How to Start a Barbershop in Kansas: Board of Barbering License, Exam and Shop Rules

Opening a barbershop in Kansas runs on two tracks at once. The first is personal: you need your own barber license from the Kansas Board of Barbering before you can cut hair for pay. The second is business: you form the company, register for the taxes that apply, and meet the city and county rules for the building. Kansas has no general statewide business license, so the shop is authorized through the board's shop license and whatever local permits your city or county requires. This guide follows the order that works for most owners. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items first. Most of them are needed at more than one step, so keep copies of everything.

• Government-issued photo ID and proof of age (you must be at least 16)
• A high school diploma or equivalent certificate
• Enrollment or completion records from a barber school approved by the board
• Three to five possible business names, each checked in the Secretary of State business search
• A Kansas street address for your registered office, which cannot be a PO box
• A resident agent, which Kansas requires to be an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the entity itself
• A federal EIN from the IRS, which you will need for banking and any payroll
• A signed lease or purchase agreement for the shop, plus written zoning confirmation from your city
• A budget that includes every fee in the table below

Fees at a Glance

Statutory ceilings are maximums, not the amounts the agencies must charge. Confirm each current amount before you pay.

Item	Amount	Source and status
Initial barber examination	$230	Board of Barbering fee page (2026 version)
Written exam re-take	$150	Board of Barbering fee page
Practical exam re-take	$100	Board of Barbering fee page
Barber license and renewal	Ceiling of $80	K.S.A. 65-1817. The board's February 2021 shop application lists $80. Confirm the current amount.
Shop inspection and annual shop license	Ceiling of $40	K.S.A. 65-1817. Confirm the current amount with the board.
New shop, relocation or ownership change	Ceiling of $80	K.S.A. 65-1817. Confirm the current amount with the board.
Student license	Ceiling of $55	K.S.A. 65-1817. Confirm the current amount with the board.
Articles of Organization (LLC, Form DL)	$85	Kansas Secretary of State
Name reservation (lasts 120 days)	$35	Kansas Secretary of State
Information Report (LLC, biennial)	$90	Kansas Secretary of State
State sales tax rate	6.5%	Kansas Department of Revenue, plus any local rate

Step 1: Confirm You Need the Barber Board

Kansas licenses barbers and cosmetologists through two separate boards. The Kansas Board of Barbering governs barbering and barber shops under K.S.A. 65-1810, 65-1812 and 65-1815. The Board of Cosmetology handles cosmetology work and salons. If your shop will offer haircuts, shaves and beard trims, you are in barbering. If you plan services outside barbering, such as hair coloring or skin treatments, call both boards before you sign a lease, because those services may require a different license.

Step 2: Confirm You Meet the Eligibility Rules

To become a licensed barber in Kansas, you must be at least 16 years old, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and complete training at a barber school approved by the board. Keep your diploma or equivalency certificate and your school records in one folder. The board will ask for them when you apply, and a missing document can delay your exam date.

Step 3: Complete Training at a Board-Approved School

Check that a school is on the board's approved list before you pay tuition. You can find the list at kbob.kansas.gov or by calling the board at 785-296-2211. Ask the school for its board approval details in writing, and ask how many training hours the board requires. The board sets those hours in its rules, so confirm the current number on the board site rather than relying on a school's brochure.

Step 4: Pass the Three-Part Exam

The Kansas barber exam has three parts, and you must score at least 80% on each:

• The NIC national written theory exam, which covers general barbering knowledge.
• The practical exam, which tests your hands-on work.
• The Kansas rules exam, which covers the state's barbering laws and board rules.

Each part is scored separately, so passing one part does not carry over to the others. If you fail a part, you pay a re-exam fee for that part only: $150 for the written exam or $100 for the practical exam, according to the board's fee page. Study the Kansas rules separately, because the national theory exam is a different test from the Kansas rules exam.

Step 5: Apply for Your Barber License

Submit your application and pay the initial examination fee of $230 as listed on the board's 2026 fee page. Once you pass all three parts, apply for your barber license. Statute caps the license and renewal fee at $80, and the board's February 2021 shop application lists $80, but confirm the current amount before you send payment. Put the renewal date on your calendar the day you receive your license, because a lapsed license can stop you from working in your own shop.

Step 6: Form Your Business Entity

Many barbershop owners form a limited liability company (LLC). In Kansas, you do this by filing Articles of Organization, Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form DL), with the Secretary of State. The filing fee is $85. Online filings are processed within minutes, and the certified copy can be printed right away. You can file through the Secretary of State's online business services portal. Paper filings are processed by mail from the Topeka office.

Your LLC name must include L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY or LIMITED COMPANY under K.S.A. 17-7920. Search the name in the Secretary of State business search first. If a similar name is already registered, you will need a Consent to Use of Similar Business Name (Form CN) under K.S.A. 17-7918. To hold a name while you finish paperwork, you can reserve it for 120 days for $35 using the name reservation form.

Kansas has no state-level DBA filing. If your shop will operate under a name different from the LLC name, you do not file that name with the state. Check city and county rules instead, and consider a trademark or service mark registration through the Secretary of State if the name matters to your brand.

Kansas has no franchise tax. An LLC is a pass-through entity for state income tax, so members report Kansas income on their individual returns. The rate is 5.2% on Kansas taxable income up to $23,000 for single filers or $46,000 for married couples filing jointly, and 5.58% above those amounts. Whether an LLC or another structure fits your situation is a question for a CPA or attorney.

Step 7: Register for Kansas Business Taxes

Kansas issues no general business license. Instead, you register for each tax that applies to you through the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR). Registration is free. If you sell retail products such as pomade, razors or merchandise, you need a sales tax permit. Apply through the KDOR business registration page, collect sales tax at the 6.5% state rate plus any local rate that applies to your address, and confirm the local rate with KDOR. If you plan to hire employees, register for withholding with KDOR before your first payroll.

Step 8: Clear City and County Requirements

Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities. Every incorporated place is legally a city, so your shop sits in a city or in unincorporated county territory. Call the city clerk and planning office before you sign a lease. Ask whether personal services are allowed in the zoning district, whether the city requires an occupational or business license, what the signage rules are, and whether a certificate of occupancy is needed for the space.

Be careful about the Kansas City name. Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri are different cities in different states. Only Kansas City, Missouri has a city earnings tax. If your shop is in Kansas City, Kansas, a Missouri rule does not apply to you, and Kansas City, Missouri paperwork does not either.

Step 9: Apply for the Shop License and Inspection

The shop itself must be licensed by the Board of Barbering. The statute caps the shop inspection and annual shop license at $40, and the new shop, relocation or ownership change fee at $80. The board's February 2021 shop application requires at least one Kansas-licensed barber in the shop. Confirm that requirement is still current before you hire or plan your opening schedule. Do not open for business until the shop license is issued. Call 785-296-2211 and ask the board what its inspector checks, so your sanitation setup and equipment match what they expect on inspection day.

Step 10: Calendar Your Recurring Filings

Your work does not end at opening day. Build a calendar with these recurring items:

• Kansas Information Report. The LLC filing is biennial, not annual. It costs $90 and is due every two years by April 15. A business formed in an even year files in each succeeding even year, and one formed in an odd year files in each succeeding odd year.
• Barber license renewal for you, on the board's cycle.
• Shop annual license renewal with the board.
• KDOR sales tax filings at the frequency KDOR assigns to your permit.
• City and county renewals for any occupational license or permit.

What Results to Expect

The steps above may help you open a legally compliant shop with fewer surprises, but results vary by applicant, school, study habits and local conditions. Some candidates pass every exam part on the first try. Others need one or more re-exams, and the timeline from enrollment to a licensed shop can run longer than planned. Treat any timeline you read online as a planning estimate, not a guarantee. The most reliable way to keep your schedule on track is to confirm each fee and deadline on the agency page before you act.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Enrolling in an unapproved school. Hours from a school the board does not approve may not count toward your license.
• Studying only the national exam. The Kansas rules exam is a separate part of the exam.
• Confusing the two boards. Barbering and cosmetology are regulated separately in Kansas.
• Treating the LLC filing as a license. Registering with the Secretary of State creates your entity. It does not authorize you to cut hair or operate a shop.
• Using a PO box for the registered office. Kansas requires a street address where the resident agent can be regularly present.
• Forgetting the biennial report. Missing the April 15 due date can put your company's standing at risk.
• Looking for a statewide business license. Kansas has none. Your permits come from the board, the state tax agency, and your city or county.
• Opening before the shop license is issued. Plan the opening date around the inspection, not the other way around.

Where to Get Help

The Kansas Small Business Development Center offers free and low-cost advising for new owners at kansassbdc.net. The Kansas Secretary of State's business resources are at sos.ks.gov, and the Kansas Department of Revenue's business pages are at ksrevenue.gov.

Important Disclaimer

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, deadlines and requirements change, and the figures above are drawn from statutes, agency pages and board materials as researched on 2026-10-23. Where this article says to confirm a figure, confirm it with the named agency before you pay or file. For your entity choice, lease terms, tax treatment and any unusual service mix, consult a qualified Kansas attorney and a CPA.