How to Start a Barbershop Business in Georgia

Opening a barbershop in Georgia means dealing with two separate licensing tracks at once: the state shop license from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers, and the individual barber licenses for everyone cutting hair. Neither is especially complicated on its own. But they run on different timelines, and you cannot open until the shop license is in hand. Plan for 2-3 months of lead time between your first application submission and your first paying customer.

Here’s how all of it works.

Georgia Barbershop Shop License

The Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers issues barbershop licenses — and it’s the same board, same application process, and same $75 fee that covers cosmetology salons. That’s not a knock; it just means the paperwork is well-documented and the process is familiar to landlords and attorneys who’ve worked with beauty businesses before.

What you need to submit:

Notarized Owner Affidavit. The owner must sign this in front of a notary. If there are multiple owners, each one signs.
Secure and Verifiable Document. This is your government-issued ID — driver’s license, passport, or similar. Georgia uses this to verify identity for all professional license applications.
Proof of location. A signed lease agreement or bill of sale for the space. You need a physical address locked in before you apply. The board won’t issue a shop license to a future address you’re “pretty sure you’ll get.”
$75 application fee. Non-refundable.

The shop license must be displayed in a conspicuous location inside the barbershop. That means somewhere clients can actually see it — not tucked in a back office folder. Inspectors look for this.

One important distinction: the state shop license is separate from your local Occupation Tax Certificate (sometimes called a business license). You need both. The state license comes from the Board of Cosmetology and Barbers at sos.ga.gov. The local certificate comes from your city or county. Don’t assume one covers the other — it doesn’t.

The hard rule: you cannot open your doors until the shop license is issued. Not a soft suggestion. Georgia law requires the license to be in place before any services are performed. If you’re building out a space, submit your application as soon as you have a signed lease and a notarized affidavit ready — you don’t have to wait for construction to finish.

Barber License Requirements

The shop license gets your business legal. But every person cutting hair inside that shop needs their own individual barber license.

Georgia has two main paths to a barber license.

Barber school: Complete the required hours at a Georgia-approved barber school, then apply for licensure. Most programs run 9-12 months depending on schedule.

Barber II apprenticeship: This is the route worth understanding in detail — especially if you’re hiring someone who wants to come up through your shop rather than pay for school. The Barber II apprenticeship requires 2,280 hours completed over a minimum of 14 months. That’s not a typo. The 14-month floor is statutory. Someone can’t compress 2,280 hours into six months of long days. The time minimum and hour minimum both apply.

After completing either path, candidates must pass two exams through PSI — a written theory exam and a practical exam. PSI is the testing vendor Georgia uses for most professional licensing exams. Candidates schedule directly through PSI after their application to the board is approved. Scheduling can take a few weeks depending on test center availability, which is part of why the 2-3 month lead time estimate exists.

Once licensed, barbers must complete continuing education to renew. Georgia requires 6 hours of CE per renewal cycle for barbers. Renewal is annual.

A few practical notes for shop owners hiring barbers:

Ask to see their license, not just their school diploma or completion certificate. The license is what matters.
If you’re hiring someone mid-apprenticeship, they cannot perform services independently on paying clients until they’re fully licensed. Georgia doesn’t have a provisional or temporary license category that allows paid work during apprenticeship.
If you plan to sponsor an apprentice through your shop, the shop itself must be set up as an approved apprenticeship location. That’s a separate step with the board.

Business Structure and Operating Requirements

Form the LLC first. Before you apply for anything else, set up your business entity. In Georgia, an LLC costs $100 to file online at ecorp.sos.ga.gov. The annual registration fee is $60/year (a $50 fee plus a mandatory $10 service fee, effective September 6, 2025), due between January 1 and April 1 each year. Miss the April 1 deadline and you’re looking at a $25 late penalty.

An LLC protects your personal assets. For a barbershop — where someone could theoretically claim an injury, an allergic reaction to a product, or a slip-and-fall — that separation matters. Don’t run a barbershop as a sole proprietor if you can avoid it.

Local Occupation Tax Certificate. Every Georgia city and county handles this differently, which is genuinely annoying. Your city hall or county business licensing office is the right starting point. Most require:

Proof of your state shop license (or pending application status)
Zoning clearance for your location
E-Verify Affidavit — Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 36-60-6 requires this for all business license applications. If you have 11 or more employees, you must register with E-Verify and provide your user number. Fewer than 11 employees? You file an exemption affidavit instead.
SAVE Affidavit — Required under O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1. The owner must verify lawful U.S. presence with a notarized affidavit plus a Secure and Verifiable Document. Yes, this is separate from the same document you submitted to the Board of Cosmetology and Barbers. Georgia wants it twice.

This E-Verify/SAVE combination is more administrative overhead than you’d face in many other states. It’s not onerous, but budget time for it. Getting a notary appointment, pulling the right documents, and waiting on city processing can add 2-3 weeks to your timeline.

Insurance. You need general liability coverage. For a barbershop, expect to pay $400-$1,000/year for a general liability policy depending on your coverage limits, location, and the number of chairs. You’ll also want property insurance for your equipment — barber chairs, mirrors, tools — especially if you’re financing any of it. A combined business owner’s policy (BOP) often covers both for $1,000-$3,000/year total.

Workers’ compensation. Georgia requires workers’ comp insurance once you have three or more employees. That includes part-time workers and corporate officers — not just full-time hourly staff. The Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation oversees this at sbwc.georgia.gov. If you’re a solo operator with one or two booth renters, you may fall below the threshold. But the moment you bring on a third person, you’re covered by the requirement.

A note on booth renters: if your barbers rent chairs from you rather than work as W-2 employees, they’re typically treated as independent contractors. That changes your workers’ comp obligation, your tax withholding requirements, and your liability exposure. It’s a common barbershop model. Just make sure your rental agreements are written clearly and your booth renters carry their own liability insurance.

Startup Costs at a Glance

Barbershops can open lean or go big. Here’s the honest math on both ends.

Licensing and legal:

LLC filing: $100 (plus $60/year ongoing)
State shop license: $75
Local Occupation Tax Certificate: varies by city, typically $50-$200

Barber chairs and equipment: Four to eight chairs is a typical range for a first shop. A quality used hydraulic barber chair runs $400-$700. New chairs from reputable suppliers start around $800 and can exceed $2,000 for premium units. Budget $3,000-$12,000 for chairs depending on how many you’re opening with and whether you’re buying new or used.

Build-out: This is where costs vary most. A raw commercial space needs plumbing (shampoo bowls require it), electrical work, flooring, lighting, mirrors, and waiting area furniture. A modest 4-chair shop in a secondary market might come in at $15,000 if the bones are right. A full gut renovation of a retail space in Atlanta or a Savannah historic district can easily hit $50,000 or more.

Equipment and supplies: Clippers, trimmers, shears, combs, brushes, sterilization equipment, capes, neck strips, barber poles (if you’re doing it right), product inventory. First-time buyers consistently underestimate this category. Budget $1,000-$3,000 to stock a shop properly at opening.

Insurance: $1,000-$3,000/year for a general liability and property package.

Total lean startup estimate: $25,000-$55,000

That range assumes you’re not doing a major build-out, you’re buying some used equipment, and you’re in a market where commercial rent is reasonable. The low end is achievable in smaller Georgia cities — Valdosta, Rome, Dalton. The high end is realistic for metro Atlanta or coastal markets where build-out costs and commercial rents are higher.

What’s not in this estimate: working capital. You need 3-6 months of operating expenses in reserve before you open. Rent, utilities, product restocking, and payroll don’t pause while you build a client base. Most barbershops don’t hit consistent profitability in the first 90 days. Plan accordingly.

The Timeline

Here’s a realistic sequence:

Secure your location (signed lease). Without this, you can’t apply for the shop license.
Form your LLC at ecorp.sos.ga.gov — takes 3-7 business days online.
Get your EIN from the IRS at irs.gov/ein — free, instant online.
Submit shop license application to the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers. Processing typically takes 4-6 weeks.
Apply for local Occupation Tax Certificate — can often run parallel to step 4, but some cities want your state license first. Call your city or county office to confirm their sequence.
Build out the space while applications are processing.
Confirm barber licenses for everyone cutting hair before opening day.
Open.

The PSI exam scheduling piece is worth flagging again. If you or a barber you’re hiring needs to take their licensing exams, those can’t be scheduled until the board processes the individual application. That processing, plus test availability, can add 4-6 weeks on top of school or apprenticeship completion. Don’t assume a barber who just finished their hours is two weeks from being licensed. It’s often longer.

Where to Apply

Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers: sos.ga.gov — shop license application and individual barber licensing
Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division: ecorp.sos.ga.gov — LLC formation; mailing address 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313, West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334; (478) 207-2440
Local city/county business licensing office — Occupation Tax Certificate and E-Verify/SAVE compliance
Georgia Department of Revenue: gtc.dor.ga.gov — register for sales tax if you sell retail products (most barbershops do)
IRS: irs.gov/ein — EIN

The state shop license application is your critical path item. Get the lease signed, get notarized, and submit that $75 application as early as possible. Everything else can run in parallel. The license is what you’re waiting on.