The state board of cosmetology generally licenses beauty salons. These state agencies establish health and safety standards for the operation of beauty salons. Individual cosmetologist licenses are awarded by either state examination or reciprocity. Beauty salons often employ individual hairdressers, manicurist, estheticians, and barbers. A prerequisite to a salon application is that all persons employed by a salon must be appropriately licensed by their respective licensing board.
Beauty salon licenses are often based on the location of the business. Some applications require a supervising manager to be named for each salon location. Some states require proof of proper zoning for the salon location. Each state will have a list of required safety requirements for business operation within the salon. The majority of salon licenses expire within one or two years and must be renewed.
Businesses functioning without the proper license are generally penalized based on the size of the operation and the gravity of the offense.