All 50 states and DC, from each state's own rules
Microblading and permanent makeup license requirements by state
In 28 states the official rules say a person needs a license, registration or permit to do microblading or permanent makeup, and in 35 states the studio needs one too. Most states regulate it as tattooing, through the health department rather than the cosmetology board. Pick your state for who issues the license, what it costs and whether your county or city licenses it as well.
Read from the official sources on October 24, 2026. How we checked · Download every state (CSV)
- States that license the artist
- 28 of 51
- States that license the studio
- 35 of 51
- States where counties or cities also regulate it
- 30
Pick your state
Do you need a license to do microblading in your state?
The artist's license, the studio's license, who issues them and whether your county or city licenses the work too, each answered with the state's own words.
- AlabamaLicense needed
- AlaskaLicense needed
- ArizonaNot stated
- ArkansasLicense needed
- CaliforniaLicense needed
- ColoradoNot stated
- ConnecticutNot stated
- DelawareNot stated
- District of ColumbiaLicense needed
- FloridaLicense needed
- GeorgiaLicense needed
- HawaiiLicense needed
- IdahoNot stated
- IllinoisNo state license
- IndianaNot stated
- IowaLicense needed
- KansasLicense needed
- KentuckyLicense needed
- LouisianaLicense needed
- MaineLicense needed
- MarylandNot stated
- MassachusettsNot stated
- MichiganNo state license
- MinnesotaLicense needed
- MississippiLicense needed
- MissouriLicense needed
- MontanaNot stated
- NebraskaLicense needed
- NevadaNot stated
- New HampshireLicense needed
- New JerseyNot stated
- New MexicoLicense needed
- New YorkNot stated
- North CarolinaLicense needed
- North DakotaNot stated
- OhioNot stated
- OklahomaNot stated
- OregonLicense needed
- PennsylvaniaNot stated
- Rhode IslandLicense needed
- South CarolinaLicense needed
- South DakotaNot stated
- TennesseeLicense needed
- TexasNo state license
- UtahNot stated
- VermontLicense needed
- VirginiaLicense needed
- WashingtonLicense needed
- West VirginiaNot stated
- WisconsinLicense needed
- WyomingNot stated
Across the states
What the rules have in common
- Microblading is licensed work in most states. In 28 states the official pages require the artist to hold a license, registration or permit, while Illinois, Michigan and Texas license only the studio; in 20 states the state pages we read name no artist license, and counties or cities often set the rules there.
- It is usually a health department license, not a cosmetology one. In 24 states the agency that licenses permanent makeup is a health or environmental agency, which treats it as tattooing. Even where a cosmetology board issues it, as in Alaska, DC, Kansas and Virginia, it is a separate permanent cosmetics or tattoo license, not the cosmetology one.
- The studio is licensed too. 35 states require a license or permit for the place where the work is done, separate from the artist's own.
- Counties and cities often have the final word. In 30 states the official pages give counties, cities or local health departments a part in licensing, registering or inspecting the work, so check with your county as well as the state.
- Most states now name microblading. 35 states use the word on their official pages, usually inside the definition of permanent cosmetics or tattooing; elsewhere it falls under those words without the name.
- State fees are modest. Where the official pages state a fee for the artist's license (20 states), it runs from $25 in Alabama to $420 in Minnesota, $100 at the median, before training and any county permit.
- Few states set training hours. 11 states put a number on the training, from 60 hours in Vermont to 600 in Kansas; most ask only for a bloodborne pathogens course, so a microblading course certificate is not the license.
Every state compared
Microblading and permanent makeup rules, state by state
"Not stated" means the state's official pages we read did not settle it; it is not a yes or a no, and counties often fill the gap. A certificate from a microblading course is not a state license.
| State | Artist | License name | Artist fee | Studio | Issued by | County or city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | License needed | Body Art Operator Permit | $25 | License needed | Alabama Department of Public Health | Yes |
| Alaska | License needed | Tattooist, Permanent Cosmetic Colorist (PCC) | $180 | License needed | Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) | No |
| Arizona | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| Arkansas | License needed | Artist license | $100 | License needed | Arkansas Department of Health, Body Art Program | Yes |
| California | License needed | Practitioner Registration | Not stated | License needed | County or city | Yes |
| Colorado | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | Colorado Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) | Not stated |
| Connecticut | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (tattoo technician licensing) | Yes |
| Delaware | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | Delaware Division of Public Health (Department of Health and Social Services), Community Environmental Health Services | Not stated |
| District of Columbia | License needed | Body Artist license | Not stated | License needed | District of Columbia Board of Barber and Cosmetology (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) | Not stated |
| Florida | License needed | Tattoo Artist License, Guest Tattoo Artist Registration | $60 | License needed | Florida Department of Health (tattooing program, carried out by county health departments) | Yes |
| Georgia | License needed | Body Artist Certification, microblading category | Not stated | License needed | Georgia Department of Public Health (Body Art program) | Yes |
| Hawaii | License needed | Tattoo artist license | $75 | License needed | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch (tattoo artist licenses and tattoo shop permits) | Not stated |
| Idaho | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | No state agency | Not stated |
| Illinois | No state license | None named | Not stated | License needed | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Body Art Program | Yes |
| Indiana | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| Iowa | License needed | Tattoo Artist Permit | $75 | License needed | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Tattoo Program | Yes |
| Kansas | License needed | Cosmetic Tattoo Artist | $100 | License needed | Kansas Board of Cosmetology | Not stated |
| Kentucky | License needed | Tattoo artist registration | $100 | License needed | Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Tattoo, Body Piercing and Ear Piercing Program | Yes |
| Louisiana | License needed | Certificate of Registration as an Operator | $100 | License needed | Louisiana Department of Health, Food and Drug Unit (Commercial Body Art program) | No |
| Maine | License needed | Micropigmentation Practitioner | $150 | License needed | Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Health Inspection Program | Not stated |
| Maryland | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| Michigan | No state license | None named | Not stated | License needed | Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Body Art Facility Licensing | Yes |
| Minnesota | License needed | Tattoo technician license, Dual body art technician license, Temporary technician license | $420 | License needed | Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Body Art program | Yes |
| Mississippi | License needed | Regular Certificate of Registration in Tattooing or Permanent Makeup, Provisional Certificate of Registration – Permanent Makeup Artist | $150 | Not stated | Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Licensure (Professional Licensure Division) | Not stated |
| Missouri | License needed | Practitioner license | $100 | License needed | Missouri Division of Professional Registration, Office of Tattooing, Body Piercing & Branding | Not stated |
| Montana | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section | Yes |
| Nebraska | License needed | Permanent Color Technician | Not stated | License needed | Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure Unit (Body Art) | Yes |
| Nevada | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Environmental Health Section | Yes |
| New Hampshire | License needed | Body art practitioner license, Microblading certificate (licensed cosmetologists and estheticians) | Not stated | Not stated | New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) | Not stated |
| New Jersey | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | County or city | Yes |
| New Mexico | License needed | Permanent Makeup Practitioners, Permanent Cosmetics Practitioner | $100 | License needed | New Mexico Board of Body Art Practitioners (Regulation and Licensing Department) | Not stated |
| New York | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| North Carolina | License needed | Tattooing Permit | Not stated | Not stated | North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (tattooing permits are issued through local health departments) | Yes |
| North Dakota | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging (Tattoo and Body Art Establishments) | Yes |
| Ohio | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | County or city | Yes |
| Oklahoma | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | Oklahoma State Department of Health, Consumer Health Service (Medical Micropigmentation license) | Not stated |
| Oregon | License needed | Tattoo License | $50 | License needed | Oregon Health Licensing Office (Board of Electrologists and Body Art Practitioners) | Not stated |
| Pennsylvania | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| Rhode Island | License needed | Tattoo Artist registration, Tattoo Artist license | $90 | License needed | Rhode Island Department of Health (Tattooing / Body Piercing licensing) | Not stated |
| South Carolina | License needed | Physician, Other legally authorized healthcare provider | Not stated | Not stated | No state agency | Not stated |
| South Dakota | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
| Tennessee | License needed | Tattoo artist license, Apprentice artist license, Temporary artist license | $140 | License needed | Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Programs (Tattoo Artists and Establishments) | Yes |
| Texas | No state license | None named | Not stated | License needed | Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Tattoo and Body Piercing Studios licensing program | Not stated |
| Utah | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | No state agency | Not stated |
| Vermont | License needed | Permanent Cosmetic Tattooist | $100 | License needed | Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) | Not stated |
| Virginia | License needed | Permanent Cosmetic Tattooer License, Master Permanent Cosmetic Tattooer License | Not stated | License needed | Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation) | Not stated |
| Washington | License needed | Permanent cosmetic artist license | $275 | License needed | Washington State Department of Licensing | Yes |
| West Virginia | Not stated | None named | Not stated | License needed | County or city | Yes |
| Wisconsin | License needed | Tattooist license | $60 | License needed | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) | Yes |
| Wyoming | Not stated | None named | Not stated | Not stated | County or city | Yes |
Method
How we checked each state
- Official sources only. For each state we read its tattoo, body art or permanent cosmetics law and rules (the definitions, who must be licensed, the studio rules), and the license pages of the agency that issues them, usually the health department. Training academies, associations and other guides were not used as sources.
- Every answer carries the state's own words. Each answer is stored with the official page it came from and a verbatim quote, and a script confirmed that every quote, fee and training hour count appears on its page before the page was published. Each state's page shows those quotes.
- "Not stated" is honest. Where the state's pages we read do not settle a question, the state reads "Not stated" rather than a guess. In those states counties or cities often license body art themselves, so ask your local health department.
- Rules change. These are the states' own rules as published on October 24, 2026. Confirm with the agency, and with your county or city, before you start.
Questions
Microblading licenses, answered
Do you need a license to do microblading?
In most states, yes. 28 states require a license, registration or permit for microblading and permanent makeup on their official pages, usually the same one a tattoo artist holds. A certificate from a microblading course is not a state license. Pick your state above for its rule.
Is microblading considered tattooing?
Usually, yes. Most states define tattooing or body art to include permanent cosmetics, and microblading deposits pigment in the skin, so it falls under the tattoo or body art license. 35 states name microblading outright on their official pages.
Does a cosmetology or esthetician license let you do microblading?
Rarely on its own. Permanent makeup is licensed as tattooing or body art in most states, through the health department, so a cosmetology or esthetician license does not cover it unless the state names it. Each state's page lists the licenses its rules name.
Does a microblading studio need its own license?
In 35 states the official pages say yes: the studio needs a body art, tattoo or permanent cosmetics establishment license of its own, besides the artist's license.
Where do these answers come from?
From each state's own statutes, administrative rules and agency pages, read on October 24, 2026, never from training academies or other guides. Each answer carries the official page and the state's own words, and a script confirmed each quote is on that page. Rules change, and counties can add their own: confirm with your state and local health department before you start.
Plan the rest
Licensed and ready to book clients
Ready when you are
Licensed? Fill the book next
SalonAI plans the business side of a permanent makeup practice: a website clients can book from in one tap, deposits for long appointments, consent forms and touch-up reminders, your Google profile and Instagram, reviews and rebooking. Founden builds and runs it while you do the work.
Built with Founden. Review your setup and running costs before activation.