Nail Salon Permit Requirements in Portland, OR

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)

2. OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Compliance

   Nail salons handle hazardous chemicals. OSHA requires Safety Data Sheets, employee training, and adequate ventilation (29 CFR 1910.1200).

   Official government source

   Free (compliance requirement)·Implement before opening

   Free (compliance requirement)

   Implement before opening

1. Oregon Health Licensing Office — Facility License (Nail Salon)

   All nail salons in Oregon must hold a cosmetology facility license from the Health Licensing Office (HLO), part of the Oregon Health Authority (ORS 690, OAR 817). The salon must meet sanitation, equipment, ventilation, and facility standards and is subject to inspection.

   Official government source

   $100 application fee + $110 facility license for one year (renewal $110/year)·3–6 weeks (includes application review and on-site inspection)

   $100 application fee + $110 facility license for one year (renewal $110/year)

   3–6 weeks (includes application review and on-site inspection)

2. Individual Nail Technician License (per employee)

   Every nail technician must hold an Oregon nail technology certificate from the Health Licensing Office (HLO). This requires completing an approved Oregon program (241 hours of nail technology instruction with 70 practical operations, plus 20 hours of Oregon laws & rules and 20 hours of career development) and passing the board-approved written nail technology exam and the Oregon Laws and Rules exam.

   Official government source

   $20 application + $35 per exam + $25 original certificate (two years); renewal $45 per two years·3–6 weeks (after completing required education and passing exams)

   $20 application + $35 per exam + $25 original certificate (two years); renewal $45 per two years

   3–6 weeks (after completing required education and passing exams)

3. Oregon Business Registry (if operating as LLC/Corporation)

   If your nail salon is structured as an LLC, corporation, or other entity, you must register with the Oregon Secretary of State Business Registry ($100 LLC filing fee). Sole proprietors or entities operating under a business name that does not include the owner's legal name must register the assumed business name (ABN) with the Oregon Secretary of State — $50, renewed every two years. Oregon has no county-level DBA filing.

   Official government source

   $100 (LLC registration); $50 (assumed business name, per 2 years)·1–2 weeks (online)

   $100 (LLC registration); $50 (assumed business name, per 2 years)

   1–2 weeks (online)

1. City of Portland Business License Tax Registration (Revenue Division)

   Portland has no flat-fee general business license. All businesses operating in Portland - including sole proprietors and home-based businesses - must register for the City of Portland Business License Tax with the Revenue Division within 60 days of starting business. Registration is free. The tax is 2.6% of net business income with a $100 minimum, filed annually on a combined return with the Multnomah County Business Income Tax (2% of net income; gross receipts under $100,000 are exempt from the county tax). Businesses with gross receipts under $75,000 (tax years beginning in 2026; rising to $100,000 in 2027) are exempt from the city tax but must still register. The Metro Supportive Housing Services 1% business income tax applies only to businesses with gross receipts over $5 million.

   Official government source

   Free to register; no annual license fee. Tax: 2.6% of net income ($100 minimum) only if gross receipts exceed $75,000 (2026 threshold; $100,000 from 2027)·1–2 weeks

   Free to register; no annual license fee. Tax: 2.6% of net income ($100 minimum) only if gross receipts exceed $75,000 (2026 threshold; $100,000 from 2027)

   1–2 weeks

2. City of Portland - Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy

   Check with Portland Permitting & Development (PPD, formerly BDS, 503-823-7300) before leasing: if your nail salon space needs tenant improvements or a change of the building's use or occupancy classification, a building permit is required (even where no alterations are planned, a change-of-occupancy permit documents the new use). A space already approved for the same use needs no new Certificate of Occupancy.

   Official government source

   Permit fees are valuation-based; confirm with PPD·2–6 weeks

   Permit fees are valuation-based; confirm with PPD

   2–6 weeks

3. Oregon Health Licensing Office - Cosmetology Facility License

   Cosmetology facilities (barber shops, hair and nail salons) in Portland are licensed by the STATE - the Oregon Health Licensing Office (HLO), part of the Oregon Health Authority - not by Multnomah County. There is no Multnomah County cosmetology establishment permit or county salon inspection program. The shop owner must obtain an HLO facility license before opening (application fee plus facility license fee per the HLO fee schedule), and HLO inspects licensed facilities for sanitation compliance. Individual practitioners hold their own HLO practitioner certificates.

   Official government source

   HLO facility license application + license fee (modest flat fees; verify current amounts on the HLO fee schedule) - no county fee·2–4 weeks

   HLO facility license application + license fee (modest flat fees; verify current amounts on the HLO fee schedule) - no county fee

   2–4 weeks

Official Sources

• Oregon Health Licensing Office — Cosmetology
• City of Portland — Revenue Division
• City of Portland Bureau of Development Services
• Multnomah County — Environmental Health
• Oregon Secretary of State — Business Registry

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