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Renting a booth or a suite in a North Dakota salon? The big question is whether you need your own establishment license or whether you are covered by the salon you rent from. Here is exactly how North Dakota treats it in 2026 — the license question, the fees, the inspection rule, how your rent is taxed, and the steps and postings to get compliant — sourced to the state’s own rules and dated.
Yes — but North Dakota gives booth/suite renters their OWN dedicated license rather than a full establishment license. A booth or suite renter must obtain an 'Independent Licensee License' AND keep their individual practitioner license active. The Board's application defines it as 'a license obtained by a[n] Individual licensee to run a separate business within a licensed establishment,' and the Resources page states you must hold both licenses to operate as your own business inside an establishment. The building itself must separately hold an Establishment License held by the owner/landlord. Source: ND State Board of Cosmetology Independent Licensee Application SFN 60681 (05-2026); board Resources page.
Independent Licensee License: $150 (stated on the application face: 'A fee of $150.00 must be submitted with application'). Source: ND State Board of Cosmetology SFN 60681 (05-2026). Renewal cycle/fee for the independent license itself: confirm with the Board (bocinfo@nd.gov / 701-224-9800).
the Independent Licensee License may be obtained by any holder of an active ND individual license; the Board's FAQ lists the individual license types as cosmetologist, esthetician, advanced esthetician, manicurist, or instructor, with no master-level restriction. SFN 60681 defines it simply as 'a license obtained by a[n] Individual licensee to run a separate business within a licensed establishment' — the '1234MC' shown on the form is only an example of the license-number format, not a requirement that the renter hold a Master-level license.
A pre-opening/plan review is effectively built in: the notarized Independent Licensee application must be submitted two weeks before the opening date and includes an 'Independent Space Checklist' plus a required floor-plan drawing (entrances/exits, reception, restrooms, workstations/suites/chairs, supply/dispensing areas, sinks, exhaust fan, dryers). Board inspectors may also inspect independent spaces. Additional inspections can be triggered by prior violations, ownership/location changes, renewal issues, or probation. Source: SFN 60681 (05-2026); board Resources page.
North Dakota treats the booth/suite renter as an independent business, not an employee, and licenses them directly. The renter files SFN 60681 with a $150 fee, notarized, at least two weeks before opening, names the establishment and establishment owner, and attests they are 'not employees of the licensed establishment' and are 'an independently operated business' subject to all Board rules. The business/suite name must first be registered as a trade name, LLC, or corporation with the ND Secretary of State (sos.nd.gov / 701-328-2900). The renter must supply their individual license number/type, submit the Independent Space Checklist and a floor-plan drawing, keep a sign visible at the entrance, adequate disinfection supplies/stations, a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and eye wash, a blood-exposure procedure poster, covered waste containers, and proper lighting/ventilation, and follow the Board's advertising rules (all ads must identify the licensee/business exactly as the name appears on the license). Source: SFN 60681 (05-2026); ND Board Resources page.
No — booth/suite RENT is not subject to North Dakota sales tax. The ND Office of State Tax Commissioner describes the sales-tax base as retail sales of tangible personal property (plus a narrow list of enumerated services); the lease of real property (renting space, a chair area, or a suite) is not in the tax base, and cosmetology/personal-care services are not enumerated taxable services. Note: if the landlord separately rents out tangible personal property (e.g., equipment) for a stated periodic charge, that portion IS taxable; and if you resell retail products to clients you must collect ND sales tax and hold a sales-tax permit. Because no ND guideline addresses 'booth rent' by name, confirm your specific arrangement with the ND Office of State Tax Commissioner (701-328-1246 / salestax@nd.gov). Source: ND Office of State Tax Commissioner sales-and-use-tax page; N.D. Admin. Code art. 81-04.1.
Work through these in order — the kit turns them into a checklist you can tick off:
North Dakota is unusual: it does not make a booth renter buy a full 'salon/establishment' license, but it does NOT let them operate unlicensed either. The Board created a purpose-built 'Independent Licensee License' — its own filing (SFN 60681) — that costs $150 flat and must be held on top of your individual license, and only a MASTER-level licensee (Master Cosmetologist/Esthetician/Manicurist) can obtain it. The application is notarized, must be filed two weeks before opening, and requires a floor-plan drawing plus a physical-space checklist, so it doubles as a mini pre-opening inspection of your suite. And unlike many states, booth RENT itself sits outside North Dakota's sales-tax base, so the rent you pay your landlord is not taxed. (Barbers are a separate track entirely, under the ND Board of Barber Examiners.)
Your individual license alone is not enough to booth-rent in North Dakota — you must separately obtain the $150 Independent Licensee License (SFN 60681) and keep BOTH active. The Board grants the independent license to master-level licensees (Master Cosmetologist, Master Esthetician, Master Manicurist), so verify your license tier qualifies before you apply.
The application must be notarized and submitted at least two weeks before your opening date, and no payment is accepted without a complete application (including the Independent Space Checklist and a floor-plan drawing). Waiting until opening week will delay your launch.
Your suite/business name must be registered as a trade name, LLC, or corporation with the ND Secretary of State (sos.nd.gov / 701-328-2900) before the Board application is complete — a separate agency and step people miss.
The booth rent you pay is not subject to ND sales tax, but if you resell retail products to clients you must collect and remit ND sales tax and hold a sales-tax permit — 'no tax on rent' does not mean 'no tax on anything.'
Timeline: Plan about 2-4 weeks: the notarized Independent Licensee application must reach the Board two weeks before opening, plus lead time to register your business name with the Secretary of State and assemble the floor plan and space checklist.
Cost: $150 Independent Licensee License (stated on ND SFN 60681). Plus your active individual license renewal (~$15/year by Dec 31, $50 per-license late penalty after Dec 31; confirm with Board) and a ND Secretary of State trade-name/LLC filing fee. The Establishment License fee is the landlord's cost, not the renter's.
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Pick North Dakota and get one clear kit: whether you need your own license, the fees, the inspection rule, how your rent is taxed, plus the steps to get compliant and what to display — as interactive checklists that save your progress. Free watermarked preview; clean printable PDF for $29.
Build my North Dakota kit →Yes — but North Dakota gives booth/suite renters their OWN dedicated license rather than a full establishment license. A booth or suite renter must obtain an 'Independent Licensee License' AND keep their individual practitioner license active. The Board's application defines it as 'a license obtained by a[n] Individual licensee to run a separate business within a licensed establishment,' and the Resources page states you must hold both licenses to operate as your own business inside an establishment. The building itself must separately hold an Establishment License held by the owner/landlord. Source: ND State Board of Cosmetology Independent Licensee Application SFN 60681 (05-2026); board Resources page.
Independent Licensee License: $150 (stated on the application face: 'A fee of $150.00 must be submitted with application'). Source: ND State Board of Cosmetology SFN 60681 (05-2026). Renewal cycle/fee for the independent license itself: confirm with the Board (bocinfo@nd.gov / 701-224-9800).
the Independent Licensee License may be obtained by any holder of an active ND individual license; the Board's FAQ lists the individual license types as cosmetologist, esthetician, advanced esthetician, manicurist, or instructor, with no master-level restriction. SFN 60681 defines it simply as 'a license obtained by a[n] Individual licensee to run a separate business within a licensed establishment' — the '1234MC' shown on the form is only an example of the license-number format, not a requirement that the renter hold a Master-level license.
A pre-opening/plan review is effectively built in: the notarized Independent Licensee application must be submitted two weeks before the opening date and includes an 'Independent Space Checklist' plus a required floor-plan drawing (entrances/exits, reception, restrooms, workstations/suites/chairs, supply/dispensing areas, sinks, exhaust fan, dryers). Board inspectors may also inspect independent spaces. Additional inspections can be triggered by prior violations, ownership/location changes, renewal issues, or probation. Source: SFN 60681 (05-2026); board Resources page.
No — booth/suite RENT is not subject to North Dakota sales tax. The ND Office of State Tax Commissioner describes the sales-tax base as retail sales of tangible personal property (plus a narrow list of enumerated services); the lease of real property (renting space, a chair area, or a suite) is not in the tax base, and cosmetology/personal-care services are not enumerated taxable services. Note: if the landlord separately rents out tangible personal property (e.g., equipment) for a stated periodic charge, that portion IS taxable; and if you resell retail products to clients you must collect ND sales tax and hold a sales-tax permit. Because no ND guideline addresses 'booth rent' by name, confirm your specific arrangement with the ND Office of State Tax Commissioner (701-328-1246 / salestax@nd.gov). Source: ND Office of State Tax Commissioner sales-and-use-tax page; N.D. Admin. Code art. 81-04.1.
No. SalonBoothLicense gives general information based on each state's published cosmetology/barbering and tax rules, dated to when we last verified them, and is not a guarantee of licensure. Booth/suite rules also depend on local permitting and your written rental agreement. Always confirm with your state board and local authority.
Sources: www.nd.gov. Verified 2026-08-10. General information, not legal advice and not a guarantee of licensure — confirm with your state board and local authority before you open.