Kentucky microblading and permanent makeup rules

Do you need a license to do microblading in Kentucky?

Q: Do you need a license to do microblading in Kentucky?

Yes. Permanent makeup and microblading count as tattooing in Kentucky, so the artist must register as a tattoo artist with the local health department in the county or district where they work, with a $100 registration fee under 902 KAR 45:065.

Q: Is microblading considered tattooing or permanent makeup in Kentucky?

Yes, by name. The CHFS FAQ says permanent makeup services including microblading are regulated as tattooing, and the state program page lists microblading among practices that must be registered through the local health department.

Q: Does a permanent makeup studio need a license in Kentucky?

Yes. A business that offers permanent makeup or microblading needs a studio certification from the local health department where it is located, with a $400 annual inspection fee for studios with one to four workstations under 902 KAR 45:065.

Yes. Permanent makeup and microblading count as tattooing in Kentucky, so the artist must register as a tattoo artist with the local health department in the county or district where they work, with a $100 registration fee under 902 KAR 45:065. Below: the studio license, the agency that issues them, local rules and what Kentucky says about microblading itself, each answered from Kentucky's own statutes, rules or agency pages, read on October 24, 2026.

Artist license: License needed
Studio license: License needed
Artist fee: $100
Local rules: County or city too

Licensed by Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Tattoo, Body Piercing and Ear Piercing Program.The agency's page The state's own words

The artist

Do you need a license to do permanent makeup in Kentucky?

Yes. Permanent makeup and microblading count as tattooing in Kentucky, so the artist must register as a tattoo artist with the local health department in the county or district where they work, with a $100 registration fee under 902 KAR 45:065.

License needed: License needed
License name: Tattoo artist registration
Training hours: Not stated
State fee: $100

The studio

Does a microblading studio need a license in Kentucky?

Yes. A business that offers permanent makeup or microblading needs a studio certification from the local health department where it is located, with a $400 annual inspection fee for studios with one to four workstations under 902 KAR 45:065.

License needed: License needed
License name: Studio certification
State fee: $400

Microblading by name

Is microblading considered tattooing in Kentucky?

Yes, by name. The CHFS FAQ says permanent makeup services including microblading are regulated as tattooing, and the state program page lists microblading among practices that must be registered through the local health department.

Local rules

Do counties or cities license permanent makeup in Kentucky?

Yes. Local health departments register tattoo artists and certify studios in the county or district where the work is done, and the state program page confirms registration goes through the local health department.

Good to know

What else Kentucky asks of permanent makeup artists

Before tattooing, a tattoo artist must hold proof of completion of bloodborne pathogen training and keep documentation of it at the studio.
An applicant for a tattoo artist registration must be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
Licensed estheticians who perform microblading must also register as tattoo artists with the local health department, and the salon or spa must hold a tattoo studio certificate.

Sources

What Kentucky's official pages say

Each answer above, in the words of Kentucky's own statutes, rules or agency pages, read on October 24, 2026. Rules change, and counties can add their own: confirm with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services before you start.

The artist's license: “including the application of permanent makeup.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
“A person shall not advertise or solicit business with the intent to perform tattooing, or use or assume the title of tattooist, unless registered with the local health department in the district or county where the person is to tattoo.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
“permanent makeup services including microblading are regulated as tattooing.”
chfs.ky.gov
“"Tattoo artist" means a person registered by the local health department to engage in tattooing.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
“artists are required to apply for a tattoo artist registration with the local health”
chfs.ky.gov
“Payment of $100 registration fee; and”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
The studio's license: “A person shall not engage in the business of tattooing unless the owner of the facility holds a studio certification issued by the local health department in the district or county where the person is to tattoo.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
“Permanent makeup businesses in salons and/or spas are required to apply for a”
chfs.ky.gov
“$400 for the studio with one (1) to four (4) work stations; and”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Who issues it: “The Tattoo, Body Piercing and Ear Piercing Program registers tattoo artists, body piercers, ear piercers and certifies studios.”
chfs.ky.gov
Local rules: “KRS 211.760(2) requires nonmedical persons who engage in or carry on any business of tattooing to register with a local health department.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Also good to know: “A tattoo artist shall not engage in the act of tattooing unless that person has proof of completion of bloodborne pathogen training.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Also good to know: “An applicant for registration as a tattoo artist shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of application.”
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Also good to know: “licensed estheticians performing microblading services shall be registered as tattoo artists”
chfs.ky.gov

Questions

Kentucky microblading licenses, answered

Do you need a license to do microblading in Kentucky?

Yes. Permanent makeup and microblading count as tattooing in Kentucky, so the artist must register as a tattoo artist with the local health department in the county or district where they work, with a $100 registration fee under 902 KAR 45:065.

Is microblading considered tattooing or permanent makeup in Kentucky?

Yes, by name. The CHFS FAQ says permanent makeup services including microblading are regulated as tattooing, and the state program page lists microblading among practices that must be registered through the local health department.

Does a permanent makeup studio need a license in Kentucky?

Yes. A business that offers permanent makeup or microblading needs a studio certification from the local health department where it is located, with a $400 annual inspection fee for studios with one to four workstations under 902 KAR 45:065.

Who licenses permanent makeup artists in Kentucky?

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Tattoo, Body Piercing and Ear Piercing Program. Local health departments register tattoo artists and certify studios in the county or district where the work is done, and the state program page confirms registration goes through the local health department.

How much does a permanent makeup license cost in Kentucky?

The state fee for the Tattoo artist registration is $100, on Kentucky's official pages. Training, a bloodborne pathogens course and any county permit cost extra.

Does a cosmetology or esthetician license cover microblading in Kentucky?

Only if it is one of the licenses Kentucky names for the work: Tattoo artist registration. A certificate from a microblading course is not a state license.

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