Maine microblading and permanent makeup rules

Do you need a license to do microblading in Maine?

Yes. Microblading is treated as micropigmentation in Maine, so a person must hold a valid DHHS micropigmentation practitioner license before practicing or advertising as one. The statute caps the license fee at $150, and applicants must be at least 18. Below: the studio license, the agency that issues them, local rules and what Maine says about microblading itself, each answered from Maine's own statutes, rules or agency pages, read on October 24, 2026.

Artist license
License needed
Studio license
License needed
Local rules
Not stated

Licensed by Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Health Inspection Program.The agency's page The state's own words

The artist

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

Yes. Microblading is treated as micropigmentation in Maine, so a person must hold a valid DHHS micropigmentation practitioner license before practicing or advertising as one. The statute caps the license fee at $150, and applicants must be at least 18.

License needed
License needed
License name
Micropigmentation Practitioner
Training hours
Not stated
State fee
$150

The studio

Does a microblading studio need a license in Maine?

Yes. Maine's Health Inspection Program licenses businesses that offer micropigmentation; its pages name no separate studio license type or fee.

License needed
License needed
License name
Not stated
State fee
Not stated

Microblading by name

Is microblading considered tattooing in Maine?

Yes, by name. Maine's body artist application lists 'Micropigmentation (Microblading)' under the micropigmentation practitioner license, separate from tattooing.

Good to know

What else Maine asks of permanent makeup artists

  • Applicants for a micropigmentation practitioner license must be at least 18 years old.
  • Practitioners practicing in Maine must become Board Certified by the American Academy of Micropigmentation within 2 years of licensure.
  • Micropigmentation is defined to exclude tattooing, so the tattoo license chapter does not govern microblading.

Sources

What Maine's official pages say

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

The artist's license
“A person may not practice micropigmentation, display a sign or otherwise advertise or purport to be a micropigmentation practitioner unless that person holds a valid license issued by the department.”
legislature.maine.gov
“Micropigmentation (Microblading)”
www11.maine.gov
“Micropigmentation Practitioner (MICROBLADING)”
www11.maine.gov
“A license issued by the department pursuant to this chapter is issued biennially upon payment of a fee not to exceed $150.”
legislature.maine.gov
The studio's license
“These businesses include but are not limited to restaurants, lodging, campgrounds, youth camps, public swimming pools and spas, tattooists, micropigmentation, body piercing, electrolysists”
maine.gov
Who issues it
“The Health Inspection Program provides licensing and inspection services to businesses to protect public health.”
maine.gov
Also good to know
“Be at least 18 years of age;”
legislature.maine.gov
Also good to know
“All applicants practicing in the State of Maine shall become Board Certified by the American Academy of Micropigmentation, within 2 years of obtaining their license to practice.”
maine.gov
Also good to know
“"Micropigmentation" does not include tattooing.”
legislature.maine.gov

Questions

Maine microblading licenses, answered

Do you need a license to do microblading in Maine?
Yes. Microblading is treated as micropigmentation in Maine, so a person must hold a valid DHHS micropigmentation practitioner license before practicing or advertising as one. The statute caps the license fee at $150, and applicants must be at least 18.
Is microblading considered tattooing or permanent makeup in Maine?
Yes, by name. Maine's body artist application lists 'Micropigmentation (Microblading)' under the micropigmentation practitioner license, separate from tattooing.
Does a permanent makeup studio need a license in Maine?
Yes. Maine's Health Inspection Program licenses businesses that offer micropigmentation; its pages name no separate studio license type or fee.
Who licenses permanent makeup artists in Maine?
Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Health Inspection Program.
How much does a permanent makeup license cost in Maine?
The state fee for the Micropigmentation Practitioner is $150, on Maine's official pages. Training, a bloodborne pathogens course and any county permit cost extra.
Does a cosmetology or esthetician license cover microblading in Maine?
Only if it is one of the licenses Maine names for the work: Micropigmentation Practitioner. A certificate from a microblading course is not a state license.

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Microblading and Permanent Makeup License in Maine | SalonAI