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How to Open a Salon or Barbershop in Long Beach: State Establishment License, Zoning, Build-Out and the City License

Checked against the city's pages: October 2026 By Dana Castellano 8 min read

Photo by Sergio Guardiola Herrador on Unsplash

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In brief

A Long Beach salon or barbershop needs an establishment license from the state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, whose application form lists a $50 nonrefundable fee, and a city business license; the city checks both the establishment and individual state licenses when it licenses the business. Barber and beauty shops are a permitted use in the city’s eight neighborhood, community and regional commercial districts, and the main classifications in the 2026-27 tax table do not name salons.

  • The Board’s establishment application form (revised March 25, 2024) lists a $50 application fee, a $40 renewal fee and a $20 delinquency fee2.
  • “Basic personal services” such as barber and beauty shops are permitted by right in the eight commercial districts; Planning’s Business License Zoning Review is $213.92 as of October 202635.
  • The city’s tax table prints Services at $488.81 plus $25.36 per employee; the city says the rate “depends on the classification of your business”415.
  • Minor storefront alterations are reviewed over the counter at the Permit Center; larger work goes through Submitted Plan Review6.
  • The city’s pages do not say whether a salon needs a city health permit or an annual Fire permit7.

A salon or barbershop is a two-government project. The state licenses the premises and the people who work in them, and the city decides whether the space may be used that way, whether the build-out needs permits, and whether to license the business. This page follows those steps in the order the city’s guides give them. The section pillar, How to Start a Business in Long Beach, covers the steps every business shares.

The short answer

If you are… Do this
Leasing a space to open a shop with several chairs Check the zoning, apply to the Board for the establishment license ($50 application fee), pull build-out permits if the space needs work, then file for the city license236
Renting a booth or chair in someone else’s shop The city’s online list has a separate “Barber/Beauty (booth)” entry next to “Barber/Beauty Shop Owner”; the tax table does not say which rate each takes48
Planning a mobile unit The Board carries a separate mobile unit application; its fee is not stated on the pages this guide uses9
Unsure whether the space needs permits Building and Safety “Reviews tenant improvement plans and proposed space layouts—even when no construction is planned”7
Swimlane diagram of the steps to open a salon or barbershop in Long Beach across four desks: Planning for the zoning check, the state Board for the establishment license, Building and Fire for permits and occupancy, and the Business License Division last.
The steps in the order the city's guides give, by the office that handles each. Planning fees as of October 2026; the Board's fee from its March 2024 form; the license from the 2026-27 table.

The state establishment license

The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology issues establishment licenses and individual licenses, and the city checks both when it licenses the business1. The Board’s applicant page describes an establishment as “any premises, building or part of a building where any activity licensed under this chapter is practiced”9.

The establishment application (form F-BBC-05, revised March 25, 2024) lists a “$50 Nonrefundable Application Fee”; its fee schedule shows an application fee of $50, a renewal fee of $40 and a delinquency fee of $202. The form is dated 2024, so those figures are the ones printed on that form and not a 2026 confirmation. The pages used here do not state fees for the individual licenses of barbers, cosmetologists and other licensees.

The city’s list of what to bring with a license application includes Barbering and Cosmetology licenses, and names and addresses must match the applicant1. That makes the state establishment license a step before the city license, not after it.

Zoning before the lease

The city’s table of uses for commercial districts (Title 21, Table 32-1) lists “basic personal services”, which includes barber and beauty shops, as permitted by right in all eight neighborhood, community and regional commercial districts: CNP, CNA, CNR, CCA, CCP, CCR, CCN and CHW3. The table’s rule is that “Any use not specifically permitted … shall be prohibited”3. Downtown’s PD-30 and the industrial zones have their own use tables, which this page does not cover.

Planning answers use questions at (562) 570-6194, and its pages offer “What’s My Zoning District?” and “What Does My Zone Mean?”10. The city’s business guide says: “Before investing in buildout, verify with Planning that your business type is permitted at your location”7. Three Planning charges apply to that question, as of October 20265:

Planning service Base fee With 12.0% surcharge
Business License Zoning Review $191.00 $213.92
Zoning Confirmation Letter $1,020.00 $1,142.40
Pre-Application, land use question, no new building area $2,045.00 $2,290.40

Source:5, fee schedule revised October 1, 2026, where “Fee with surcharge applies”. The schedule states that fees “are not official until staff sends a fee invoice”. The city’s pages give no turnaround for the zoning confirmation letter.

Build-out permits at the Permit Center

Tenant improvements go through the Permit Center at 411 West Ocean Boulevard. The city says to book an appointment, and “walk-ins … are not accepted from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or after 3:30 p.m.” and the number is 562.570.PMIT (7648)6. The Permit Center lists “Plans reviewed over the counter: … minor storefront alterations and more”; larger work is “Submitted Plan Review”6. The city’s fee page says “you could expect to spend about 2% of your building costs on plan checks, permits, inspections and other agency fees”11.

The Fire schedule effective October 1, 2026 prices construction-side plan review by project valuation, by device count and by sprinkler head count. At the bottom of the valuation scale, Life and Safety Plan Review is $114 for a valuation of $0 to $2,000, then $114 plus $16 for each additional $1,000 up to $20,000, which is $402 at $20,00012. Whether a particular salon’s plans trigger any of those lines depends on the plans; no city page lists salons among them.

A first sign costs $119.84 as of October 20265; the full sign rules are in Business Signs and Awnings in Long Beach.

What the city's pages do not say

Good to know The city’s business guide gives Environmental Health the “businesses handling food, hazardous materials, tobacco sales or other health-regulated activities” and says Fire Prevention “Reviews plans and conducts inspections”; neither description names salons7. The Fire Department says a fire inspection is required “when your business produces conditions hazardous to life or property and when your business is a place of assembly (occupancy of 50 or more people)”13. The Business License Division’s “Police Investigations” note names massage technicians, alcohol sellers and entertainment, not salons14.

No city page found for this guide states a salon-specific health permit or annual Fire permit, or says that none applies. Environmental Health is at 562.570.4132 and Fire Prevention at 562.570.62087.

The city license

The main classifications in the 2026-27 rate table (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) do not name salons, barbershops or booth rentals. The nearest is Services, at $488.81 plus $25.36 per employee; the table also has an Independent contractors line at $299.54 plus $25.36 per employee4. The tax page says only that “The business license tax rate you will be charged depends on the classification of your business”15. “Employee” covers owners’ family members, partners and managers, but “The owner of a sole proprietorship shall not be deemed to be an ’employee'”16.

The city’s online-eligible list names “Barber/Beauty Shop Owner” and “Barber/Beauty (booth)”, so both can apply through the Business Portal; the Business License Division is at 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 2nd Floor, (562) 570-6211817. The Division says “In most cases a license can be issued upon receipt of the application and payment”; where inspections are required first, “this takes two weeks or less” for most businesses18. The city’s retail guide ends its sequence with “Upon receiving a final building inspection or Certificate of Occupancy, file for a business license”19. Every new or renewed license also needs the Supplemental NPDES/Senate Bill 205 form17.

Official pages disagree The rate table’s footer says “ALL BUSINESS LICENSE APPLICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO A $4 CA STATE MANDATED ADA FEE (SB1186,AB1379)”4. The Business License FAQ says the fee was “$4 for six years from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2023. The fee then reverts to $1 beginning January 1, 2024”20. Ask the Division at (562) 570-6211 which amount applies.

The steps, in order

  1. Check the zoning with Planning at (562) 570-6194 before signing a lease357.
  2. Apply to the Board for the establishment license: $50 on the form2.
  3. Pull build-out permits at the Permit Center if the space needs work6.
  4. Pass the final inspection or obtain the certificate of occupancy for the space19.
  5. Apply for a sign permit if the shop will display a sign5.
  6. File for the city license with the Board’s licenses in hand118.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a state license to open a salon in Long Beach?

Yes. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology issues establishment and individual licenses, and the Business License Division checks both19.

How much is the establishment license application?

The Board’s form (revised March 25, 2024) lists a $50 nonrefundable application fee, a $40 renewal fee and a $20 delinquency fee2.

Is a salon or barbershop allowed in any zone?

Barber and beauty shops are permitted by right in the eight neighborhood, community and regional commercial districts. Other districts have separate tables3.

How much is the Long Beach business license for a salon?

The table’s main classifications do not name salons; Services is $488.81 plus $25.36 per employee in 2026-27, and the rate “depends on the classification of your business”415.

Do booth renters need their own city license?

The online list has a separate “Barber/Beauty (booth)” entry; the pages used here do not state its rate or who must hold it8.

Does a salon need a city health or Fire permit?

The city’s pages do not say. A fire inspection is required for hazardous conditions or a place of assembly of 50 or more people713.

How long does the license take?

In most cases it is issued on application and payment; where inspections come first, the city says “two weeks or less” for most businesses18.

Sources

  1. Required Forms and Permits — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. Establishment Application, form F-BBC-05 — California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  3. Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 21.32 Commercial Districts (Table 32-1) — Municode. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  4. Business License Rates Effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  5. Planning Bureau Fee Schedule, revised October 1, 2026 (FY27 fees version) — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  6. Permit Center — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  7. Business permitting brochures and guides — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  8. Eligible Online Business License Types — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  9. Applicants — California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  10. Current Planning — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  11. Fee Schedules — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  12. Fire Permit and Plan Review Fees, October 1, 2026 — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  13. Fire Department FAQs — City of Long Beach, Fire Department. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  14. Additional Information — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  15. Taxes and Fees — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  16. Business License Application — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  17. Business Licenses — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  18. Business License Application Instructions — City of Long Beach. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  19. Retail Permitting Guidelines brochure, November 2024 — City of Long Beach, Building and Safety. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  20. Business License Frequently Asked Questions — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-09-30.