Hair Salon Permit Requirements in Nashville, TN

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)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Tennessee Cosmetology Shop License

   Required for hair salons operating in Tennessee. Issued by the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners within the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance; the form is the Initial Full Service Cosmetology Shop Application. The shop license is separate from each practitioner's individual license, and a licensed cosmetologist or master barber must manage the shop while it operates. New shops must be inspected and approved before opening.

   Official government source

   $150 for a new shop, relocated shop, or change of ownership (one-time), and $75 to renew. A dual shop is $200 new and $100 to renew. Individual practitioner licenses are $60 each initially and $60 to renew.·The Board makes the initial inspection within 10 days of receiving the online application, and advises applying at least 3 weeks before you intend to open. The application and fees are valid for 90 days.

   $150 for a new shop, relocated shop, or change of ownership (one-time), and $75 to renew. A dual shop is $200 new and $100 to renew. Individual practitioner licenses are $60 each initially and $60 to renew.

   The Board makes the initial inspection within 10 days of receiving the online application, and advises applying at least 3 weeks before you intend to open. The application and fees are valid for 90 days.

2. Individual Cosmetologist License (per stylist)

   Every cosmetologist working in the salon must hold a current Tennessee cosmetologist license from the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Department of Commerce and Insurance). The published requirements are: be at least 16 years old, complete 1,500 hours of practice and theory at a school of cosmetology, and pass a written and a practical examination administered by the Board's testing vendor, PSI. The initial application is filed online at core.tn.gov.

   Official government source

   $60 initial application fee and $60 renewal fee per licensee. PSI charges its examination fees separately. A $25 late fee applies to an individual who renews after expiration.·Driven by the 1,500 required school hours and by PSI exam scheduling; the Board publishes no processing time for the application itself.

   $60 initial application fee and $60 renewal fee per licensee. PSI charges its examination fees separately. A $25 late fee applies to an individual who renews after expiration.

   Driven by the 1,500 required school hours and by PSI exam scheduling; the Board publishes no processing time for the application itself.

3. Tennessee Sales and Use Tax Certificate (Hair Salons)

   Register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue through TNTAP to sell retail beauty products - shampoos, conditioners, styling products, tools. There is no ambiguity about the services: Revenue's Sales and Use Tax Manual states that all services are exempt unless specifically enumerated as taxable by statute, and the enumerated list is repair of tangible personal property or software, installation, lodging, short-term space rental to transient dealers, cleaning tangible personal property and animal bathing, parking and storing motor vehicles, telecommunications, television programming, ancillary services and uranium enrichment. Haircutting, colouring and styling appear nowhere on it, so salon services are not taxable; only the retail product sales are. In Nashville taxable sales are charged at 7% state plus 2.25% Davidson County, for 9.25%. Buy resale inventory tax-free with a Tennessee resale certificate.

   Official government source

   No fee. Registration for a sales and use tax certificate through TNTAP costs nothing.·Not immediate. The Department of Revenue states it takes up to 10 business days to register your business.

   No fee. Registration for a sales and use tax certificate through TNTAP costs nothing.

   Not immediate. The Department of Revenue states it takes up to 10 business days to register your business.

1. Metro Nashville - Davidson County Clerk Business License

   Required for businesses operating within Metro Nashville-Davidson County. Issued by the Davidson County Clerk's Business Services office, not the Metro Finance Department. The local registration fee does not vary by business classification: a salon pays the same flat fee as any other business. Annual gross receipts of $3,000-$99,999 mean a minimal activity license; $100,000 or more means a standard business license plus Tennessee business tax filed with the Department of Revenue. The state Cosmetology Shop license from the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners is separate.

   Official government source

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.·The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.

   The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

2. Tennessee Cosmetology Shop License and Sanitation Compliance

   Sanitation standards for hair salons are set and enforced by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Department of Commerce and Insurance) through the cosmetology shop license - not by the Metro Public Health Department, whose Public Facilities Inspection program covers hotels, pools, schools, camps, and tattoo and body-piercing studios. The shop license carries the sterilization, workstation, and facility requirements, and Board inspectors enforce them. Apply under 'How to Get a Shop or School License' for a Cosmetology Shop.

   Official government source

   $150 for a new shop, a relocated shop, or a change of ownership; $75 to renew. A $50 late fee applies to a shop that renews after expiration. Inspection is part of the license - there is no separate inspection fee.·The shop license must be in place before the salon opens; the Board publishes no processing time.

   $150 for a new shop, a relocated shop, or a change of ownership; $75 to renew. A $50 late fee applies to a shop that renews after expiration. Inspection is part of the license - there is no separate inspection fee.

   The shop license must be in place before the salon opens; the Board publishes no processing time.

3. Metro Nashville Use and Occupancy Permit (Certificate of Occupancy)

   Required before opening a salon in a commercial space in Nashville. Metro Codes and Building Safety issues the Use and Occupancy permit, which is how compliance with zoning and building requirements for the intended use is established. Submit a Commercial Permit Application, plus a site plan or parking survey where applicable, to the Zoning Help Desk; a Zoning Examiner is then assigned. The Fire Marshal reviews commercial spaces as part of the process, and the Use and Occupancy letter is typically the last step in the permitting process before you can occupy the space.

   Official government source

   Metro publishes no flat fee for the Use and Occupancy permit itself; permit and inspection charges are driven by the scope of the construction work under Metro's building permit fees. A zoning verification letter for the address, which is often what a landlord or lender actually asks for, costs $50 ($40 for a TABC letter) under the fee schedule effective April 7, 2026.·Metro Codes publishes no review time for the Use and Occupancy permit; a Zoning Examiner is assigned after you submit the commercial permit application and site plan to the Zoning Help Desk (615-862-6510). The final Use and Occupancy letter is requested from the Building Inspection Division at 615-862-6550. A zoning verification letter has a published 5-business-day turnaround.

   Metro publishes no flat fee for the Use and Occupancy permit itself; permit and inspection charges are driven by the scope of the construction work under Metro's building permit fees. A zoning verification letter for the address, which is often what a landlord or lender actually asks for, costs $50 ($40 for a TABC letter) under the fee schedule effective April 7, 2026.

   Metro Codes publishes no review time for the Use and Occupancy permit; a Zoning Examiner is assigned after you submit the commercial permit application and site plan to the Zoning Help Desk (615-862-6510). The final Use and Occupancy letter is requested from the Building Inspection Division at 615-862-6550. A zoning verification letter has a published 5-business-day turnaround.

Official Sources

• Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance - Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners
• Metro Nashville Finance Department - Business Tax
• Metro Nashville Codes Administration
• Tennessee Department of Revenue - Sales Tax

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