Nail 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 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. Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners - Manicure Shop License

   Nail salons in Tennessee are licensed as a Manicure Shop by the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, within the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance - not as a 'Cosmetology Salon', which is a different license type. A licensed manicurist or cosmetologist must serve as manager whenever the shop operates, and the shop must have the required equipment: manicure tables, disinfectants and sanitizers, sinks with hot and cold water, and foot baths if pedicures are offered. New shops must be inspected and approved before opening.

   Official government source

   $150 for a new shop, relocated shop, or change of ownership; $75 to renew. A dual shop (for example manicure plus skin care) is $200 new and $100 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; $75 to renew. A dual shop (for example manicure plus skin care) is $200 new and $100 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 Nail Technician License (per employee)

   Every nail technician working in the salon must hold a Tennessee Manicurist license from the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. It requires satisfactory completion of a course of instruction of not less than 600 hours in the practice and theory of manicuring - not 300 hours - followed by a written and practical examination. The Board's examinations are administered by PSI, which handles application and registration for the exam.

   Official government source

   $60 application fee per technician, and $60 to renew. This is the same fee as every other individual license the Board issues (cosmetologist, master barber, aesthetician, natural hair stylist, eyelash specialist).·The Board publishes no processing time. The gating steps are the 600 training hours and scheduling the written and practical exam with PSI, so plan around school completion and exam availability rather than an application queue.

   $60 application fee per technician, and $60 to renew. This is the same fee as every other individual license the Board issues (cosmetologist, master barber, aesthetician, natural hair stylist, eyelash specialist).

   The Board publishes no processing time. The gating steps are the 600 training hours and scheduling the written and practical exam with PSI, so plan around school completion and exam availability rather than an application queue.

3. Tennessee Sales and Use Tax Registration (Nail Salons)

   Register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue through TNTAP if your salon sells retail products - polish, files, treatments, gift items. Tennessee taxes services only when the statute enumerates them, and manicure, pedicure and other nail services are not enumerated, so the services themselves are not subject to sales tax; only the retail merchandise is. The state rate is 7% and Davidson County's local rate is 2.25%, for 9.25% in Nashville. Products you buy for resale can be purchased tax-free with a Tennessee resale certificate, while supplies you consume in performing services are taxable to you when you buy them.

   Official government source

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

   No fee. A sales and use tax certificate of registration through TNTAP costs nothing.

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

1. Davidson County Business License (Metro Business License)

   Issued by the Davidson County Clerk's Business Services office, not the Metro Finance Department. A nail salon with Tennessee gross receipts over $3,000 but under $100,000 needs a minimal activity license; at $100,000 or more it needs a standard business license and must also register for and remit Tennessee business tax with the Department of Revenue through TNTAP. Below $3,000 in gross receipts no license is required at all. The license fee itself is flat and does not vary with gross receipts.

   Official government source

   $15 flat outside Nashville city limits but in Davidson County (General Service District); $30 flat within Nashville city limits (Urban Service District). The separate state business tax is a percentage of gross receipts and applies only to standard (non-minimal-activity) licensees.·Issued by the Davidson County Clerk when you apply and pay - online, in person, or by mail. Standard licensees must first register for business tax with the Tennessee Department of Revenue, which takes up to 10 business days.

   $15 flat outside Nashville city limits but in Davidson County (General Service District); $30 flat within Nashville city limits (Urban Service District). The separate state business tax is a percentage of gross receipts and applies only to standard (non-minimal-activity) licensees.

   Issued by the Davidson County Clerk when you apply and pay - online, in person, or by mail. Standard licensees must first register for business tax with the Tennessee Department of Revenue, which takes up to 10 business days.

2. Metro Nashville - Use and Occupancy Permit (Certificate of Occupancy)

   A Use and Occupancy permit from Metro Codes and Building Safety is required before opening a nail salon; it confirms the space is zoned and built for the intended use. Do not use 615-862-6560, which is the Electrical trade-permit line. The Codes main line is 615-862-6500, the Zoning Help Desk that receives the commercial permit application is 615-862-6510, and the Use and Occupancy letter - typically the last step in the permitting process - is requested from the Building Inspection Division at 615-862-6550 or in person on the 3rd floor of the Metro Office Building, 800 President Ronald Reagan Way. The state Manicure Shop license from the Board of Cosmetology is separate.

   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 Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners
• Metro Nashville — Finance / Tax and License Administration
• Metro Nashville — Codes Administration
• Tennessee Department of Revenue — Sales Tax

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