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State sources last reviewed: November 3, 2026Starting a Beauty Business in Florida
Florida splits beauty licensing between two boards inside one department. The Board of Cosmetology licenses cosmetologists, specialists and salons under Chapter 477 of the Florida Statutes, and the Barbers' Board licenses barbers and barbershops under Chapter 476. Both sit inside the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), so the applications run through the same state portal even though the rules, hours and fees are separate.
Florida beauty licensing at a glance
Most Florida beauty credentials are licenses, but the shorter trades are registrations. A cosmetologist and a barber hold full licenses earned with training hours and a state examination. Nail, facial and full specialists hold registrations earned with shorter training and no state examination. Every practitioner credential below is issued through DBPR, and every salon, barbershop and studio also needs its own establishment license on top.
| Practitioner credential | Training hours | Board | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetologist (license) | 1,200 hours | Board of Cosmetology | The full cosmetology scope: hair, nails and skin care services |
| Barber (license) | 900 hours | Barbers' Board | Barbering services, including chemical services |
| Restricted Barber (license) | 600 hours | Barbers' Board | Barbering without chemical services |
| Full Specialist (registration) | 400 hours | Board of Cosmetology | Nail and facial specialty services combined |
| Facial Specialist (registration) | 220 hours | Board of Cosmetology | Facials, skin care, waxing and lash services |
| Nail Specialist (registration) | 180 hours | Board of Cosmetology | Manicuring, pedicuring and nail extensions |
Hours from Chapter 477 and Chapter 476 of the Florida Statutes and DBPR board guidance. There is no separate eyelash license in Florida: lash services sit inside the cosmetologist, full specialist and facial specialist scopes. Hair braiding, hair wrapping and body wrapping have needed no license or registration since July 1, 2020. Confirm current fees on myfloridalicense.com before you apply.
What every Florida beauty business needs, whatever the type
| Requirement | Agency | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Practitioner licenses and registrations | DBPR boards | Every person performing services must hold their own credential. The owner does not need one. |
| Salon license (cosmetology side) | DBPR, Board of Cosmetology | Form COSMO 6, $95 total. Cosmetology, specialty and mobile salon types. Tied to the salon name, address and owner; a change to any of the three needs a new application. Inspection follows within about 90 days of licensure. |
| Barbershop license | DBPR, Barbers' Board | Form BAR 5, $130 total. Tied to location, ownership and business name; changes need a new application. Inspection follows within about 90 days of licensure. |
| LLC or other entity | Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) | LLC Articles of Organization cost $125. An annual report ($138.75) is due between January 1 and May 1 every year, with a $400 late fee after May 1. |
| Fictitious name (DBA) | Division of Corporations | Registration costs $50 and runs five years. Advertise the name once in a county newspaper before you register, and certify the advertisement on the application. |
| EIN | IRS | Free from the IRS. Never pay a third party for one. |
| Sales and reemployment tax registration | Department of Revenue | One form, the Florida Business Tax Application (Form DR-1), covers both. Sales tax is 6% state plus your county discretionary surtax, and it falls on retail product sales, not on beauty services. Florida's tax on commercial rent was repealed effective October 1, 2025. |
| Employer setup | Department of Revenue; FloridaCommerce | Reemployment tax starts at 2.7% on the first $7,000 of wages per employee. Florida's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour effective September 30, 2026. |
| Workers' compensation | Department of Financial Services | Not optional in Florida. A non-construction employer with four or more employees must carry coverage, counting corporate officers and LLC members who have not filed an exemption. |
| Local business tax receipt | Your county or city | Most counties and many cities require a local business tax receipt under Chapter 205, plus zoning approval for the space. |
Florida guides by business type
How to start a hair salon in Florida
The 1,200 hour cosmetologist license, the two part written exam, the $95 salon license, and the full entity, tax and employment setup.
Guide liveHow to start a barbershop in Florida
A separate board and a separate statute: the 900 hour barber license, the restricted barber route at 600 hours, and the $130 barbershop license.
Guide liveHow to start a nail salon in Florida
The nail specialist registration at 180 hours with no state exam, the specialty salon license, and the scope limits that shape a nail menu.
Guide liveHow to start a lash studio in Florida
Florida has no lash license. This guide explains the three legal routes into lash work and the salon license your studio still needs.
Guide liveHow to start an esthetics studio in Florida
The facial specialist registration at 220 hours, the full specialist combination at 400 hours, and where the esthetics scope ends and medical practice begins.
Guide liveHow to start a salon suite business in Florida
Florida has no mini establishment license. Suite renters and suite landlords work inside the standard salon license, and this guide explains how that structure actually operates.
The med spa boundary in Florida
Florida's beauty boards do not license med spas, and nothing in this cluster covers medical services. Services that are the practice of medicine sit with the Florida Department of Health, through the Board of Medicine (Chapter 458) and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine (Chapter 459). Laser and light based hair removal is regulated separately as electrology under Chapter 478: it belongs to physicians, and to licensed electrologists working under a protocol with a supervising physician, in facilities licensed by the Department of Health. A facial specialist or cosmetologist license does not authorize it. A facility offering health care services that is not wholly owned by licensed physicians can also need a Health Care Clinic license from the Agency for Health Care Administration under section 400.991 of the Florida Statutes. Treat anything past that boundary as a medical business question, not a salon question.
Official Florida resources
| Agency | What you use it for |
|---|---|
| DBPR, Board of Cosmetology | Cosmetologist and specialist licensing, salon licenses, renewals and board announcements |
| DBPR, Barbers' Board | Barber and restricted barber licensing, barbershop licenses and inspections |
| Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) | LLC formation, fictitious name registration and annual reports |
| Florida Department of Revenue | Form DR-1 registration, sales tax and surtax, reemployment tax accounts and rates |
| Department of Financial Services, Workers' Compensation | Coverage requirements and officer or member exemptions |
| FloridaCommerce | The official Florida minimum wage notice and current rate |