Two closed binders and a pen on a conference table, How to Open a Barbershop in Nevada: Licenses and Costs

How to Open a Barbershop in Nevada

Last verified: November 5, 2026

Nevada licenses barbers and barbershops under their own chapter of law, not under cosmetology. The Nevada State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board (NRS chapter 643) issues two separate licenses: one to each barber and one to the shop itself. You need both, plus the usual state and city business registrations, and the shop must be under the direct supervision and management of a licensed barber at all times (NRS 643.190).

That last rule decides who can open one. If you hold a barber license, you can own and run the shop. If you do not, you can still own it, but you must have a licensed barber managing it and give the Board a signed leasing and rental agreement naming that barber (NAC 643.290). Hiring a manager and leaving them to it is not enough on its own.

This guide covers the order of steps, the fees that statute and regulation actually set, and what the Board inspects. It leaves out equipment prices, lease advice and marketing tips, because no agency sets those and any figure here would be a guess.

Step 1: Get Licensed as a Barber (or Hire One to Run the Shop)

You cannot cut hair for pay, or employ anyone who does, without a license from the Board (NRS 643.190). Which route you take depends on where you start:

  • Starting from scratch: finish 1,500 hours at a Board-approved barber school (NAC 643.660), pass the apprentice exam, then work as a licensed apprentice for 18 months at 40 hours a week or more under a licensed barber before you sit the barber exam (NAC 643.030). Because a school student may not receive more than 40 hours of instruction a week, the school hours alone take at least 38 weeks (our arithmetic from that cap), so plan on roughly two and a half years or more before you hold a barber license.
  • Licensed cosmetologist: a Nevada cosmetology license plus 400 hours of barber school lets you sit the barber exam without an apprenticeship (NRS 643.085, NAC 643.020).
  • Licensed barber from another state: the Board can issue a license by endorsement if your license is valid and your qualifications are substantially similar (NAC 643.025). An alternative path in NAC 643.020 counts five years as a licensed barber in the past ten.

Basic eligibility: you must be at least 18 for a barber license (16 and a half for an apprentice license), and the application includes a physician's certificate that you are free of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases (NRS 643.070, NRS 643.080, NRS 643.090). The exam has a practical demonstration plus written and oral tests and is held at least three times a year, with notice posted on the Board's website at least 60 days ahead (NRS 643.100). The exam fee is $100 (NAC 643.070).

One apprenticeship rule catches family businesses: an apprentice may not serve in a shop owned by the apprentice's spouse, or by a relative within the third degree unless that relative is a licensed barber who owns and operates the shop (NAC 643.220). A shop may employ no more than two apprentices per licensed barber, and no more than six in total (NAC 643.230).

Renewal

Barber and apprentice licenses renew every two years, on or before April 1 of each even-numbered year, at a fee of $60 (NRS 643.140, NAC 643.160). A license not renewed by May 1 expires, and can be restored within two years for $120. We found no continuing education requirement for barbers in NRS or NAC chapter 643 (the 16-hour rule applies to barber school instructors), so confirm with the Board before you plan around one.

Step 2: License the Shop Itself

A barbershop license is a separate license from the Board (NRS 643.171). It is not transferable between owners or between locations (NRS 643.1715), so if you move, the new space needs its own license and inspection. For a new shop the process runs like this:

  1. Submit the application with a floor plan drawn to scale with dimensions shown (NAC 643.190), and the $50 inspection fee (NAC 643.195).
  2. A Board member inspects within 6 days and, if the shop complies, issues a temporary license valid for 20 days. The regular license follows before that period ends (NRS 643.1713).
  3. Pay the license fee: $50 for a license of six months or more (NAC 643.200). Shop licenses renew every two years, during April of each odd-numbered year (NRS 643.1714).

What the Inspector Checks

These are requirements written into the Board's regulations, so build the space around them before you sign a lease:

  • Floor area: at least 100 square feet for the first chair and 60 for each additional chair (NAC 643.280).
  • Sinks: one sink for every two chairs, within 3 feet of each work area, plus continuously available hot and cold running water (NAC 643.330, NRS 643.200).
  • Surfaces: walls of nonporous, washable material, and washable nonporous flooring (carpet only in the waiting area with Board approval, kept 4 feet from chairs) (NAC 643.320).
  • Separation: a shop run in connection with another business or a residence needs a substantial partition, 8 feet high or to the ceiling, unless the other business is a shoeshine or manicure stand (NAC 643.250). Planning to work from home? Read our Nevada home-based business guide first.
  • Waste, towels and toilets: a covered waste receptacle at every chair, a clean towel for each client, and adequate toilets in or next to the shop (NAC 643.350, NAC 643.380, NAC 643.410).
  • Disinfection: tools are cleaned, then disinfected with an EPA-registered product that is bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal, used for the label's contact time (NAC 643.355). We found no autoclave requirement in the regulation, so do not buy one because an older guide said the health code demands it. Shaving mugs and brushes are prohibited (NAC 643.370).
  • Signage: a recognized barbershop sign at the main entrance, and a copy of the Board's regulations on display (NRS 643.200, NRS 643.150). Barber poles are restricted too: only a licensed barbershop, or a licensed cosmetology establishment leasing to a licensed barber, may display one (NRS 643.190).

Step 3: Form Your Business and Register With the State

Most shop owners form an LLC to keep business debts separate from personal assets. That is our reading of the tradeoff, not a legal requirement: a sole proprietor can open a licensed shop too, and the Board licenses the barber and the shop regardless of the entity. Talk to a Nevada attorney or CPA if the choice is close. Our guides cover the details: how to start an LLC in Nevada, sole proprietorship, and LLC versus corporation. If you want help with the filing itself, compare Nevada LLC services.

For an LLC, the state steps are:

A corporation costs more: the $75 filing fee applies only up to $75,000 in authorized shares, and the State Business License for a corporation is $500 (NRS chapter 78).

Step 4: Local Licenses, Fictitious Name and Taxes

City or County Business License

Nevada cities and counties license businesses on top of the state. In Las Vegas, the City of Las Vegas business license office covers shops inside city limits, while Clark County handles unincorporated areas through its business license application guide. In Reno, start with the City of Reno business license guide. We could not verify current barbershop fees for these offices, so ask each for the fee before you budget. See also our Clark County and Washoe County pages.

Fictitious Firm Name

If you trade under a name other than your own or your LLC's, register it with the county clerk. Clark County charges $25 for a new or renewed filing (Clark County Clerk fee schedule); each county sets its own fee. More in our DBA guide.

Sales Tax and Payroll Tax

The Department of Taxation ties its $15-per-location sales tax permit to retailers selling tangible personal property (Nevada Department of Taxation: start a business). A haircut is a service, so the permit matters mainly if you sell pomade, tools or other products at the counter; earlier versions of this page said the permit applied to all barbershop services, which the Department's page does not support. Confirm your own case with the Department.

If you hire barbers as employees, you also owe the Modified Business Tax: 1.17% of quarterly wages above $50,000, with a return due every quarter even when nothing is owed (Nevada Department of Taxation: Modified Business Tax). See our MBT guide.

Step 5: Insurance and Staff

Nevada requires employers to carry workers' compensation; see our workers' compensation guide and business insurance guide. General liability is not a state requirement for barbershops that we could find, but a landlord will usually ask for it and a client injury claim does not care whether you were required to carry it. We publish no premium figures, because they depend on your carrier, chair count and claims history.

Check every barber's license before they work a chair. Employing an unlicensed barber is unlawful for the owner as well as the barber (NRS 643.190), and violations are a misdemeanor (NRS 643.210). If a barber you hire holds only a cosmetology license, that license does not authorize barbering. Running a salon-style space instead? See our hair salon guide, which falls under a different board.

Costs You Can Count On

Only fees set by statute, regulation or an agency page are listed. Rent, buildout, equipment and insurance are not, so get quotes for those.

ItemCostSource
Barber exam$100NAC 643.070
Barber license renewal (every two years)$60NAC 643.160
Barbershop inspection (new shop)$50NAC 643.195
Barbershop license (every two years)$50NAC 643.200
LLC Articles of Organization$75NRS 86.561
LLC initial list$150NRS 86.263
State Business License (LLC, yearly)$200NRS chapter 76
Fictitious firm name (Clark County)$25Clark County Clerk
Sales tax permit, if you sell products (per location)$15Department of Taxation
City or county business licenseVariesAsk the city or county office

State formation for an LLC adds up to $425 the first year ($75 + $150 + $200), then $350 a year in state fees ($150 annual list + $200 license). The Board's statutory ceilings are higher than some of these fees (for example $60 for renewal and $100 for the exam are at the limit in NRS 643.140 and NRS 643.090), so check the Board for any change before you pay. We could not find the initial barber license fee in NRS or NAC 643.

Disclaimer

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Board rules, fees and exam dates change, so confirm them with the Nevada State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board before you apply. Consult a Nevada-licensed attorney about your entity and lease, and a CPA about taxes.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides