Yes — as of October 2026, a barbershop in Toronto needs a Personal Services Setting licence from the City, and the first year costs $450.91. The licence belongs to the shop, not the barber, and carries a hairstyling endorsement under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545. Two steps run alongside it: zoning approval for the unit, and written notice to Toronto Public Health at least 14 days before opening. Below: the by-law, the 2026 fees, the documents, the BodySafe notice, the home-based rules, the fine, and the location setup in BarberFlow.
Which by-law requires the licence?
The rule sits in Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing, Article XLIV, "Personal Services Settings". Section 545-2 (69) puts every person who owns or operates a personal services setting on the list of businesses that need a licence, and § 545-1 lists six classes of personal service, hairstyling among them. Hairstyling is "cutting, shaving, styling or colouring hair, including facial hair" — a beard trim is in.
Section 545-516 B confuses owners coming from older shops. Every owner or operator holds one licence and, at each application and renewal, a separate endorsement for every class of personal service offered at the premises. The old barber shop licence is gone: every renewal of a barber shop or hair dressing establishment licence after July 1, 2013 is deemed an application for a personal services setting licence endorsed for hairstyling. The City's licence directory says it in one line: businesses that provide personal services are required to obtain a Personal Service Settings licence.
How much does the licence cost in 2026?
The fees on the City's personal services licensing page were set by By-law 247-2026, enacted March 26, 2026.
| Fee | 2026 amount | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $211.73 | At application, non-refundable |
| Licence fee | $239.18 | On approval |
| First-year total | $450.91 | Before the doors open |
| Renewal | $296.45 | Every year, on the anniversary of first issue |
The licence expires annually on the anniversary of the date it was first issued. A lapse is not a late fee: an expired licence is cancelled, and the shop reapplies and pays both fees again.
Who applies, and what documents do you need?
The applicant is whoever owns or operates the premises — a sole proprietor, a partnership or a corporation. Individual barbers working the chairs do not hold their own City licence; the shop's licence and its hairstyling endorsement cover the work done there. Bring:
- Photo ID and proof of work status for the applicant.
- Corporate documents and a signing-authority letter, if the applicant is a corporation.
- A criminal record check, valid for one year.
- Zoning approval. The City is explicit: get approval from Zoning before you request your health inspection or apply for a licence.
- A Certificate of Qualification from Skilled Trades Ontario, if a sole proprietor offers hairstyling — the City names barbering, braiding and extensions. The provincial rule is in the Ontario barber licence guide.
The $1,000,000 liability policy on the same page applies only to piercing, electrolysis, tattoo, micropigmentation and microblading, not to hair. The page gives no processing time, so plan the lease around the approval.
What is BodySafe, and do you have to notify it?
BodySafe is Toronto Public Health's inspection program for personal services settings, and the notice is mandatory. The BodySafe page asks a new operator to notify Toronto Public Health in writing at BodySafe@toronto.ca at least 14 days before opening, with the shop's name, address, legal owners, services, hours and opening date. That mirrors O. Reg. 136/18, s. 3: written notice to the medical officer of health at least 14 days before commencing operation.
Under § 545-516 A, Municipal Licensing & Standards sends every application and renewal to the Medical Officer of Health, and § 545-517 requires the most recent inspection notice to be posted near the entrance. Inspections run likely once a year, plus on complaints; what the inspector checks is in the Ontario opening guide.
Zoning: the Personal Service Shop use
Zoning By-law 569-2013 calls a barbershop a Personal Service Shop: Chapter 800 (555) defines it as premises used to provide personal grooming services or for the cleaning or care of apparel. In the Commercial Residential (CR) zone along most main streets, regulation 40.10.20.10(1)(A) lists Personal Service Shop as a permitted use. Confirm the unit's zone before signing.
A home barbershop is possible. Regulation 150.5.20.1(7) allows a home occupation in the Residential Zone Category to be a personal service shop limited to six services, and barber is first on the list. By-law 1508-2025, enacted December 17, 2025, allows two employees working in the dwelling unit in addition to the operator and caps the floor area at the lesser of 25% of the dwelling or 100 m². A home-based applicant files a Notice of Zoning By-law Compliance letter or a building permit with the licence application; the licence and the BodySafe notice still apply.
What is the fine for operating without a licence?
Section 545-8.5 A makes any contravention of Chapter 545 an offence with, on conviction, a fine not exceeding $100,000. A continuing offence carries up to $10,000 for each day it continues, and By-law 492-2024, in force since January 1, 2025, added a special fine equal to the economic gain from the offence. Against $450.91, the arithmetic is not close.
How the four cities compare
| City | Licence | 2026 fee | Health step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Personal Services Setting, Chapter 545 Art. XLIV | $450.91 new, $296.45 renewal | BodySafe notice 14 days before opening |
| Vancouver | Barber Shop or Beauty Salon, Licence By-law 4450 | $376 plus $77 application fee, expires December 31 | Vancouver Coastal Health application |
| Calgary | Personal Service, Bylaw 32M98, plus independent chair operator per renter | $285 new, $200 renewal; $172 per chair operator | AHS notification before opening |
| Montréal | No city licence; borough certificat d'occupation | $100 to $420 by borough, no renewal | No salon inspection regime |
How to set up the Toronto location in BarberFlow
BarberFlow does not apply for the licence or send the BodySafe notice — those are yours. It holds the shop's address, hours, services and tax setup, so the booking page and the receipts are ready the day the licence is.
Set up a Toronto shop in BarberFlow
- 1Create the location
In Settings → Locations, add the shop with the address on the licence and its opening hours. Every setting below lives on this location.
- 2Add services and share the booking page
List each service with its duration and price. Each location gets a page at barberflow.com/book/{shop} showing the address, hours, services and prices — put the link on Google and Instagram before opening day.
- 3Apply the Ontario tax template
Open the location's Settings tab, click Edit under Taxes and choose the Ontario regional template, which adds the HST line. Switch on Included in prices if the menu shows tax-in prices.
- 4Enter the GST/HST number
Under Settings → Company Settings → GST/HST Number, add the number once registration is required — the threshold is in the Ontario HST guide. Accounting → Payments then records the tax on every payment and exports by date range.
Ring up the first haircut on opening day
Tap to Pay on iPhone, the BarberFlow Reader for chip and PIN, receipts by text and email, and a kiosk walk-in queue. 2.8% + $0.30 per card transaction, no monthly fee.
The five mistakes new Toronto shops make
- Signing the lease before Zoning signs off. The City wants zoning approval before the inspection request and the licence application; a refused unit is rent with no revenue.
- Emailing BodySafe the week of the opening. Fourteen days is the minimum under both the BodySafe program and O. Reg. 136/18.
- Letting the licence lapse. A lapse is a cancellation: a new application and both fees instead of a $296.45 renewal.
- Assuming each barber needs a City licence. The premises hold the licence; the Certificate of Qualification is what follows the person.
- Taking the home-based rules from an old forum post. By-law 1508-2025 changed the employee count and floor area in December 2025.
Frequently asked questions
do you need a licence to open a barbershop in toronto?
Yes. Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Article XLIV requires every owner or operator of a personal services setting to hold a licence endorsed for hairstyling, which covers cutting, shaving, styling or colouring hair, including facial hair. The licence belongs to the shop, not to each barber.
how much is a personal services setting licence in toronto?
$450.91 in the first year as of 2026: a $211.73 non-refundable application fee plus a $239.18 licence fee on approval. Renewal is $296.45 a year, on the anniversary of first issue.
do barbers need a certificate of qualification in ontario?
Yes. Hairstyling is a compulsory trade in Ontario and barbering sits inside it, so whoever cuts hair for pay needs the Hairstylist 332A Certificate of Qualification from Skilled Trades Ontario. Toronto asks sole proprietors offering hairstyling to submit it with the licence application.
what is toronto bodysafe and do i have to notify them?
BodySafe is Toronto Public Health's inspection program for personal services settings. A new shop must notify it in writing at BodySafe@toronto.ca at least 14 days before opening, with the name, address, legal owners, services, hours and opening date.
can i run a barbershop from my house in toronto?
Yes, within limits. Zoning regulation 150.5.20.1(7) lets a home occupation in a residential zone be a personal service shop offering barber services, and By-law 1508-2025 allows up to two employees besides the operator in the lesser of 25% of the dwelling or 100 m². The licence and the BodySafe notice still apply.
Quick checklist
- Confirm the unit is zoned for a Personal Service Shop and get Zoning's approval in writing.
- Gather photo ID, proof of work status, a criminal record check under a year old, and corporate documents if incorporated.
- Sole proprietor cutting hair: attach the Certificate of Qualification.
- Email BodySafe@toronto.ca at least 14 days before opening.
- Pay $211.73 to apply, then $239.18 on approval; diarize the anniversary for the $296.45 renewal.
- Post the latest inspection notice near the entrance.
- Set the address, hours, services and Ontario HST template on the BarberFlow location.
The province-wide steps — the business name, the CRA number, the Certificate of Qualification, WSIB — are in how to open a barbershop in Ontario. Opening somewhere else? The same question is answered for Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.
- Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing (Article XLIV, Personal Services Settings) — City of Toronto
- Find licence and permit types — City of Toronto
- Body piercing, electrolysis, hair salon, nail shop, tattoo and waxing licensing — City of Toronto
- About BodySafe — Toronto Public Health
- O. Reg. 136/18 — Personal Service Settings — Government of Ontario
- Zoning By-law 569-2013, Chapter 800 definitions — City of Toronto
- Zoning By-law 569-2013, Chapter 40 Commercial Residential zone — City of Toronto
- Zoning By-law 569-2013, Chapter 150.5 home occupations — City of Toronto
- By-law 1508-2025 (home occupation amendments) — City of Toronto
