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Tattoo License
How to Get a Tattoo License – California
In California, body art practitioners must register with the county in which they do business. (This guide will refer to registration requirements in Los Angeles county.) Registration costs $54.
Registrations expire after one year and must be renewed every year. Renewal costs $54. Registration and renewal both use this application.
Body Art Practitioner Registration Application
The body art practitioner application covers tattoo artists, body piercing, permanent cosmetics, and branding. In order to register in Los Angeles county, you will need: |
|---|
A copy of a valid government-issued ID |
A completed registration/renewal application. |
One passport-type photo (2x2 inch). You can get an approved photo at any CVS Photo location. Click here to find a location near you. |
Current Hepatitis B Vaccination Documentation or Voluntary Declination of Hepatitis B Vaccine Form |
A certificate of completion for an Approved Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Training Course. |
If your county has additional regulations, you can find them here.
The body art practitioner application covers tattoo artists, body piercing, permanent cosmetics, and branding. In order to register in Los Angeles county, you will need:
- A copy of a valid government-issued ID
- A completed registration/renewal application.
- One passport-type photo (2x2 inch). You can get an approved photo at any CVS Photo location. Click here to find a location near you.
- Current Hepatitis B Vaccination Documentation or Voluntary Declination of Hepatitis B Vaccine Form
- A certificate of completion for an Approved Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Training Course.
If your county has additional regulations, you can find them here.
Turn in Your Application
You will need to register with your local public department of health. A list of local health service departments can be found here.
For Los Angeles County, you can submit your application in person at this address:
County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Health
Environmental Health
5050 Commerce Drive
Baldwin Park, CA 91706
Your registration will become active within one week of your application being processed.
If You Are Opening a Body Art Facility:
All body art facilities (tattoo shop, permanent cosmetics, microblading and/or body piercing shops) in Los Angeles must submit the following:
Every artist in your facility must follow the regulations stated in the Safe Body Art Act and have completed an infection prevention training course. Read the Safe Body Art Act here.
Note:
Before constructing or renovating a space into a body art facility, you need to be approved by an environmental health officer from your local enforcement agency. Find more info in the Body Art Facility Plan Check Guidelines here.
Temporary Body Art Facilities:
If you are hosting a temporary event, you and each of the body art practitioners need to have appropriate health permits (see list below):
If You Are Opening an Mobile Body Art Facility:
You have to have a Public Health Permit to own/work in a mobile body art facility. You will have to either call (626) 430-5570 or email bodyartprogram@ph.lacounty.gov for more information.
Things You Should Know:
It is illegal to tattoo anyone under the age of 18, even if they have parental consent.
Find additional California State Regulations for Body Art here.
Links:
Approved infectious diseases control course : http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/EH/docs/permit/approved-bloodborne-pathogen-exposure-control-training-providers.pdf
Body art industry research: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/EH/business/body-art.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/body_art/stateregs/ca.html
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/LocalHealthServicesAndOffices.aspx
Tattoo license registration and renewal: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/EH/docs/permit/body-art-partitioner-registration-renewal.pdf
(626) 430-5570
Disease prevention Hepatitis B vaccination info: https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services/hepatitis-b
Safe Body Art Act: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/docs/business/summary-safe-body-art-act.pdf
Minimum standards for tattooing body piercing shop plans checklist:http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/docs/permit/body-art-facilities-plan-check-guideline.pdf
Prepare for a Tattooing Career with the Artist Accelerator Program
Learning the steps you need to take to get licensed is an important step in your journey, but it can also be pretty eye-opening to how difficult tattooing can be. Without the right knowledge, it’s impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist.
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AUTHOR
Nathan Molenaar
Nathan is a licensed professional tattoo artist with over 8 years’ experience working at studios across the globe, including Celebrity Ink, the world's largest tattoo studio chain. When he's not tattooing, he spends his free time sharing his experience and knowledge with aspiring artists who dream of pursuing a career in the tattooing industry.
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Thanks for the info! very useful!
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