# Barbershops Walk-in App in Winston-Salem, NC

Source: https://nextupwalkin.com/local/barbershops-winston-salem-nc

> Winston-Salem, NC barbershops: local Census numbers, the state rules for your shop, and a free walk-in line guests join by scanning a code at the door.

# A walk-in line for barbershops in Winston-Salem, NC

Winston-Salem grew about 3.1%, from 249,549 people in 2020 to an estimated 257,271 in mid-2025. Here is what that looks like for a barbershop.

**257,271**people in Winston-Salem, July 2025 Census estimate (3.1% since 2020)

**3**barber shops with employees in Forsyth County in 2023, about 0.7 per 100,000 residents

**96**beauty salons with employees in Forsyth County in 2023, about 23.9 per 100,000 residents

County Business Patterns counts only shops with a payroll, so chair renters and owners working alone are not in these numbers; the real count of places to get a cut or a color in Forsyth County is higher.

## North Carolina rules every barbershop in Winston-Salem works under

These are statewide rules, the same in Winston-Salem as anywhere in North Carolina. Check the board's own pages before you open; they change.

- File the notarized shop permit application with the barber board at least 15 days before the shop is ready for inspection, with the $120 inspection fee. The $50 permit fee is due before you open.
- The shop must measure at least 196 square feet, with at least 5 feet from the center of one barber chair to the next and a clear 4-foot aisle in front of each chair.
- Each chair needs a handwashing sink with hot and cold running water within 7 unobstructed feet.
- You need a barber pole or a street-visible sign saying "barber shop" (or similar) in letters at least three inches tall.
- Inspections are generally unannounced. The shop license and sanitation rating card are posted where the public can see them at the front of the shop.

## Running walk-ins with NextUp Walk-in

- Guests scan a code at your door and get in line from their phone, with no app to download. Print that code with the free [QR window sign maker](https://nextupwalkin.com/tools/qr-window-sign), and the [printable sign-in sheet](https://nextupwalkin.com/tools/sign-in-sheet) can carry it too.
- They see their place and wait and follow it live from anywhere.
- The TV in your lobby shows who's up, on every plan, Free included.
- Plan a busy Saturday with the free [wait time calculator](https://nextupwalkin.com/tools/wait-time-planner).

More on how barbershops use the NextUp app in the [barbershops guide](https://nextupwalkin.com/industries/barbershops).

[Start free](https://nextupwalkin.com/signup?plan=free&from=local-barbershops-winston-salem-nc)

Start a 14-day trial, or pick Free at sign-up.

## Sources

- [U.S. Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, Vintage 2025 (sub-est2025.csv)](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv), checked Oct 30, 2026
- [U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, county file (cbp23co)](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2023/cbp23co.zip), checked Oct 30, 2026
- [NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners, barber shop permit application](https://www.bbee.nc.gov/barber-shop-permit-application/open), checked Oct 30, 2026
- [NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners, new barber shop checklist](https://www.bbee.nc.gov/new-shop-inspection-checklist/open), checked Oct 30, 2026
- [NC Board of Barber and Electrolysis Examiners, barber inspections](https://www.bbee.nc.gov/barbers/resources/barber-inspections), checked Oct 30, 2026