Nail Salon 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 OPLC — Manicurist (Nail Technician) License

   Each nail technician must hold a New Hampshire Manicurist license, issued by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification under the Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics. RSA 313-A:12 requires at least 300 hours of professional training in an approved school (there is no 600-hour upper requirement) plus passing the board examination. An apprentice manicurist license is available while training.

   Official government source

   $55 application fee for a personal Manicurist license (renewal and reinstatement are also $55); an apprentice license is likewise $55·No processing time is published by OPLC

   $55 application fee for a personal Manicurist license (renewal and reinstatement are also $55); an apprentice license is likewise $55

   No processing time is published by OPLC

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

   Nail salons in New Hampshire must hold a Shop license from the OPLC Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics — one 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. Each nail technician working there must separately hold a personal Manicurist 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 manicurist'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 manicurist'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, Cosmetology and Esthetics — Salon License
• City of Manchester City Clerk

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