Who needs a salon license or barbershop license in South Carolina?

Issued by South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (LLR) for salons; South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners (LLR) for barbershops, at step 4 of 6 in the opening sequence: get the permits for your kind of business.

3 of the 20 kinds of business in South Carolina

Hair and nail salons are licensed by the Board of Cosmetology and barbershops by the Board of Barber Examiners; apply before opening, pass the inspection and display the license. A barber may not run a shop under a cosmetology salon license, and vice versa, so a shop offering both holds both. Every practitioner holds their own license.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against the agency’s page.

Step 4 of 6: Get the permits for your kind of business

  1. Set up the business
  2. Register for tax
  3. Approve the space
  4. Get the permits for your kind of business
  5. Alcohol permits
  6. Before the first hire

Issued by South Carolina Board of Cosmetology (LLR) for salons; South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners (LLR) for barbershops.

Sources and dates

Board of Cosmetology fee page; Board of Barber Examiners barbershop application package (revised September 2025) and fee list. Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.