, as published in the adopted FY2027 Building Development Division Fee Schedule for the certificate of use and occupancy — change in use or ownership. 7 of the 12 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 Prince William County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
BPOL Business License — Business, Personal, Repair and Other ServicesPrince William County Tax Administration DivisionNo BPOL tax is due on gross receipts under $500,000. At $500,000 or more, a business in the Business, Personal, Repair and Other Services classification pays $0.21 per $100 of gross receipts.annual; renew by March 12026-10-02
Certificate of Use and Occupancy — Change in Use or OwnershipPrince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development Division$183.20 one-time, per occupancy change, as published in the adopted FY2027 Building Development Division Fee Scheduleone-time, per occupancy change2026-10-02
Home Business Permitonly if it applies to youPrince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development Division$110.65 one-time, as published in the adopted FY2027 Building Development Division Fee Scheduleone-time2026-10-02
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 Prince William County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to youPrince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development DivisionVaries — formula on the Prince William County pagetemporary, renewable2026-10-02
Tenant Layout Building PermitPrince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development DivisionVaries — formula on the Prince William County pageper permit2026-10-02
Foundation and Soil Management Application Feeonly if it applies to youPrince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development DivisionVaries — formula on the Prince William County pageper application2026-10-02

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 Prince William County?

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 Prince William County, VA, 5 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $417.70. 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:

BPOL Business License — Business, Personal, Repair and Other Services: No BPOL tax is due on gross receipts under $500,000. At $500,000 or more, a business in the Business, Personal, Repair and Other Services classification pays $0.21 per $100 of gross receipts.

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

Which offices issue these permits in Prince William County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Prince William County, VA come from 5 separate offices: Prince William County Tax Administration Division, Prince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development Division, 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 Prince William County that other businesses do not?

1 of the 4 permits particular to a salon or barber here applies to no other business type we cover in Prince William County: Salon, Shop, Spa or Parlor License.

BPOL Business License — Business, Personal, Repair and Other Services

A salon, a childcare facility, a fitness studio, or an auto-repair shop operating in unincorporated Prince William County pays $0.21 per $100 of gross receipts under this classification once gross receipts reach $500,000 a year, below which the tax due is $0.00 but a license application is still required. The Commonwealth's own BPOL implementing regulation, 23VAC10-500-500, names 'barber shops, beauty parlors, and hairdressing establishments, schools and services' (item 8) and 'child care attendants or schools' (item 18) explicitly within this category, so the salon and childcare classifications rest on named statutory examples. Fitness studios and auto-repair shops are not themselves named anywhere in that regulation or in a PWC-specific citation found during research; they are placed in this same category because it is the regulation's own catch-all for repair and personal/recreation services and no other classification describes either business, a weaker basis than the named examples for salon and childcare. This rate does not apply inside the Towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan or Quantico.

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.

Shared with other businesses in Prince William County

  • Certificate of Use and Occupancy — Change in Use or Ownership — Prince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development Division, $183.20 one-time, per occupancy change, as published in the adopted FY2027 Building Development Division Fee Schedule, one-time, per occupancy change. Also required for retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops, fitness studios, auto repair shops and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Home Business Permit — Prince William County Department of Development Services, Building Development Division and Land Development Division, $110.65 one-time, as published in the adopted FY2027 Building Development Division Fee Schedule, one-time. Also required for childcare centres and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Prince William County, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Prince William County 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 Prince William County?

The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 3 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon, Shop, Spa or Parlor License. A fitness studio needs Commercial Swimming Pool Permit and Certified Pool Operator (CPO) Fee, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Prince William County, VA, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Fitness studios5312
Childcare centres6313
Auto repair shops4222
Retail stores3132
Coffee shops7136
Restaurants9138
Contractors and trades4044
Food trucks7047
Veterinary clinics3043

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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page and fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Prince William County permits page and the VA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Tax Rates — current BPOL per-$100 rates, Mixed Drink License and Peddlers flat feesPrince William County Tax Administration Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. 23VAC10-500-500 — statewide BPOL classification of businesses (90-item enumeration), including item 8 "Barber shops, beauty parlors, and hairdressing establishments" and item 4 "Amusements and recreation services"Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Taxation (Virginia Administrative Code) · 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.