How to Start a Hair Salon in Kansas: Board of Cosmetology License, Shop Permit and Booth Rental

Opening a hair salon in Kansas means dealing with two licensing tracks that owners often confuse. The first is your personal cosmetology license from the Kansas Board of Cosmetology. The second is the salon license, also issued by the Board, which covers the shop itself. Around those sit the business filing with the Kansas Secretary of State, tax registration with the Kansas Department of Revenue, and the city and county rules that apply to your address.

The short answer for anyone searching for a kansas cosmetology license is that you need both: a personal license for each person who provides services, and a salon license for the business. They are separate applications with separate fees. This guide walks through the order that works, with the figures we could verify and the items you still need to confirm.

Kansas has no general statewide business license. Registering an LLC with the Secretary of State is a filing, not a license. Your salon's licensing comes from the cosmetology board, plus whatever city and county rules apply to your location.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, rules and agency practices change. Confirm current figures with the named agency before you pay or sign anything, and talk with a licensed attorney or CPA about your entity choice, your booth rental agreement and your tax setup.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file anything. A missing item usually means a second trip, a rejected application or a delayed inspection.

• Transcript or proof of completion for 1,500 clock hours of cosmetology training, required under K.S.A. 65-1903 and 65-1905.
• Any forms the Board requests with your application.
• A budget that covers each fee in the table near the end of this guide, plus any local permit costs you confirm with your city.
• A Kansas street address for the salon and for the registered office. A post office box will not work for the registered office.
• A resident agent, which Kansas calls the resident agent: an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the entity itself.
• A business name that includes L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY or LIMITED COMPANY, as required under K.S.A. 17-7920.
• A floor plan of the salon showing stations, sinks, storage and restroom, because the Board inspects the shop before it issues a salon license.
• A draft booth rental agreement, which an attorney should review before anyone signs it.

Step 1: Get Your Personal Cosmetology License

A cosmetology license Kansas applicants need is personal. It is not tied to a building, so you need it even if the salon is in your name. The cosmetologist license requires 1,500 clock hours of training under K.S.A. 65-1903 and 65-1905. Tuition is set by each school and is not a state fee, so compare programs on total cost, not only on advertised hours.

After training, you take a written exam and a practical exam. Each costs $75, paid to the testing vendor, according to the Board's 2021 fee list. The application for a cosmetologist license is $60 for a two-year license. Renewal costs $50 every two years, and a late renewal costs $75. Renewal requires a written renewal exam under K.S.A. 65-1904.

Confirm these amounts before you pay. The Board's FY2027 budget narrative from September 2025 reports no fee changes in two years, which is useful, but the fee list on the Board's site is the document to check on the day you apply.

Step 2: Form Your Business Entity With the Secretary of State

Most salon owners form an LLC. The formation document is the Articles of Organization, Domestic (Kansas) Limited Liability Company, Form DL. The filing fee is $85. File through the Secretary of State's Customer Login portal at https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/user_login.aspx?frm=BS. Online filings process within minutes, and the certified copy can be printed immediately. Paper filings are processed by mail from the Topeka office, so expect that route to take longer.

Check whether your name is already in use with the business search at https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/BusinessEntity/Search.aspx. If a similar name is registered, you need a Consent to Use of Similar Business Name (Form CN) under K.S.A. 17-7918, filed with the formation document. If you need time to settle on a name, a name reservation costs $35 and holds the name for 120 days. Use form NR at https://www.sos.ks.gov/forms/business_services/NR.pdf.

Kansas does not register assumed, fictitious, trade or DBA names at the state level. If your salon operates under a trade name, check city and county requirements, and consider protecting the name through Secretary of State trademark or service mark registration.

A corporation is also possible. Articles of Incorporation, Domestic (Kansas) Corporation, Form AI, carries the same $85 filing fee. The tax treatment is different. An LLC is a pass-through entity for Kansas income tax, so members report Kansas income on their individual returns at 5.2 percent on Kansas taxable income up to $23,000 for single filers or $46,000 for married filing jointly, and 5.58 percent above those thresholds. A business taxed as a corporation pays the 3.5 percent normal tax plus a 3 percent surtax on Kansas taxable income over $50,000. Kansas has no LLC franchise tax. Have a CPA model both options against your expected income.

Plan now for the recurring filing. Kansas requires a biennial Information Report, not an annual one. The LLC version (Form ILC) and the for-profit corporation version (Form IFP) both cost $90 and are due by April 15 every two years. A business formed in an even year reports in each succeeding even year, and one formed in an odd year reports in each succeeding odd year. A three-month delinquency window follows the due date before forfeiture, so put the date on your calendar the day you file.

Step 3: Apply for the Salon License and Pass the Board Inspection

The salon itself needs its own Board license. A new salon or clinic license costs $60 under K.S.A. 65-1904a. The Board inspects the shop before it issues the license, so do not book clients or announce an opening date until the license is in hand. Once issued, the salon license renews for $50 every year.

Set the shop up to match Board requirements before the inspector arrives. Keep your floor plan, clean stations and sanitation supplies ready, and ask the Board in writing which items it checks. The inspection is the step most likely to move your opening date, so schedule your build-out with it in mind.

Home salon option. You may practice from a private home if the home meets Board and KDHE rules. Confirm the requirements with both agencies, and with your city or county zoning office, before you convert a room. Zoning rules are separate from Board rules, and a home that passes one may still fail the other.

Step 4: Set Up Booth Rental Carefully

Booth rental is where many new owners get into trouble, mostly because the arrangement is made on a handshake. Before you advertise open booths, confirm with the Board how it treats booth renters in your setup. Ask three questions: whether each renter needs a separate cosmetology license, which license covers the space the renter works in, and what records you must keep for each renter.

Put the arrangement in a written agreement. Cover the rent amount and due date, who supplies products and tools, who handles client payments and scheduling, who is responsible for sanitation at each station, and how either side can end the arrangement. Have an attorney review the draft, and ask a CPA how each renter should be classified for tax purposes, since that answer affects your payroll and reporting.

Step 5: Understand Off-Site and Mobile Services

Kansas allows off-site services with conditions. Under K.S.A. 65-1904a, a licensee who provides services away from a salon or home must work at least 51 percent of weekly hours in a salon or home. The licensee must also sign an affidavit that services are provided only in the client's residence or office. A stylist who plans to work mostly on the road cannot simply label the business as mobile. Confirm the affidavit requirements with the Board before you take any off-site appointments.

Step 6: Register for Kansas Taxes With the Department of Revenue

Kansas has no general business license, but you still register for the taxes that apply to you. Registration with the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) is free. Start at the business registration page, https://www.ksrevenue.gov/busregistration.html, and use the general business page at https://www.ksrevenue.gov/business.html for other tax types.

If you sell retail products such as shampoo, conditioner or styling tools, you need a retailer's sales tax registration before you sell them. The state sales tax rate is 6.5 percent. Your city or county may add local sales tax, so confirm the combined rate with KDOR before you set retail prices. Ask KDOR whether any other registration applies to you, including any tied to employees or to your entity type.

Step 7: Check Local Rules, Including Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities. Every incorporated place is legally a city, so your address will almost always fall under city rules, and under county rules only if you sit outside city limits. Contact your city clerk or planning office to confirm three things: zoning for a salon at your address, whether a business license or occupancy permit applies, and what signage rules apply. Cities and counties also license general contractors, electricians, plumbers and HVAC work, so confirm that any contractor you hire for a remodel holds the local licenses that apply.

If your salon is in Kansas City, Kansas, check the personal care occupation tax, which the 2025 fee table lists at $135. Confirm the current amount with the city before you budget for it. Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri are different cities in different states. Only Kansas City, Missouri has a city earnings tax, so that tax does not apply to a salon in Kansas City, Kansas.

Step 8: Calendar Your Renewals

Missed renewals are the easiest problems to prevent and among the most common causes of trouble later. Put these dates on a shared calendar:

• Individual cosmetology license: renew every two years for $50, including the written renewal exam. A late renewal costs $75.
• Salon license: renew every year for $50.
• Secretary of State Information Report: $90, due April 15 every two years, in the cycle that matches your formation year.
• Resident agent or registered office: update the Secretary of State whenever either changes.

Salon Startup Costs at a Glance

The table lists state and local fees we could verify. Tuition, equipment, insurance, rent and product costs are not in the table because they vary widely and are not set by a state fee schedule.

Item	Agency	Cost	Notes
Written cosmetology exam	Testing vendor for the Board	$75	Paid to the testing vendor
Practical cosmetology exam	Testing vendor for the Board	$75	Paid to the testing vendor
Individual cosmetology license, two years	Kansas Board of Cosmetology	$60	Application fee
Individual license renewal, two years	Kansas Board of Cosmetology	$50	Late renewal $75; written renewal exam required
New salon or clinic license	Kansas Board of Cosmetology	$60	Board inspection before issue
Salon license renewal	Kansas Board of Cosmetology	$50	Renews every year
Articles of Organization (LLC), Form DL	Kansas Secretary of State	$85	Online filings process within minutes
Name reservation, Form NR	Kansas Secretary of State	$35	Holds the name for 120 days
Information Report, biennial	Kansas Secretary of State	$90	Due April 15 every two years
Personal care occupation tax	Kansas City, Kansas	$135	Per 2025 fee table; check current amount
Business tax registration	Kansas Department of Revenue	Free	Retail sales carry the 6.5 percent state sales tax rate

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating the personal and salon licenses as one application. They are separate, with separate fees.
• Booking clients before the salon license is issued.
• Using a post office box as the registered office. Kansas requires a street address where the resident agent can be regularly present.
• Looking for a state DBA filing. Kansas has none, so check city and county rules instead.
• Confusing Kansas City, Kansas with Kansas City, Missouri when reading fee or tax information online.
• Assuming Kansas requires an annual report. The Information Report is biennial, due April 15 every two years.
• Running booth rental on a verbal agreement.
• Assuming mobile work needs no paperwork. The 51 percent rule and the affidavit apply.
• Choosing an LLC name without one of the required designators.

Tips for a Smoother Opening

• Schedule your exams early, and confirm the current exam fee before you pay the testing vendor.
• File your Secretary of State paperwork online for the fastest processing.
• Ask your city clerk about zoning and permit requirements before you sign a lease, not after.
• Get the Board's inspection expectations in writing before you buy build-out equipment.
• For planning help, contact the Kansas Small Business Development Center at https://www.kansassbdc.net/.

What to Expect When You Follow These Steps

Owners who work through these steps in order, with current fees confirmed and the inspection planned, may avoid some of the rejected filings and delayed openings that catch new salons. Timing still depends on the Board's schedule, your city's permit process and how quickly you finish training and exams. No specific opening date, income level or business outcome can be guaranteed.

When to Bring in a Professional

Talk with an attorney before you sign a lease or a booth rental agreement. Talk with a CPA before you choose between an LLC and a corporation, and before you decide how to classify booth renters. A professional who knows your city's rules can also save you a second round of permit applications.

Official Resources

• Kansas Secretary of State business services: https://sos.ks.gov/business/business.html
• Kansas Secretary of State business search: https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/BusinessEntity/Search.aspx
• Kansas Secretary of State online filing (Customer Login): https://www.sos.ks.gov/eforms/user_login.aspx?frm=BS
• Kansas Department of Revenue business page: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/business.html
• Kansas Department of Revenue business registration: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/busregistration.html
• Kansas Small Business Development Center: https://www.kansassbdc.net/

This page does not list the Kansas Board of Cosmetology's website address. Search for the Board's official site, confirm the address against a state source, and check the current fee list there before you submit any payment.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice.