Last updated: April 30, 2026

How to Start a Hair Salon in Nevada (2026)

Nevada licenses cosmetology under NRS Chapter 644A and NAC Chapter 644A through the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology (NVCOSMO), with offices in Las Vegas (8945 W. Russell Rd., Suite 200) and Reno (740 Del Monte Lane, Suite 12). Two facts dominate planning a Nevada salon. First, Nevada’s cosmetologist requirement is 1,600 hours at a Board-approved school or 3,200 hours of apprenticeship – lower than California’s 1,000 hours but the same as Colorado, Texas, and most Western states. The Hair Designer license is a separate, higher-hours category at 2,000 apprenticeship hours with no school-only path. Second, Nevada is one of the few states where eyelash extension services do not have their own standalone license – a technician performing eyelash extensions must hold an underlying cosmetologist or esthetician license. There is no 100-hour or 320-hour standalone eyelash credential the way Texas, Florida, Colorado, or Utah have created.

This page covers the actual Nevada-specific path: which individual license matches which service, the $110 three-part examination through the Board, the cosmetological establishment license under NRS 644A.600, Nevada’s sales-tax treatment of services vs. retail products under NAC 372, the workers’ comp obligation at employee one, the booth-rental classification trap under the NRS 608.0155 ABC test, and the four major Las Vegas salon market segments (Strip resort, off-Strip neighborhood, suite-rental concepts, event-styling).

Nevada Salon Requirements at a Glance

Requirement	Agency / Authority	Cost	Timeline
Nevada LLC + State Business License	Nevada SOS via SilverFlume	$425 initial; $350/year	1 business day online
Cosmetologist license (individual)	NV State Board of Cosmetology	$15 application + $110 exam + $70 (2-yr) or $140 (4-yr) license	1,600 hr school OR 3,200 apprentice
Hair Designer license (individual)	NV Board of Cosmetology	~$195 fees	2,000 apprentice hours
Esthetician license	NV Board of Cosmetology	~$195 fees	900 hours
Advanced Esthetician license	NV Board of Cosmetology	~$195 fees	+300 hr (existing) or 900 hr (new)
Nail Technologist license	NV Board of Cosmetology	~$195 fees	600 hr school OR 1,200 apprentice
Reciprocity (out-of-state license-holder)	NV Board of Cosmetology	$325 + Nevada State Law exam	Board review
Cosmetological Establishment License (per location)	NV Board of Cosmetology under NRS 644A.600	Per Board fee schedule + initial inspection fee	30-90 days
Sales/Use Tax Permit (for retail product sales)	Nevada Department of Taxation	$15 per location	Before first retail sale
Workers’ compensation	Any private NV insurer (NRS 616B)	NCCI 9586 ~2-4% of payroll	Before first hire
Modified Business Tax	NV Dept of Taxation (auto with UI)	1.17% on quarterly wages over $50K	Quarterly
Commercial general liability + product liability	Private insurer	$500-$1,500/year typical	Before opening
City/County business license	Las Vegas, Clark, Henderson, Reno, etc.	$100-$500	30-60 days

How to Start a Hair Salon in Nevada (Step by Step)

Step 1: Form Your Nevada LLC and Get the State Business License

File at SilverFlume – $425 total. Annual recurring $350. Note that a salon owner does not need to be personally licensed in cosmetology to own a salon – but every individual practicing cosmetology in the establishment must hold their own NV Board license, and the establishment must be supervised by a Board-licensed practitioner.

Step 2: Match Individual Licenses to Services Performed

Nevada licenses individual practitioners by service category under NRS 644A. The license a practitioner needs depends on what services they offer:

License Type	Hours Required	Authorized Services
Cosmetologist	1,600 hours at a Board-approved school OR 3,200 hours apprenticeship	Hair, skin, nails – the broadest license. Cuts, color, perms, blowouts, basic skin care, basic nail services. Includes authority for eyelash extensions.
Hair Designer	2,000 hours apprenticeship (no school-only path)	Hair-only specialty – cuts, styling, coloring, chemical services. Does not authorize skin or nail services.
Esthetician	900 hours	Skin care – facials, waxing, makeup, basic body treatments, eyelash extension services.
Advanced Esthetician	+300 hours for existing esthetician OR 900 hours for new applicant	Advanced device-based skin treatments – IPL, cryotherapy, radiofrequency, skin tightening. Required for laser hair removal in Nevada.
Nail Technologist	600 hours school OR 1,200 hours apprenticeship	Manicures, pedicures, artificial nails, nail extensions, polish, nail art.
Instructor (any of the above)	Higher-tier qualifications – typically active practitioner license + Instructor exam	Teaching at a Board-licensed school

Nevada explicitly defines eyelash extensions as a service authorized under either the cosmetologist or esthetician license – there is no separate eyelash technician credential the way several other states have created. A practitioner who only wants to do eyelash extensions must complete the full 900-hour esthetician program at minimum. This is one of the higher entry barriers in the U.S. for an eyelash-only practice.

Step 3: Pass the Cosmetology Exams

Each individual license category requires its own examination administered by the Board:

• Application fee: $15
• Examination fee: $110
• Theory exam: Computer-based, 75% passing score
• Nevada State Law exam: 25 multiple-choice questions, 75% passing
• Practical exam: Hands-on skills demonstration; pass/fail
• Reexamination: $95 if you fail any portion

License fees after passing exams are $70 for a 2-year license or $140 for a 4-year license. Renewal requires 4 hours of infection control continuing education per renewal cycle.

Reciprocity: $325 fee plus the Nevada State Law exam for license-holders from other states. Reciprocity is reviewed individually – it is not automatic. The Board may require additional Nevada-specific hours or waiting periods depending on the originating state’s requirements.

Step 4: License the Cosmetological Establishment (the Salon)

Every salon location in Nevada must be licensed as a cosmetological establishment under NRS 644A.600. Application includes:

• Owner/entity information
• Floor plan showing chairs/stations, sinks, dispensary, restrooms, sterilization area
• Designation of a supervising practitioner who holds an active Nevada cosmetologist, hair designer, esthetician, or nail technologist license
• Posted licensure information for every practicing licensee
• Equipment list (chairs, hair-wash stations, autoclaves or wet sanitizers, towel storage)
• Application fee + initial inspection fee per the Board’s current fee schedule

The Board conducts a pre-opening inspection covering sanitation (per NAC 644A), equipment safety, ventilation (especially for nail-tech salons using acrylics and gel polishes), proper sharps handling, and posted licensee information. After successful inspection, the establishment license is issued. Renewal is typically annual.

Suite-rental concepts: Sola Salon Studios, Phenix Salon Suites, Salon Plaza, and similar suite-rental concepts that lease individual rooms to independent practitioners are common in the Las Vegas valley. Each suite is a separately-licensed cosmetological establishment in many Nevada interpretations – meaning each independent stylist must license their suite as well as their individual practice. Verify the licensing requirements with the Board before signing a suite-rental lease.

Step 5: Register for Sales Tax (Retail Products)

Salon services themselves are not taxable in Nevada under the general NAC 372 rule that services not in conjunction with a sale of tangible personal property are not subject to sales tax. A blowout, a cut, a color, a manicure, a facial – none of these are taxed.

However, retail product sales are taxable:

• Shampoo, conditioner, styling cream, finishing spray, color-treated-hair products
• Hot tools (irons, blow dryers) sold to clients
• Skin-care products, eyelash growth serums, sunscreens
• Nail polish, base coats, top coats, kits

Combined sales tax: 8.375% in Clark County, 8.265% in Washoe, 7.6% in Carson City. Apply for a Sales/Use Tax Permit at $15 per location. If you bring inventory in from out-of-state without paying sales tax, you owe Nevada use tax.

Step 6: Add City and County Business Licensing

Cosmetological establishment licensing through NVCOSMO is separate from city/county licensing. Each Nevada jurisdiction your salon operates in requires its own business license:

• City of Las Vegas – typical $200-$300/year
• Clark County (for unincorporated areas including Spring Valley, Summerlin South, and most of the Strip)
• Henderson, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sparks, Carson City – each separate
• Salons inside Strip resort properties (MGM, Caesars, Wynn, Venetian, etc.) typically also have property-specific vendor agreements with the resort, beyond city/county licensing

Step 7: Workers’ Comp, MBT, and the Booth-Rental Classification Trap

Workers’ compensation: Required from employee one under NRS 616B. NCCI 9586 (Beauty Parlor) typically 2-4% of payroll. Apply via any private NV-licensed insurer.

Modified Business Tax: 1.17% on quarterly wages over $50,000 (after health-benefit deductions) under NRS 363B. Returns due last day of month following each quarter.

DETR unemployment: 2026 new employer rate 2.95% on $43,700 wage base + 0.05% CEP.

Booth-rental classification trap: Salons commonly classify stylists as 1099 booth renters rather than W-2 employees. Nevada uses the NRS 608.0155 ABC test to determine whether a worker is a genuine independent contractor or a misclassified employee. The three prongs require the worker to be:

• (A) Free from control and direction of the principal in connection with the work
• (B) Performing work outside the usual course of the principal’s business
• (C) Customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business

Prong (B) is hard to satisfy in a salon context – if the salon’s usual business is hairstyling and the booth renter is also providing hairstyling, they are arguably performing work within the usual course of the salon’s business, failing prong B. Nevada audits booth-rental misclassification regularly. Misclassification triggers UI back assessment, MBT back assessment, workers’ comp liability for past injuries, and potential personal liability for unpaid wages. Get a written booth-rental agreement, charge market-rate rent (not commission), let the renter set their own hours and pricing, and document the renter’s separate business identity (their own State Business License, EIN, advertising, retail product line) to support a defensible classification.

Step 8: Las Vegas Salon Market Segments

Four distinct Nevada salon market segments operate in the Las Vegas valley with very different cost structures:

• Strip resort salons. In-resort full-service salons at MGM, Caesars, Wynn, Venetian, Resorts World, etc. Highest-priced services (often $200-$500+ per visit), tourist customer base, requires resort-property vendor agreement on top of state and local licensing. Often union-staffed.
• Off-Strip neighborhood salons. Small to mid-size salons in Henderson, Summerlin, Centennial Hills, Green Valley, Spring Valley. Local-resident customer base, repeat business, $50-$200 per visit. Most accessible entry point.
• Suite-rental concepts. Sola, Phenix Salon Suites, Salon Plaza, IMAGE Studios. Each stylist runs their own suite as their own establishment. Lower entry capital but requires a personal book of clients to fill the chair.
• Event/concert/wedding styling. On-call mobile-styling for Las Vegas weddings, conventions, concerts, photo shoots, F1 weekend, Super Bowl LVIII fallout, awards events. Highest hourly rates, irregular schedule, no fixed location.

Nevada Salon Market Context

• Las Vegas Valley. Dominant market. Tourist hair-and-makeup demand for weddings, conventions, fight nights, F1, concerts, and the convention calendar creates a non-local customer base unlike most cities. Local Henderson and Summerlin growth supports neighborhood-salon expansion. The Strip resort segment is high-revenue but high-barrier.
• Reno-Sparks. Growing market on the back of the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center workforce. Tahoe ski-resort wedding traffic creates seasonal event styling demand.
• Carson City. Smaller, government-employee-driven market.
• Rural Nevada. Limited – most rural salons are small one-or-two-chair operations.

Cost to Start a Hair Salon in Nevada

Cost Component	Range
Nevada LLC + State Business License	$425
Individual cosmetology license (cosmetologist path)	$195 (school tuition $8K-$25K separately)
Cosmetological Establishment License + inspection	$200-$500
City/County business license	$200-$700
Lease deposit + first 3 months (off-Strip 1,500 sq ft)	$15,000-$40,000
Tenant improvements (sinks, ventilation, lighting, finishes)	$25,000-$120,000
Salon equipment (chairs, dryers, color stations, retail display)	$10,000-$40,000
Initial inventory (color, products, retail)	$3,000-$10,000
Insurance (GL + product + workers’ comp setup)	$1,200-$3,500/year
POS / scheduling software / website	$500-$2,500
Initial marketing / launch	$1,500-$5,000
Suite-rental concept (single suite alternative)	$1,500-$3,000/month rent + setup

Realistic Nevada salon startup total: $15,000-$30,000 for a single suite-rental concept; $60,000-$200,000+ for a stand-alone neighborhood salon; $250,000+ for a Strip-tier full-service salon.

Related Nevada Business Guides

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours of cosmetology school does Nevada require?

Nevada’s cosmetologist license under NRS 644A requires 1,600 hours at a Board-approved school or 3,200 hours of apprenticeship under a Board-licensed supervising practitioner. The cosmetologist license is the broadest – it authorizes hair, basic skin, basic nails, and eyelash extension services. Other licenses have different hour totals: Hair Designer 2,000 apprentice hours (no school-only path), Esthetician 900 hours, Nail Technologist 600 school or 1,200 apprentice hours.

Does Nevada have a separate eyelash extension license?

No. Nevada does not have a standalone eyelash extension or eyelash technician license the way Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Utah do. Nevada considers eyelash extension services part of the scope of practice authorized under the cosmetologist license (1,600 hours) or the esthetician license (900 hours). A practitioner who wants to perform eyelash extension services in Nevada must complete the full esthetician program at minimum. This makes Nevada one of the higher entry barriers for eyelash-only practice.

Are hair salon services taxable in Nevada?

No. Hair salon services (cuts, color, blowouts, perms, etc.), nail services, esthetician services, and eyelash extension services are not taxable in Nevada. Nevada’s general rule under NRS 372 / NAC 372 is that services not in conjunction with a sale of tangible personal property are not subject to sales tax. However, retail product sales (shampoo, conditioner, styling product, hot tools) ARE taxable at the combined state-and-local rate (8.375% in Clark County, 8.265% in Washoe). Apply for a Sales/Use Tax Permit at $15 per location if selling retail.

How much does a Nevada cosmetology license cost?

The direct Board fees are $15 application + $110 examination + $70 (2-year license) or $140 (4-year license) = $195 for a 2-year initial license. Reexamination is $95 if you fail. School tuition is separately $8,000-$25,000 depending on the school. Reciprocity from another state is $325 plus the Nevada State Law exam. Renewal requires 4 hours of infection control continuing education.

Do salon owners need to be licensed cosmetologists in Nevada?

No. The salon owner does not need to hold a personal cosmetology license. But every individual practicing cosmetology in the establishment must hold their own NV Board license, and the cosmetological establishment must designate a supervising practitioner who holds an active Nevada cosmetologist, hair designer, esthetician, or nail technologist license. A non-licensed owner can hire a Board-licensed manager to fill the supervising-practitioner role.

Can I rent booths to stylists as 1099 contractors in Nevada?

Cautiously. Nevada uses the NRS 608.0155 ABC test to determine independent-contractor status. The hardest prong to satisfy in a salon is (B) – the worker must perform work outside the usual course of the principal’s business. A salon whose usual business is hairstyling and a booth renter who also provides hairstyling arguably fail prong B. Nevada audits booth-rental misclassification regularly. To make a defensible 1099 classification: written booth-rental agreement, market-rate rent (not commission-share), renter sets own hours and pricing, renter holds their own State Business License and EIN, renter brings their own clients, renter advertises separately. Misclassification triggers UI, MBT, and workers’ comp back assessments.

Is the cosmetological establishment license separate from the State Business License?

Yes. Nevada requires three separate licensing layers for a salon: (1) the Nevada State Business License ($200/year through SilverFlume) for the entity itself; (2) the cosmetological establishment license through the NV State Board of Cosmetology under NRS 644A.600 for the physical salon location; and (3) the local city or county business license. The State Business License is a tax-and-revenue licensing concept; the cosmetological establishment license is a profession-and-public-safety regulatory concept. They are different agencies with different rules.

What is Nevada’s market for Strip resort salons?

The Las Vegas Strip resort corridor hosts in-resort full-service salons at MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn, Venetian/Palazzo, Resorts World, and most other major properties. Service prices range $200-$500+ per visit, drawing from a tourist customer base unique to Las Vegas (weddings, conventions, F1, concerts, fights, awards events). Operating in this segment requires the property’s separate vendor onboarding process on top of state and local licensing – typically $2M-$5M general liability with the property as additional insured, employee background screening, and often union-labor obligations. Off-Strip neighborhood salons in Henderson, Summerlin, and Spring Valley serve the local resident market with much lower entry barriers.