8 permits · verified 2026-10-06
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Pierce County Wa?
In short
A salon or barber in Pierce County Wa, WA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division charges $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online for the articles of incorporation. 2 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a salon or barber in Pierce County Wa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon or Shop Location License | Washington State Department of Licensing, Cosmetology Program | $121 a year, application and renewal alike | 1 year | 2026-09-03 |
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 Pierce County Wa
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Permit and Design Reviewonly if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Pierce County Wa page | one-time per permit or design | 2026-10-06 |
| Well Siting, Construction and Decommissioning Permitonly if it applies to you | Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Pierce County Wa page | one-time per permit or review | 2026-10-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
WA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Reseller Permitonly if it applies to you | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | No fee | 4 years, or 2 in defined circumstances | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $70 a year | annual — due the last day of the month the entity was formed or registered | 2026-09-03 |
| Washington State Business License | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | $50 to open, plus each endorsement's own fee; $5 a year to renew | annual — one expiration date governs every endorsement on the license | 2026-09-03 |
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 Pierce County Wa?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a salon or barber in Pierce County Wa, WA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 2 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $171.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 8 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Pierce County Wa permits page and the WA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Pierce County Wa?
Permits for a salon or barber in Pierce County Wa, WA come from 4 separate offices: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental Health, Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, Washington State Department of Licensing, Cosmetology Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Environmental HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: On-Site Sewage (Septic) System Permit and Design Review, Well Siting, Construction and Decommissioning Permitwww.tpchd.org/fees
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation (LLC), Annual ReportPO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234 · (360) 725-0377www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/business-entities
- Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing ServiceIssues 2 permits on this page: Reseller Permit, Washington State Business LicensePO Box 9034, Olympia, WA 98507-9034 · (360) 705-6705dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license
- Washington State Department of Licensing, Cosmetology ProgramIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon or Shop Location LicensePO Box 9026, Olympia, WA 98507 · (360) 664-6626dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/cosmetology
What does a salon or barber need in Pierce County Wa 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 Pierce County Wa: Salon or Shop Location License.
Salon or Shop Location License
The premises license runs on a different clock from the people in it: $121 every year for the location, against $35 to apply and $66 to renew every two years for a cosmetologist, barber, manicurist or esthetician. Conflating the two is the standard error. A mobile unit and a personal services license cost the same $121; a school is $330. There is no separate booth-rental credential — an operator leasing space must hold both an operator license and a salon license for that specific location — and a business with branches needs a separate license for each. Late renewal adds $60. The license does not transfer, so a change of ownership means a new application.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Pierce County Wa, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Pierce County Wa permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WA and are covered on the WA state page.
How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Pierce County Wa?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon or Shop Location License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Washington Auto Repair Act (RCW 46.71), which a salon or barber does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a salon or barber | Only a salon or barber needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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 Pierce County Wa permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- WAC 308-20-210 — cosmetology location license feesWashington State Department of Licensing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- WAC 308-20-560 — annual renewal of salon, shop, mobile unit and personal services licensesWashington State Department of Licensing · 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.