1.5 Salon Licensure, Management & Required Salon Equipment
Key Takeaways
- A salon license application under 49 Pa. Code § 7.51 must include a sketch plan of the layout, the name and license number of the designated person in charge, and the salon license fee, and no license issues until a Bureau inspector verifies compliance.
- Under § 7.62 a cosmetology salon must be managed by the owner or a designated person in charge who is a licensed cosmetologist, whose name is posted conspicuously and who must be readily available in person to Bureau inspectors during regular business hours.
- Section 7.71 lists sixteen minimum equipment items for a one-cosmetologist salon, including a labeled first aid kit, a wet sanitizer, a closed container for sanitized implements, twelve combs and twelve brushes, and a multipurpose Class A, B and C fire extinguisher.
- The § 7.71 first aid kit must contain an antiseptic, cotton balls, protective gloves, a blood spill kit, a hazardous waste bag, eyewash, burn ointment, assorted bandage strips, and sterile gauze pads.
- A salon license is valid only for the location stated on it; § 7.52 requires a new application for a change of location and Board approval of a sketch plan for any change in physical dimensions, and § 7.53 requires immediate written notice of a change in controlling ownership.
Why Salon Licensure Sits on the State Portion
Only ten scored items on the Pennsylvania Cosmetologist examination are state-specific, and they are drawn from 49 Pa. Code Chapter 7, Act 86 of 1933, and Act 48 of 1993. Salon licensure and salon equipment are unusually productive question material because the regulations are enumerated lists with exact numbers — the kind of content that converts cleanly into multiple-choice items. A candidate who can recite the § 7.71 equipment list and the § 7.62 management rule has covered a meaningful share of the state portion.
Applying for a Salon License (§ 7.51)
An owner-applicant for a salon license submits an application to the Board containing three things:
- A sketch plan showing the layout of the salon, including the position of the doors, windows, partitions, shampoo basins, lavatories, adjustable chairs, and other floor equipment.
- The name and license number of the individual who will be the designated person in charge of the salon in the absence of the owner.
- The salon license fee prescribed in § 7.2.
Section 7.51(b) then adds the step candidates most often forget: a license will not be issued until the Board has verified the sworn statements in the application and a Bureau inspector has inspected the salon for compliance with the facility requirements of Chapter 7. Only if the inspector determines the salon meets the requirements of the act and the chapter will a license be issued. In other words, Pennsylvania salon licensure is pre-inspection, not post-inspection.
Changes After Licensure
| Change | Regulation | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Change of location | § 7.52(a) | A salon license is valid only for the location stated on the license. The owner submits a change-of-location application with all the § 7.51 information plus the change-of-location fee, and it is processed the same way — including a new inspection. |
| Change of physical dimensions | § 7.52(b) | The owner shall submit a sketch plan of any proposed change in the physical dimensions of the salon to the Board for its approval. |
| Change of controlling ownership | § 7.53 | The owner shall immediately notify the Board in writing. If a partner or co-owner is added or deleted, the owner submits an application for change of license and the change-of-license fee. |
Note the verbs: location and dimensions require advance application and approval; ownership requires immediate written notice.
Management of Salons (§ 7.62)
Pennsylvania does not allow a salon to run unsupervised.
- § 7.62(a): A cosmetology salon shall be managed by the salon owner or, in the owner's absence, a person in charge designated by the salon owner.
- § 7.62(b): The designated person in charge shall be a licensed cosmetologist, with these limited-salon alternatives:
- Esthetician salon: a licensed cosmetologist or a licensed esthetician.
- Nail technology salon: a licensed cosmetologist or a licensed nail technician.
- Natural hair braiding salon: a licensed cosmetologist or a licensed natural hair braider.
- § 7.62(c): Both the owner and the designated person in charge are responsible for posting the name of the owner or designated person in charge in a conspicuous place in the salon, as required by section 4.4(b) of the act (63 P.S. § 510.4(b)).
- § 7.62(d): The owner or designated person in charge shall be readily available in person to Bureau inspectors during regular business hours.
Under the Act 48 schedule at § 43b.5, operating without a manager draws $100 for a first offense and $250 for a second.
Responsibilities and Vicarious Exposure (§ 7.64)
Section 7.64(a) states that the primary responsibilities of the owner and designated person in charge are the administration of the business and personnel affairs of the salon and assuring compliance within the salon with all laws of the Commonwealth, Chapter 7, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (43 P.S. §§ 951—963).
Section 7.64(b) sets the accountability standard the exam tests:
A salon owner or designated person in charge will be subject to disciplinary action by the Board for a violation committed by a licensed employee of the salon if the owner or designated person in charge had knowledge of, or control over, the violation, or should have had knowledge or control.
"Should have had knowledge or control" is the operative phrase — willful ignorance is not a defense. Under § 43b.5, a manager employing unlicensed persons is cited at $500 for each unlicensed individual on a first offense, with formal action on a second.
Two related salon rules complete the picture: § 7.65 prohibits the rental of booth space, and § 7.66 prohibits refusing, withholding, or denying any accommodation, advantage, facility, or privilege of a salon because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, or national origin.
Minimum Equipment and Supplies (§ 7.71)
Section 7.71(a) enumerates the minimum equipment needed for a salon with one cosmetologist. Learn it as a list of sixteen:
| # | Required item | # | Required item |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One adjustable chair | 9 | A closed storage area for soiled linen |
| 2 | One styling station with mirror | 10 | One timer clock |
| 3 | One labeled first aid kit | 11 | One closed towel cabinet for clean linen |
| 4 | One dryer or blow dryer | 12 | A closed container for sanitized implements |
| 5 | One shampoo tray or basin | 13 | One wet sanitizer |
| 6 | Twelve combs and twelve brushes | 14 | A reception desk |
| 7 | One covered waste container | 15 | Twelve sanitary towels for each styling station |
| 8 | — | 16 | One sink with hot and cold running water readily accessible to each styling station, and one multipurpose fire extinguisher suitable for Class A, B and C fires |
Section 7.71(b) scales it: for each additional cosmetologist, supplies and equipment shall be increased so that each cosmetologist can render services safely and efficiently. Pair this with the § 7.76 floor-space formula — each added licensee costs the salon both 60 more square feet and a proportional increase in equipment.
The § 7.71 First Aid Kit — Memorize the Nine Contents
The kit must be labeled and must contain:
- An antiseptic
- Cotton balls
- Protective plastic or latex gloves
- A blood spill kit
- A hazardous waste bag
- Eyewash
- Burn ointment
- Plastic or latex bandage strips of varying sizes and shapes
- Sterile gauze pads
Every item maps to a hazard you have already studied: gloves, the blood spill kit, and the hazardous waste bag support the blood exposure incident protocol; eyewash supports chemical splash first aid; burn ointment supports thermal injury from irons and dryers.
Parallel equipment lists exist for the limited-practice salons at § 7.71a (esthetician), § 7.71b (nail technology), and § 7.71c (natural hair braiding). Violations of §§ 7.71—7.79 are cited at $50 for each violation on a first offense and $100 for each violation on a second.
Under 49 Pa. Code § 7.51, what must accompany an owner-applicant's salon license application, and when is the license actually issued?
A Pennsylvania nail technology salon's owner will be away for the afternoon. Under 49 Pa. Code § 7.62, who may serve as the designated person in charge?
An inspector opens the first aid kit in a Pennsylvania cosmetology salon and finds cotton balls, bandage strips, sterile gauze pads, an antiseptic, gloves, and burn ointment. Which required § 7.71(a)(3) items are still missing?