Barber Shop Permit Requirements in Manchester, NH

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. New Hampshire Barber License (per barber)

   Each barber must hold a New Hampshire barber license issued by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification under the Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics. RSA 313-A:10 requires a minimum of 800 hours of training in an approved school of barbering, or 1,600 hours over at least 12 months under a licensed barber, plus passing an examination. The separate master barber license requires 1,500 school hours or 3,000 apprenticeship hours over at least 18 months.

   Official government source

   $55 application fee for a personal barber license (same for renewal and reinstatement)·Confirm current processing time with OPLC (603-271-2152)

   $55 application fee for a personal barber license (same for renewal and reinstatement)

   Confirm current processing time with OPLC (603-271-2152)

2. New Hampshire — No Sales Tax

   New Hampshire has no state sales tax and no local sales taxes, so businesses need no sales tax permit or resale registration for sales tax purposes. Businesses may instead owe the Business Enterprise Tax and the Business Profits Tax, both administered by the NH Department of Revenue Administration; BET paid can be credited against BPT. Restaurants, caterers and lodging operators separately collect the Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax and must hold a DRA license for it. Filing and payment are handled through DRA's Granite Tax Connect portal.

   Official government source

   No fee to register for business taxes with DRA. For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a BET return is due from any enterprise with more than $298,000 in gross receipts or an enterprise value tax base above $298,000; the BET rate is 0.55%·Immediate — registration and filing are done online through Granite Tax Connect

   No fee to register for business taxes with DRA. For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a BET return is due from any enterprise with more than $298,000 in gross receipts or an enterprise value tax base above $298,000; the BET rate is 0.55%

   Immediate — registration and filing are done online through Granite Tax Connect

1. New Hampshire OPLC Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics — Shop License

   Barber shops in New Hampshire must hold a Shop license from the OPLC Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics — a single shop category covers barbering, cosmetology, manicuring and esthetics. The shop must pass an initial inspection before the license is issued and is subject to routine inspections afterward. Every practitioner working there must separately hold a personal license.

   Official government source

   $110 shop application fee (renewal and reinstatement are also $110) plus a $150 initial inspection fee; routine inspections thereafter are $100. Each practitioner's personal license is $55·No processing time is published by OPLC

   $110 shop application fee (renewal and reinstatement are also $110) plus a $150 initial inspection fee; routine inspections thereafter are $100. Each practitioner's personal license is $55

   No processing time is published by OPLC

2. Manchester City Clerk — Business License (activity-specific, not general)

   Manchester does NOT require a general business license for all businesses. The City Clerk's Business Licensing and Enforcement Division licenses only specific activities: food-service establishments, high-impact retail selling tobacco/vape/lottery products, peddlers, hawkers, dealers of junk/secondhand goods, pawnbrokers, hotels/motels/B&Bs, tattoo and body-piercing establishments, farmers markets, taxicab companies/drivers, non-consensual towing companies, employment offices, and circuses/carnivals/fairs/festivals/entertainment venues. Businesses outside these categories are not required to hold this license; call (603) 624-6348 to confirm applicability to your specific business.

   Official government source

   Varies by license type; call (603) 624-6348·1-3 weeks (if applicable)

   Varies by license type; call (603) 624-6348

   1-3 weeks (if applicable)

Official Sources

• New Hampshire Board of Barbering, Barber and Esthetics — Salon License
• City of Manchester City Clerk

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