How to Start a Barbershop in Georgia: Barber Licenses, Shop License and Name Rules

October 29, 2026

Opening a barbershop in Georgia takes two kinds of state license from the same board, plus the business registrations every company needs. The order matters. The city or county will not issue its local business certificate until it sees proof of the state barber license, so this guide puts the Board licenses first and the business steps after them.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, deadlines and agency rules change. Confirm current figures with the agency named in each step. For complex situations, such as buying an existing shop, bringing in partners, or hiring apprentices, consult a qualified Georgia attorney and a CPA.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file anything. Missing one usually means a stalled application.

• A list of every person who will cut hair in the shop: you, each barber, and any chair renter
• For each barber, a school transcript or certificate, or an apprenticeship training log
• A business address where a barbershop is allowed under local zoning, confirmed with the city or county
• A shop name that includes the word “Salon” or “Shop” and passes Secretary of State name rules
• Funds for the Secretary of State filing fee ($110 for an LLC or corporation), an optional $35 name reservation, and the Board’s non-refundable shop application fee (confirm the current amount)
• A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), obtained after your entity exists
• An account on the Georgia Secretary of State eCorp portal at https://ecorp.sos.ga.gov/

Step 1: Understand the Two Licenses and Who Regulates Them

Georgia has no general state business license. The Secretary of State issues none, and a Department of Revenue sales tax registration is not a business license. For a barbershop, the state requirements come from barber and cosmetology licensing:

• A shop license for the location. The business cannot operate without it.
• An individual license for every person who cuts hair in the shop.

Since July 1, 2015 (HB 314), one board has regulated barbers and cosmetologists: the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers. Its rules are Department 240, and its licensing is run by the Professional Licensing Boards Division of the Secretary of State. A bill to move the Board to the Department of Public Health has been proposed and its status is unconfirmed, so check with the Board about which agency handles your application before you file. For individual license types, see the Georgia cosmetology and barber license guide.

Step 2: Get the Shop Licensed Before You Open

The shop must be licensed by the Board before it conducts business. Under Rule 240-12-.01, the rules include these requirements:

1. Apply before operating. Submit the shop application in the Board’s current packet. The application carries a non-refundable processing fee. Older Board rules put it at $75, but confirm the current amount on the Board’s fee schedule and the documents required in the current packet.
2. Complete the owner’s health and safety course. The shop owner must finish a Board-approved course in health, safety and sanitation. Check the Board’s list of approved providers and keep your completion certificate with your records.
3. Follow sanitation rules every day. The shop must follow the Board’s cleansing, disinfection and sanitation rules at all times, not just during inspections.
4. Display the license. Post the shop license, or a current copy of the online verification, within 15 feet of the entrance in an open, easily viewable area.

Two deadlines apply after opening. If you buy an existing shop, you must file an application to register the change of ownership within 30 days of the purchase. If a shop is sold or closed, its license must be returned within 30 days.

Step 3: Follow the Name Rules for the Shop and the Entity

Georgia applies two sets of name rules, and both must be met.

• The Board rule: the shop’s business name must include the word “Salon” or “Shop,” and it must not mislead the public about the services offered.
• The Secretary of State rule: an LLC name must contain a limited liability company designator such as Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C., and it must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State’s records.

For example, “Sunny Cuts Shop, LLC” meets both rules. “Sunny Cuts LLC” meets the Secretary of State rule but not the Board rule. Check the Secretary of State’s name rules before you file. You can reserve a name for 30 days for $35.

If the name you advertise differs from the name on your entity, you need a trade name (DBA) filing. Trade names are filed with the Clerk of Superior Court of the county where the business is chiefly carried on, not with the Secretary of State. Notice must be published in the county legal organ once a week for two weeks. Clerk fees run about $165 plus the newspaper charge, so confirm the exact amount with your county clerk. General guidance is at https://sos.ga.gov/page/business-division-faq.

Step 4: License Each Barber Individually

Every person who cuts hair needs an individual license. A school certificate is not a license, so do not treat one as proof of licensing. Georgia offers two barber licenses:

• Master Barber: school of at least 9 months and 1,500 hours
• Barber II: school of at least 7 months and 1,140 hours (190 hours of theory and 950 hours of practical training)

These program lengths come from Rules 240-14-.02 and 240-14-.03. Ask each school to confirm that its program meets these minimums before you enroll a barber.

The apprenticeship route

Georgia allows a person to train as a barber in a licensed shop instead of attending school. The Georgia barber apprenticeship hours are set by Rule 240-5-.01, and the key rules are these:

• The apprentice must be at least 16 years old.
• Training takes place under a supervising master who has held a barber license for at least 18 months.
• Master Barber training requires 18 months and 3,000 hours. Barber II training requires 14 months and 2,280 hours.
• The apprentice license lasts four years and cannot be renewed.
• Apprentice hours cannot be combined with school hours, and no credit is given for hours logged before the apprentice license is issued.
• The shop owner or manager keeps the apprentice’s hour records. Keep them accurate and current, because they are your evidence if the Board asks.

Exams

Applicants take a written exam and a practical exam. Each requires a minimum score of 70%. If you fail one section, you must retake that section (Rule 240-6-.02).

Continuing education

Each renewal requires 5 hours of continuing education: 3 hours in a Board-approved health and safety course, and 2 hours in a listed topic. The first renewal is exempt (Rule 240-3-.01).

Chair renters

A chair renter needs their own individual license. Confirm with the Board whether a chair renter needs anything more before you allow one to work in your shop.

Step 5: Form the Entity

Your business entity is separate from the Board licenses, but you should form it before you apply for the local certificate. For an LLC, file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. For a corporation, file Articles of Incorporation. Each costs $110 total ($100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge), filed online or on paper.

• Processing: online filings take about 7 to 10 business days. Paper filings take about 15 business days.
• Expedited review: $120 for 2 business days, $275 for same day if received by noon, or $1,200 for one hour on business days.
• Registered agent: every entity needs a registered agent with a Georgia street address. A P.O. box or mail drop does not qualify. An LLC’s agent must be a Georgia resident or an authorized corporation, and the registered office must be the agent’s business office. An entity cannot serve as its own agent.

For the full LLC process, see how to start an LLC in Georgia. Corporation details are at the Secretary of State’s Corporations Division.

Once formed, the entity must file an annual registration, which costs $60 ($50 plus a $10 service charge). An LLC files between January 1 and April 1 each year, starting the year after it forms. A new corporation files within 90 days of incorporating. A late filing carries a $25 penalty, and an entity that stays delinquent can be administratively dissolved. Reinstatement costs about $260. Confirm the current window and penalty on the Secretary of State site.

Step 6: Get an EIN and Set Up Your Tax Accounts

Apply for a federal EIN once your entity exists. Banks, payroll and the state will ask for it. Walk through the process in how to get an EIN in Georgia.

Next, register with the Georgia Department of Revenue through the Georgia Tax Center at https://gtc.dor.ga.gov/. Registration is required if you sell taxable goods, such as retail pomade or hair care products, or if you have employees. Registration is free, and Georgia issues no separate resale permit. Your resale exemption is documented on Form ST-5, the certificate of exemption. The state sales tax rate is 4%, and combined state and local rates run from 6% to 9% depending on county and city (Atlanta is 8.9%). Remote sellers owe collection at $100,000 of Georgia sales or 200 separate transactions. See Georgia sales tax for new businesses for the details.

For income tax treatment of your entity, see Georgia business taxes. Corporations, and LLCs taxed as corporations, owe a net worth tax of $0 to $5,000 based on net worth. A typical single-member or partnership LLC pays no franchise tax.

Step 7: Obtain the Local Occupation Tax Certificate

Georgia’s local license is an occupation tax certificate, often called a business license. It is issued under O.C.G.A. Title 48, chapter 13. A business located inside a city pays the city, not the county. A business in unincorporated territory pays the county. More than half of Georgians live outside any city, so for many shops the county is the issuer. Georgia has 159 counties and about 537 cities and towns, and each sets its own formula, deadlines and prerequisites.

Two points shape your order of steps:

• Under O.C.G.A. 36-60-6(c), a city or county will not issue a business license to a shop without proof of the Board’s license. Get the shop license before you apply for the local certificate.
• Ask the issuing office whether it requires zoning approval first, and whether the shop is charged under its ordinary formula. Do not assume a flat fee for a barbershop. Ask the office for its formula and the exact amount.

If you have more than 10 employees, a private employer must file an E-Verify affidavit to receive the local certificate (O.C.G.A. 36-60-6). See Georgia business license requirements and Georgia E-Verify requirements for business licenses.

Step 8: Plan for Workers’ Compensation and Employees

Workers’ compensation insurance is required once you have three or more workers, and part-time workers count. Plan for it before your headcount reaches three, and see Georgia workers’ compensation insurance requirements. Georgia has no state paid sick leave or family leave mandate, but federal rules and your local ordinances may still apply. Confirm your payroll obligations with a CPA.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Opening before the shop license is issued. The shop cannot conduct business until the Board licenses it.
• Naming the shop without “Salon” or “Shop.” The Board rule applies even if your LLC name is correct.
• Treating a school certificate as a license. Each barber needs the individual license itself, and you should keep a copy on file.
• Filing a trade name with the Secretary of State. Trade names go to the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on.
• Missing the 30-day ownership deadline. A change of ownership requires an application within 30 days of purchase.
• Using the wrong continuing education count. Barbers need 5 hours per renewal, not 6, and the first renewal is exempt.
• Letting apprentice records lapse. The shop owner or manager must keep the hour records, and hours logged before the apprentice license is issued do not count.
• Skipping the annual registration. The window runs January 1 to April 1 for LLCs, and a late filing carries a $25 penalty.
• Assuming chair renters need no license. Each chair renter needs an individual license.

What to Expect

Following these steps is intended to help your shop operate in line with Georgia Board, Secretary of State and local requirements. It does not guarantee approval, and processing times depend on the agency and the completeness of your filing. Filing errors and missing documents are the most common cause of delay, so review each packet against the current checklist before you submit it. Clean, complete records may help you respond quickly if an agency asks for more information.

For regional support on business planning, the Georgia Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia offers free advising at https://www.georgiasbdc.org/, and the SBA’s Georgia district office lists local resources at https://www.sba.gov/district/georgia.

Reminder: this is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm the Board’s current fee schedule, application packet and agency assignment before you file.