Salongram
$18.40 from July 2026
The Department of Employment Services says DC's minimum wage rose from $17.95 to $18.40 an hour for all workers on 1 July 2026, and the minimum cash wage for tipped employees rose from $10.00 to $10.30.
City guide
In DC, barber and cosmetology licences renew on different calendars
The District's minimum wage rose from $17.95 to $18.40 an hour on 1 July 2026, and the tipped cash wage from $10.00 to $10.30. DC's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection licenses braiders after 100 hours of training. Barber licences expire on 30 September of odd years and cosmetology licences on 15 April of even years. Salongram keeps each stylist's diary and payment records.
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U Street Braids and Barbers
Washington, DC · USD · 08:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Saturday
A working copy of the app's screens with a sample salon in Washington, DC: local staff, services and prices in USD.
Salongram in Washington, DC, in short
Salongram is a free salon booking app for Washington, DC salons and barbershops: appointments, clients, staff hours and WhatsApp reminders in one app for Android and iPhone.
- Free to download for a one-chair braiding salon
- Long braiding appointments held in full
- A column for each braider or barber
- Payments recorded as cash or card
- A booking link for your Instagram bio
Key takeaways
- DC's minimum wage is $18.40 an hour from 1 July 2026, and the tipped cash wage is $10.30.
- DC licenses braiders after 100 hours of training, manicurists after 350 and barbers and cosmetologists after 1,500.
- Barber licences expire on 30 September of odd-numbered years.
- Cosmetology, specialty and body artist licences expire on 15 April of even-numbered years.
What should a DC braiding salon or barbershop plan for?
The minimum wage rose on 1 July 2026, and licences renew on two different calendars. A shop with both barbers and braiders will see renewals in September of odd years and April of even years, most needing continuing education.
Braiders have their own licence
DC's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection lists operator licences for barbers and cosmetologists at 1,500 hours of training, estheticians at 600, manicurists at 350 and braiders at 100.
Two renewal calendars
Barber licences expire on 30 September of odd-numbered years; cosmetology, specialty and body artist licences expire on 15 April of even-numbered years. Renewal opens 90 days before expiry and needs 6 continuing education credits, except for first-time renewals and owner licence renewals.
Fees and lapsed licences
Renewal costs $110 for operators and owners and $155 for managers and instructors, with a $50 late fee. Licences expired more than 60 days must be reinstated, for $210.
What an owner files
Owners submit business documents including a Certificate of Good Standing, a Certificate of Occupancy, a Federal Tax ID and a Clean Hands Certificate, with a copy of the designated manager's licence.
Where a free diary helps a DC braiding salon or barbershop
Braids that take the afternoon
Braiders hold their own DC licence, and long styles take hours. Give each style its own length, so a five-hour booking keeps its whole slot.
Hours planned around the July change
DC's rate rose on 1 July 2026, to $18.40. Salongram holds each person's scheduled days and breaks; pay and timesheets stay with your payroll tool.
Renewal windows that open early
DC renewals open 90 days before expiry: barber licences expire on 30 September of odd years, cosmetology licences on 15 April of even years. Block an hour in your own column when each window opens.
Barbers and braiders in one shop
A shop can have both licence types renewing in different years. Each person has a column with the services they are trained for, so bookings land with the person you linked to that service.
A record for every regular
Braiding clients come back on a cycle. Client records keep past styles and notes, and a rebooking reminder is created when a repeatable service is completed.
How does Salongram help a DC salon day?
We found no official data on how DC clients book braiding or barber appointments, so this guide does not guess. What Salongram does is keep calls, walk-ins and link requests in one diary per person, and it shows a warning for an overlap, so you decide whether to go ahead.
Services matched to staff
Each person is linked to the services they are trained for, so a braiding booking lands with a braider.
StaffRebooking reminders
When a repeatable service is completed, a reminder is created for when the client is due back, ready to book or message.
Rebooking remindersPayments noted, not taken
Record cash or card against each visit, so the day's payments are in one list. Salongram does not process the payment.
Payment recordsWhat does a Saturday look like in a U Street braiding and barber shop?
An illustrative Saturday, not research: a shop near U Street with the owner braiding, a second braider, and a barber, open Tuesday to Saturday, with long braiding styles booked ahead.
- Staff
- 1 owner-braider, 1 braider, 1 barber
- Hours
- 08:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Saturday
- Currency
- US dollars, card and cash recorded
- Illustrative
- Times and services are an example, not research
The diary shows the owner on knotless braids from eight until one, and the barber with gaps at ten and eleven.
A walk-in wants a lineup; the barber's ten o'clock gap fits it.
A cornrow appointment cancels; the waiting list shows a client who asked for Saturday afternoon, and she is booked in.
The owner checks the day's cash and card list before closing.
What do no-shows cost your salon?
Type in your own numbers. A no-show is a slot nobody else could take; reminders and a waiting list are how most salons win part of it back.
An estimate from the numbers you enter (a month counted as 4.33 weeks). Nothing is sent or stored. Salongram is free to download.
How do I set Salongram up for a DC shop?
List styles with real lengths
Add braiding styles, cuts and lineups with prices and durations, so long styles keep their whole slot.
Add each braider and barber
Give each person their days, hours and breaks, and link them only to the services they are licensed for.
Share the link and QR code
Create the optional account to get your booking link and QR code, then put it on Instagram, Google and the door.
What Salongram does not do for a DC salon
- It does not renew DC licences, track expiry dates or count continuing education credits.
- It does not calculate the DC minimum wage, tipped wages or pay.
- It records card and cash payments but does not take payments, tips or deposits.
- It has one login per salon, with no separate accounts for each stylist.
- No card processing. Payments are recorded in the app, not processed. There is no card reader, payment terminal or online payment.
- No automatic WhatsApp or SMS. The app never sends messages by itself. Staff open each prepared message in WhatsApp and send it.
- Not a marketplace. Salongram does not list salons in a public directory and has no Fresha, Treatwell or Booksy integration. Customers book through the salon's own link.
Questions DC braiders and barbers ask
How much must a DC salon pay staff per hour after July 2026?
The Department of Employment Services says at least $18.40 an hour for all workers from 1 July 2026, up from $17.95, with a tipped minimum cash wage of $10.30, the employer making up any shortfall if tips plus the cash wage fall below $18.40. Salongram keeps scheduled hours but does not calculate pay.
Do hair braiders need a licence in DC?
Yes. DC's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection lists a braider licence requiring 100 hours of training, separate from barber and cosmetology licences, which need 1,500 hours.
When do DC barber and cosmetology licences expire?
Barber licences expire on 30 September of odd-numbered years; cosmetology, specialty and body artist licences on 15 April of even-numbered years. Renewal opens 90 days before and needs 6 continuing education credits, except for first-time renewals and owner licence renewals.
Is there a free booking app for a DC braiding salon?
Salongram is free on Android and iPhone. It keeps a diary per braider, holds long styles in full, creates rebooking reminders and records payments. It does not take deposits or card payments.
Can a DC barbershop and braiders share one booking app?
Yes. One Salongram account holds a column for each person, linked to the services they are licensed for, with one client list and one booking link.
Sources
- DC Department of Employment Services: 2026 minimum wage increase notice: From 1 July 2026 the minimum wage rises from $17.95 to $18.40 an hour for all workers; the tipped minimum cash wage rises from $10.00 to $10.30 (checked 2026-11-05)
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection: Barber and cosmetology licensing: Operator licences: barbers and cosmetologists 1500 hours, esthetician 600, manicurists 350, braiders 100; owners submit Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Occupancy, Federal Tax ID, Clean Hands Certificate and the designated manager's licence; renewal opens 90 days before expiry; barber licences expire 30 September of odd years; cosmetology, specialty and body artist licences expire 15 April of even years; 6 CE credits; renewal $110 for operators and owners, $155 managers and instructors; late fee $50; reinstatement after 60 days (checked 2026-11-05)
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