Barber Shop Permit Requirements in Honolulu, HI

Complete permit and license guide for starting a barber shop in Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii.

Verified 2026-09-06 5 stops $200–$800 est. 4–10 weeks to obtain all permits and licenses
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Not legal advice. Requirements may change — always verify with your local government authority before applying. Key agencies and fees on this page were re-checked against official government sources on .

Federal — start here

1 stop
  1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

    Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

    Official government source

    FreeImmediate (online application)

State of Hawaii

2 stops
  1. Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Barber License

    Each barber holds an individual Barber licence from the DCCA Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — the board is combined for barbering and cosmetology, and the old /pvl/boards/cosmetology/ address no longer exists. Applicants must be at least 16, have a high school education or equivalent, and qualify by one of three routes: 1,500 barber school hours, 3,000 apprenticeship hours, or six months of licensed barber experience in another jurisdiction. The Board then approves the applicant to sit the licensing examination.

    Official government source

    $86 where the license is issued in an odd-numbered year (application $20 + license $16 + compliance resolution fund $50) or $159 in an even-numbered year (a $100 compliance resolution fund charge plus a $23 half-renewal); a temporary permit is an extra $37File the exam application by the Board's published deadline; the license is issued after the written and practical exams are passed, and licenses expire December 31 of each odd-numbered year (active renewal $146)

  2. Hawaii Department of Taxation — General Excise Tax (GET) License

    Hawaii has no sales tax. Instead the state levies a General Excise Tax on the gross income of the business itself, and unlike a sales tax it reaches services, commissions and rent as well as goods. Every business must register for a GET licence with the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1 before doing business. The rate is 4% statewide, rising to 4.5% on Oahu because of the 0.5% county surcharge, and it is owed on gross income whether or not it is passed on to the customer.

    Official government source

    $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1)Hawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

City of Honolulu / Honolulu County

2 stops
  1. Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Barber Shop License

    Barber shops in Hawaii are licensed by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which is a single combined board rather than a separate "Board of Barber". The application asks for a labelled floor plan showing the sanitary facilities serving the shop and is reviewed at a Board meeting before the licence is issued. Renewal is biennial, not annual — shop licences expire December 31 of each odd-numbered year. Booth or chair rentals inside an existing shop are licensed separately.

    Official government source

    $138 where the license is issued in an odd-numbered year (application $50 + license $38 + compliance resolution fund $50) or $226 in an even-numbered year (a $100 compliance resolution fund charge plus a $38 half-renewal), per the Board's shop applicationEvery shop application is reviewed at a Board meeting, so allow time beyond filing; shop licenses expire December 31 of each odd-numbered year and renew at $176 on active status

  2. Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) License

    The City and County of Honolulu Department of Budget and Fiscal Services issues no business licence — its divisions are accounting, real property assessment, treasury, purchasing and the liquor commission, and Honolulu has no general business licence at all, so there is nothing to renew annually or display. What a business does need is the statewide General Excise Tax licence from the Department of Taxation on Form BB-1, plus any activity-specific approvals such as building or zoning permits from the Department of Planning and Permitting.

    Official government source

    $20 one-time registration fee (Form BB-1) — there is no city business license feeHawaii Tax ID issued immediately in person, in about 5–7 days online via Hawaii Tax Online, or 4–6 weeks by mail

Terminus

Open for business — est. $200–$800 · 4–10 weeks to obtain all permits and licenses

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