Open binder, pen and closed laptop on a wooden desk, How to Open a Salon in Nevada: Licenses and Fees

How to Start a Hair Salon Business in Nevada

Last verified: November 5, 2026

A Nevada salon needs two kinds of license that owners often mix up. Each person who works a chair holds an individual license, and the space itself needs an establishment license from the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology. You do not have to be a cosmetologist to own a salon, but a person licensed in each service you sell must be supervising whenever that service is performed (NRS 644A.625).

Our advice: form the business and get the state business license first, then apply to the Board with a floor plan at least 20 days before you want to open. The Board issues the license to a named owner and a named business, so a name or ownership change after approval means a new license (NRS 644A.605).

Licenses, Permits and Fees at a Glance

RequirementWho issues itCostSource
State business licenseSecretary of State$200 a year (LLC, sole proprietor); $500 for a corporationNRS 76.100
Salon establishment license, 2 yearsBoard of Cosmetology$215 ($200 license plus $15 first inspection)Board fee schedule
Salon establishment license, 4 yearsBoard of Cosmetology$415 ($400 license plus $15 first inspection)Board fee schedule
Re-inspection after a failed opening inspectionBoard of Cosmetology$25NRS 644A.600
Establishment renewalBoard of Cosmetology$200 for 2 years, $400 for 4 yearsBoard fee schedule
Cosmetologist license (each stylist)Board of Cosmetology$70 for 2 years or $140 for 4 years, plus $125 testing feeBoard fee schedule
Seller's permit, if you sell retail productsDepartment of Taxation$15 per locationDepartment of Taxation: start a business
Fictitious firm name, if you trade under a name that is not your legal oneCounty clerkSet by each county; Clark County charges $25Clark County Clerk fee schedule
City or county business license and zoningYour city or countyVaries; not set by the stateAsk your city or county licensing office

Forming an LLC adds $425 in state fees in the first year ($75 articles of organization, $150 initial list, $200 license) and $350 a year after that, per NRS chapter 86. Build-out, equipment and insurance prices are not set by any agency, so get quotes for your own space.

Step 1: Decide Who Holds Which License

The establishment license covers the space. It does not license anyone to cut, color or style hair. Every person who performs those services needs an individual license from the same Board, and the owner's license has to match the services on the menu.

  • Owner who is not licensed: allowed, if a licensed person is supervising for each branch of service whenever it is offered (NRS 644A.625).
  • Barbers: you may employ or lease space to a barber, but a barber stays under the State Barbers' Health and Sanitation Board (NRS 644A.615). See our Nevada barbershop guide if the shop is barber-only.
  • Nails, skin or braiding on the menu: each needs its own licensed or registered provider. Our Nevada nail salon guide covers the nail side.

Step 2: Form the Business and Get the State Business License

The Board's own opening checklist starts with a Nevada state business license, so do this before you apply. Most salon owners form an LLC so a client claim or a lease dispute does not reach personal assets. Our Nevada LLC guide walks through the filing, and you can compare LLC formation services in Nevada if you would rather not file it yourself.

Use the exact legal name on the Board application. If you trade under a different name, file a fictitious firm name with the county clerk (NRS chapter 602); the fee is set by each county. For the wider picture see our Nevada business license guide.

Step 3: Get Every Stylist Licensed

The path to a license depends on the service, and the hour counts are in statute. Do not rely on the 600-hour figure that circulates for salons: 600 hours is the school route for estheticians, not for cosmetologists.

  • Cosmetologist: 1,600 hours in a Board-approved school, or 3,200 hours as an apprentice, or at least 4 years of documented practice outside Nevada (NRS 644A.300).
  • Hair designer (hair only): 1,000 hours in school, or 2,000 hours as an apprentice, or at least 4 years of documented practice outside Nevada (NRS 644A.315).
  • Licensed in another state: apply for reciprocity. The Board charges $325 including the test, and you must pass a 25-question Nevada law test with at least 75 percent (Board of Cosmetology: transfer to Nevada).

Individual license fees, the $125 testing fee and the $95 re-test fee are on the Board fee schedule. Before a stylist starts, check the license on the Board's licensee lookup.

Step 4: Apply for the Establishment License

The Board asks for the application at least 20 days before your planned opening date (Board of Cosmetology: establishment licensing overview). The Board's sequence on its how to open an establishment page is: state business license, application with floor plan, schedule an opening inspection, pass it, receive the license.

  • What to submit: the application with a detailed floor plan and proof of the requirements, with the fees, through the Board's forms and applications page (NRS 644A.600).
  • Inspection: the Board contacts you to set a date to inspect the space and activate the license. A license is not valid until it is activated.
  • If you fail: fix the listed items, then pay the $25 re-inspection fee to schedule another visit.
  • After you open: display the license where the public can see it, and put the establishment's license name and number, plus each licensee's number, in any advertisement (NRS 644A.800).

Practical conclusion: you need a space to draw a floor plan, so write the lease with an exit if the space fails inspection. The Board inspects the finished space, and a failed inspection costs you rent while you wait.

Step 5: Build the Space to the Board's Rules

Inspectors check the space against the Nevada Administrative Code. These are the items most likely to change your build-out plan:

  • Plumbing: permanent plumbing with hot and cold running water, and a dispensary sink that is separate from any restroom sink or shampoo bowl (NAC 644A.725).
  • Floors: non-porous flooring around each sink, pedicure spa and dispensary sink, for a distance equal to the width of the fixture (NAC 644A.725).
  • Restrooms: working toilets for clients and staff, with a sink and mechanical exhaust. Outside restrooms must be within 100 feet of the entrance and under the same roof (NAC 644A.715).
  • Changes after licensing: any change to the physical structure needs Board approval (NRS 644A.605).

We found no minimum station spacing or square footage per chair in the establishment rules, so ignore guides that quote one. The Board's establishment opening checklist is the document the inspector uses.

Step 6: Choose Employees, Booth Renters or Both

Nevada lets a salon owner either employ licensed staff or lease space to them (NRS 644A.620). Both are allowed under the same establishment license, but the duties differ.

  • Renters must be licensed: you may lease space only to licensed or registered Board professionals, with narrow exceptions such as barbers and health care providers (NRS 644A.615).
  • Renters supervise their own branch: a lessee provides the supervision for the service he or she offers (NRS 644A.625), and you must tell each lessee about the sanitation rules (NAC 644A.515).
  • Other tenants: a tenant outside the Board's jurisdiction, such as a massage therapist, needs one of these: a locked door with walls at least 6 feet high, a different floor, other separation with clear signage, or both licenses (NAC 644A.510).
  • Employees: employers with employees must carry workers' compensation (NRS chapter 616A) and file the quarterly Modified Business Tax return, which is 1.17 percent of wages above $50,000 a quarter (Department of Taxation: Modified Business Tax).

Whether a chair renter counts as an independent contractor for tax purposes is an IRS question, not a Board one. Ask a CPA before you rely on a rental agreement to avoid payroll.

Step 7: Register for Taxes and Local Permits

  • EIN: free from the IRS, and needed if you hire. Apply only at the IRS EIN page; paid look-alike sites charge for the same form.
  • Seller's permit: if you sell shampoo, styling products or other retail goods, register with the Department of Taxation through My Nevada Tax. The fee is $15 per location (Department of Taxation: start a business). The base statewide sales tax rate is 6.85 percent, and your county's total rate is higher; use the Department of Taxation rate publications for yours.
  • City or county business license: the state license does not replace it. In Las Vegas see the City of Las Vegas business licenses page; in unincorporated Clark County use the Clark County business license guide. Other cities and counties run their own offices, so call yours before you sign a lease. Fees are not set statewide and we did not verify them.
  • Zoning: confirm the space is zoned for a salon with your city or county planning office before you sign.

Mobile and In-Home Salons

The Board licenses both for $200 for 2 years (Board of Cosmetology: mobile and in-home establishments). An in-home salon must be completely and permanently sealed off from living space with its own entrance, and the home must be in an area where local zoning allows it, or hold a variance before you apply (NAC 644A.820). Inspectors visit in-home salons 2 to 3 times a year according to the Board. If a home owners association or zoning office says no, the Board says no too. See our Nevada home-based business guide first.

Mistakes That Cost Owners Money

  • Letting the license lapse: an establishment that has not paid renewal within 90 days after expiration must close immediately (NRS 644A.610).
  • Changing the name, owner, services or location without telling the Board: the salon may not operate after the change until a new license is issued (NRS 644A.605).
  • Letting an unlicensed person work: operating without the right license is unlawful, and discipline can include a fine up to $2,000 (NRS 644A.900, NRS 644A.850).
  • Advertising without license numbers: ads must carry the establishment's license name and number and each named stylist's number (NRS 644A.800).

Next Steps

Call the Board with questions about your floor plan before you apply: 702-508-0015, or email [email protected]. The Nevada Small Business Development Center offers free business counseling. For liability insurance, we found no state requirement for establishments in the cosmetology statutes, but landlords and lenders often ask for it, so get a quote from a broker who writes salon policies. Compare your total against our Nevada startup cost guide.

Disclaimer

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Board rules, fees and forms change, so confirm them with the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology before you apply. Consult a Nevada-licensed attorney about your entity and lease, and a CPA about taxes and worker classification.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides