Hair Salon Permit Requirements in Indianapolis, IN

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Individual Cosmetologist License

   Each cosmetologist working in the salon must hold a valid Indiana Cosmetologist License. Requires 1,500 hours of cosmetology training and passing the state board exam.

   Official government source

   $40 (initial)·4–8 weeks

   $40 (initial)

   4–8 weeks

2. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

1. Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Beauty Culture Salon License

   Every cosmetology salon in Indiana must hold a Beauty Culture Salon license from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA), issued under the State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners; the same license type covers a mobile salon. IPLA schedules an inspection of the facility as part of licensing and warns applicants not to apply until the facility is ready to open, because a temporary permit is valid for only three months and operating without proper authorization results in denial.

   Official government source

   $40 application, $40 renewal, $80 reinstatement for a Beauty Culture Salon/Mobile Salon license. An individual Beauty Culture license is also $40; a Beauty Culture School is $400 and a tanning facility $200.·IPLA publishes no processing time. Apply only once the facility is ready to open — the facility inspection is scheduled after the application is submitted, and a temporary permit lasts three months.

   $40 application, $40 renewal, $80 reinstatement for a Beauty Culture Salon/Mobile Salon license. An individual Beauty Culture license is also $40; a Beauty Culture School is $400 and a tanning facility $200.

   IPLA publishes no processing time. Apply only once the facility is ready to open — the facility inspection is scheduled after the application is submitted, and a temporary permit lasts three months.

2. Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Business License

   Indianapolis (Marion County) has no general business license and no product called a 'Commercial Zoning Certificate.' DBNS licenses only specific business types by ordinance (e.g., massage establishments $177, kennels/pet shops/stables $200, hotels, pawnbrokers). Most business types listed here do not require any Indianapolis business license — check DBNS's Business Licenses list for your specific type.

   Official government source

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)·N/A

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)

   N/A

Official Sources

• Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Cosmetology Salon License
• Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services
• Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

Related Guides