How to Open a Nail Salon in California: Licenses, Rules, and Costs for 2026

The manicurist license (for every tech)

To qualify for the manicurist exam, an applicant must be at least 17, have completed the 10th grade, and finish a Board-approved nail care course of at least 400 hours. Those hours must include at least 100 hours of health and safety, 100 hours of disinfection and sanitation, and 150 hours of manicure and pedicure (BBC Act & Regulations 2026, BPC §§7326, 7365).

• The exam is written only. There's no practical exam. It has 60 scored questions with a 90-minute limit and is offered in English, Vietnamese, Korean, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese (BBC Applicants).
• Fees: $110 for the exam and initial license, and $50 to renew every two years (manicurist application).
• Licensed in another state? A current, unrestricted license in good standing can transfer to California (BPC §7331). Out-of-state practice also counts: three months equals 100 training hours (BPC §7326).

The establishment license (for the shop)

Every salon location needs its own establishment license: Form F-BBC-05, with a $50 nonrefundable fee. It renews every two years for $40 (F-BBC-05).

You need a new establishment license when you:

• Open a new shop
• Buy an existing shop. Have the previous owner file an Establishment Closure form
• Move, even to a new suite number in the same building
• Add or remove a partner

(Sources: BPC §7347; BBC Fact Sheet 4.)

Three more rules catch new owners:

• You don't need a nail license to own a salon, but a licensed person must be in charge of the shop at all times (BPC §7348). An owner holding the establishment license qualifies.
• You're responsible for everyone, including booth renters. Employing an unlicensed worker can be both a citation and a misdemeanor (BPC §7349).
• There's no pre-opening inspection. You certify under penalty of perjury that the shop meets every rule before opening. Inspectors can then visit any time, and citations can come 45 to 60 days later (BBC).

The application also requires you to acknowledge that your establishment is responsible for following California labor laws (BPC §7347). More on that in Step 6.

Timing: the Board says mailed applications can take up to eight weeks (BBC Forms). Apply as soon as you have a signed lease and address.

Working from home? It's allowed with an establishment license, but the salon needs its own entrance, separate from your living space (BBC Fact Sheet 14).

Clauses to negotiate

California lease laws every nail salon tenant should know

1. The landlord must disclose accessibility inspections. Every commercial lease signed since 2017 must state whether the space has been inspected by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) (Civil Code §1938):

• If it was inspected, you get the report before signing. If you don't get it at least 48 hours before signing, you can cancel the lease within 72 hours.
• Repairs for problems in the report are presumed to be the landlord's responsibility unless you agree otherwise.
• If the space has no CASp certificate, the lease must say you can request an inspection. Who pays for it, and for any repairs, is up to you and the landlord to negotiate.

2. Accessibility claims are costly, and both you and the landlord are on the hook. Under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, a violation carries at least $4,000 in damages plus attorney's fees (Civil Code §52). That minimum is assessed per visit where someone was denied access, not per violation (Civil Code §55.56(f)).

The federal ADA lists a "beauty shop" as a public accommodation and makes both the landlord and the tenant responsible. The lease can divide who handles what (28 CFR §36.104, §36.201).

A CASp inspection can reduce your risk. California lowers minimum damages for businesses that were CASp-inspected and fix violations within 60 days of being served. It also gives a 120-day window to fix CASp-noted problems for businesses with 50 or fewer employees (Civil Code §55.56(g); DGS CASp).

3. Very small salons get new protections (SB 1103, 2025). You may be a "qualified commercial tenant" if your business has five or fewer employees, including you, and generally lacks access to loans or capital.

The protections only start once you give the landlord written notice and a self-attestation of your employee count. Do it before or at signing, and every year after. The protections include:

• Operating cost charges must be split fairly, documented, and from the past 18 months (or expected in the next 12). Ask for the paperwork, and the landlord must send it within 30 days (Civil Code §1950.9).
• Month-to-month tenancies: 30 days' notice for rent increases of 10% or less, and 90 days for more (Civil Code §827).
• Lease negotiated mainly in Vietnamese? For a qualified tenant on a lease signed in 2025 or later, the landlord must provide a full Vietnamese translation before signing (Civil Code §1632).

4. Security deposits have no cap, but the landlord must return what's left within 30 days of getting the space back (Civil Code §1950.7).

Have an attorney review the lease before you sign. It's the cheapest insurance in this entire guide.

Disinfectant and tools

• Disinfectant: EPA-registered, with bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal activity. Liquid for non-electrical tools, and spray or wipe for electrical tools (§977).
• Containers: labeled "Disinfectant Solution," with enough to fully submerge tools, kept covered, and changed when cloudy. Keep the manufacturer's labeled container on site (§§978–979).
• Tool steps: remove debris, wash with soap and water, dry with a new paper towel, then fully submerge (§979).
• Storage: used tools go in a container labeled "Dirty," "Soiled," or "Contaminated." Clean ones go in a covered place labeled "Clean" or "Disinfected" (§979).
• Single-use items — buffers, pumice stones, toe separators, emery boards, gloves — go in the trash after one client. Store new supplies in a covered container labeled "New" (§981).

Pedicure spas and the cleaning log

This is where California is strictest. The required cleaning depends on the spa type:

Pipeless spas follow a similar routine, plus removing the footplate and impeller (§980.2). Basic tubs need disinfectant to stand at least 10 minutes after each client (§980.3). If you use disposable liners, keep at least five liners per basin on hand (§980.4).

Every cleaning must be logged: the date and time, the initials of the person who did it, and whether it was an after-client, end-of-day, or weekly cleaning. Clients and inspectors can ask to see the log. A spa that's out of service needs a log note and a "Not in Service" sign, and each non-compliant spa can be a separate violation (sample log BBC 14).

What's banned, and what the building needs

• Banned on the premises: methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer and methylene chloride (§989), razor-edged callus tools (§993), and invasive procedures (§991)
• Towels: laundered at 160°F for at least 25 minutes, or by a commercial laundry (§987)
• Building: ventilation to building code, hot and cold running water, drinking water, and handwashing facilities (§995)
• Restroom: at least one public restroom, ventilated to the outside and never used for storage. Ones installed since July 1992 must be at least 18 square feet (BPC §7351)

What to post on your walls

The Board's required postings list includes (BBC Inspections):

• Establishment license in the reception area, and each tech's license at their station (§965)
• "Message to the Consumer" in the reception area. It replaced the old Health and Safety Rules poster in 2018 (BBC)
• Human Trafficking Notice
• Labor Commissioner's nail salon notice, in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean, where employees can see it (BPC §7353.4; DIR notice)
• "Prevention of Gender-Based Discrimination" notice

These are on top of the general employer posters in Step 6. For turning these rules into daily routines your team follows, see the SOP section of our complete opening guide.

The Healthy Nail Salon Recognition program (voluntary)

California's Healthy Nail Salon Recognition program is free and voluntary. State law (AB 2125, 2016) had the Department of Toxic Substances Control publish guidelines for local programs, and counties and cities run them (AB 2125).

In Alameda County, for example, a recognized salon uses polishes without the "toxic trio" (toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde), avoids methyl methacrylate, has techs wear nitrile gloves, and ventilates artificial nail services (Alameda County). Santa Clara County runs a free program too (Santa Clara County), and the law names programs in San Francisco, San Mateo County, and Santa Monica.

It's optional, but it's a real marketing advantage: clients can see you've gone beyond the minimum.

Proposition 65: businesses with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from its warning requirements. Larger salons can generally cover employee exposure through hazard communication and SDS training (OEHHA).

Employee or independent contractor?

California's ABC test starts by assuming every worker is an employee (DIR).

Licensed manicurists have a special path that has changed several times. It applied before 2025, lapsed for 2025, and is available again from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028 (AB 1514). Even then, it only opens the door to the older, case-by-case "Borello" test, and only if the salon can show the tech meets all of these conditions (DIR; Labor Code §2778):

1. Sets their own rates, processes their own payments, and is paid directly by clients
2. Sets their own hours and decides which clients, and how many, to take
3. Has their own book of business and schedules their own appointments
4. Holds their own business license for their services
5. If they work at your salon, issues you a Form 1099 for the space they rent

That describes a true booth or suite renter. If you set the prices, take the payments, run the turn list, or book the appointments, your techs are employees.

The Labor Commissioner's notice that salons must post says it plainly: "Generally, a person providing nail services in a nail salon is an 'employee'" (DIR notice). Our turn system guide explains why running the rotation matters here.

Pay rules for employees

Card tips belong to your techs in full. The rule is direct: "The employer may not make any deduction for credit card processing fees... from gratuities." Card tips must be paid by the next regular payday (DIR). If you've seen salons in other states deduct a card fee from tips, that isn't allowed in California. See How to Handle Tips on Credit Card Payments.

Posters and notices: California employers must display the required workplace posters, and since February 1, 2026, must give employees an annual workplace rights notice. It's available in Vietnamese (DIR).

The bottom line

Opening a nail salon in California comes down to seven steps in order. License the shop and your techs, then register the business and budget the $800 tax. Negotiate the lease with accessibility in mind.

Then build to the Board's sanitation rules and set up workplace safety. Pay your techs as employees unless they truly run their own business, and handle card fees the California way.

Want a system built for how California salons run? Book a Simpli Nail demo. Bring your floor plan and your team size, and we'll show you how turns, tips, and payroll would run on day one.

About the author: [AUTHOR NAME] is [title] at Simpli Nail. [1–2 sentences on nail industry experience.]
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This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees were verified in October 2026 and change often.