Barber Shop Permit Requirements in Boston, MA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering — Barbershop License

   Every barbershop in Massachusetts must be licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering, part of the Division of Occupational Licensure. Applications are filed online through the eLIPSE platform and must include a scaled floor plan showing all rooms, equipment, chairs, doors, square footage, the shop sign, the barber pole location and bathrooms; barbershops must have at least one non-shampoo sink with hot and cold water shown on the plan. Also required: a 2x2 photo and photo ID for each owner, a copy of the barber license of someone who will work there, a notarized CORI form for each owner, a business certificate from the city or town where the shop is located, plumbing and electrical inspection forms (or a No Work Required form), entity formation documents, and a price list (gender pricing is prohibited). The shop must be fully set up and ready for business to pass the investigator's final inspection, and a new business or new location must stay closed until the license issues. The license is not transferable to another location or owner.

   Official government source

   $130 barbershop license application (non-refundable); renewal is $78 every two years, due June 30 of even years. Late renewal adds $57.·An investigator contacts you to schedule the final inspection; incomplete applications are held 90 days before you must reapply

   $130 barbershop license application (non-refundable); renewal is $78 every two years, due June 30 of even years. Late renewal adds $57.

   An investigator contacts you to schedule the final inspection; incomplete applications are held 90 days before you must reapply

2. Individual Barber License (per barber)

   Every barber working in the shop must hold a Massachusetts barber license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering, under the Division of Occupational Licensure. You complete a 1,000-hour course at a Board-licensed school, apply through the eLIPSE platform with a DOL CORI form, and pass a written theory exam administered by PSI. The Board must approve you for the exam before you can schedule it.

   Official government source

   $20 barber application fee. Renewal is biennial; a late renewal costs an extra $57. A duplicate license is $17 and a name change is $27.·Once your application is processed, PSI emails you to schedule the exam. An incomplete application is held open for 180 days before it is treated as abandoned and you must reapply and repay. A Master Barber license expires December 31 of odd-numbered years.

   $20 barber application fee. Renewal is biennial; a late renewal costs an extra $57. A duplicate license is $17 and a name change is $27.

   Once your application is processed, PSI emails you to schedule the exam. An incomplete application is held open for 180 days before it is treated as abandoned and you must reapply and repay. A Master Barber license expires December 31 of odd-numbered years.

3. Massachusetts Sales Tax Registration for a Barber Shop

   The Massachusetts sales tax is 6.25% on sales of tangible personal property. Haircutting itself is not taxable: 830 CMR 64H.1.1(5)(b) names barbers explicitly and treats them as the consumer of the supplies used in rendering the service, so a barber pays sales tax on those purchases and collects nothing from the customer for the cut. If you sell tangible goods at retail — pomade, clippers, beard oil, branded merchandise — you are a retailer as to those sales, must register on MassTaxConnect, and must collect and remit 6.25%. Buy resale stock under a Sales Tax Resale Certificate (Form ST-4) so the same goods are not taxed twice.

   Official government source

   No fee. The Department of Revenue does not charge anything to open a sales tax or meals tax account on MassTaxConnect, and there is no annual renewal charge for the registration itself.·You complete the MassTaxConnect registration in one online sitting and get a confirmation email straight away. The registration certificate is mailed to you once DOR approves the account, and it must then be displayed at each business location where customers can easily see it.

   No fee. The Department of Revenue does not charge anything to open a sales tax or meals tax account on MassTaxConnect, and there is no annual renewal charge for the registration itself.

   You complete the MassTaxConnect registration in one online sitting and get a confirmation email straight away. The registration certificate is mailed to you once DOR approves the account, and it must then be displayed at each business location where customers can easily see it.

1. City of Boston — Certificate of Registration (Business Certificate / DBA)

   Businesses operating under a trade name in Boston must file a Business Certificate (DBA) with the Boston City Clerk. Valid for 4 years.

   Official government source

   $65·Same day (in person at City Hall) to 1 week

   $65

   Same day (in person at City Hall) to 1 week

2. City of Boston Inspectional Services — Certificate of Occupancy

   The Certificate of Occupancy is the City's official record of a building's legal use. Before opening a barber shop, check the space's existing Certificate of Occupancy at the Inspectional Services document room (1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 5th floor) — if the space is already legally classified for personal services, you may only need proof of legal occupancy rather than a new certificate. If you are changing the building's occupancy or doing construction, you file a long-form permit with ISD. The Boston Fire Department must review fire protection and life safety and sign off electronically before ISD will issue the certificate.

   Official government source

   Boston publishes no flat Certificate of Occupancy fee; the cost comes from the long-form building permit and inspection fees, which scale with the scope of work. Call Inspectional Services at 617-961-3223 for the amount on your project.·Driven by the Fire Department's document review, systems testing, and a final walkthrough — allow time for these before your planned opening date

   Boston publishes no flat Certificate of Occupancy fee; the cost comes from the long-form building permit and inspection fees, which scale with the scope of work. Call Inspectional Services at 617-961-3223 for the amount on your project.

   Driven by the Fire Department's document review, systems testing, and a final walkthrough — allow time for these before your planned opening date

Official Sources

• Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology and Barbering
• City of Boston — Business Certificate
• City of Boston — Inspectional Services
• Massachusetts DOR — MassTaxConnect

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