Minnesota microblading and permanent makeup rules
Do you need a license to do microblading in Minnesota?
Yes. Anyone who does permanent makeup in Minnesota must hold a valid MDH tattoo technician license, since permanent makeup is tattooing under state law; a dual or temporary technician license is also listed. The fee for the initial technician license application is $420. Below: the studio license, the agency that issues them, local rules and what Minnesota says about microblading itself, each answered from Minnesota's own statutes, rules or agency pages, read on October 24, 2026.
- Artist license
- License needed
- Studio license
- License needed
- Artist fee
- $420
- Local rules
- County or city too
Licensed by Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Body Art program.The agency's page The state's own words
The artist
Do you need a license to do permanent makeup in Minnesota?
Yes. Anyone who does permanent makeup in Minnesota must hold a valid MDH tattoo technician license, since permanent makeup is tattooing under state law; a dual or temporary technician license is also listed. The fee for the initial technician license application is $420.
- License needed
- License needed
- License name
- Tattoo technician license, Dual body art technician license, Temporary technician license
- Training hours
- Not stated
- State fee
- $420
The studio
Does a microblading studio need a license in Minnesota?
Yes. A place that does permanent makeup must hold an MDH body art establishment license, which costs $1,500 and is renewed every two years. Body art may be performed only at a licensed establishment, apart from the statute's listed exceptions.
- License needed
- License needed
- License name
- Body art establishment license
- State fee
- $1,500
Microblading by name
Is microblading considered tattooing in Minnesota?
Not by name. Minnesota's official pages we read do not use the word microblading, but they license permanent makeup or tattooing, and microblading deposits pigment in the skin the same way. Ask MDH before you treat it as anything else.
Local rules
Do counties or cities license permanent makeup in Minnesota?
Yes. A county or city body art ordinance can replace the state establishment license if it meets or exceeds the state chapter. MDH says it does not regulate facilities in Anoka, Hennepin and Steele counties or in Minneapolis, Maplewood, Brooklyn Park, Bloomington, Richfield and Edina.
Good to know
What else Minnesota asks of permanent makeup artists
- Tattooing anyone under 18 is a gross misdemeanor, even with parental or guardian consent.
- Body art procedures may be performed only at a licensed body art establishment, except as the statute permits under subdivisions 8 and 9.
- A tattoo technician license requires 200 hours of supervised tattoo experience, which is separate from coursework.
Sources
What Minnesota's official pages say
Each answer above, in the words of Minnesota's own statutes, rules or agency pages, read on October 24, 2026. Rules change, and counties can add their own: confirm with MDH before you start.
- The artist's license
“Effective January 1, 2011, no individual may perform tattooing unless the individual holds a valid tattoo technician license issued by the commissioner under this chapter, except as provided in subdivision 3.”
revisor.mn.gov “Tattooing also includes micropigmentation and cosmetic tattooing.”
revisor.mn.gov “"Micropigmentation or cosmetic tattooing" means the use of tattoos for permanent makeup or to hide or neutralize skin discolorations.”
revisor.mn.gov “If an individual performs both tattooing and body piercing, the individual must hold a valid dual body art technician license.”
revisor.mn.gov “The fee for temporary technician licensure application is $240.”
revisor.mn.gov “The fee for the initial technician licensure application and biennial licensure renewal application is $420.”
revisor.mn.gov - The studio's license
“Beginning January 1, 2011, no person acting individually or jointly with any other person may maintain, own, or operate a body art establishment in the state without an establishment license issued by the commissioner in accordance with this chapter”
revisor.mn.gov “No person may perform a body art procedure at any location other than a body art establishment licensed under this chapter except as permitted under subdivisions 8 and 9.”
revisor.mn.gov “The fee for a body art establishment license is $1,500 (effective July 1, 2017).”
health.state.mn.us - Who issues it
“If you want to open a body art establishment in the State of Minnesota, you will need to complete the Body Art Establishment Application online at the MDH e-Licensing System”
health.state.mn.us - Local rules
“MDH does not regulate facilities in the following locations: Anoka, Hennepin, and Steele counties and the cities of Minneapolis, Maplewood, Brooklyn Park, Bloomington, Richfield, and Edina.”
health.state.mn.us “shall be exempt from this chapter if the provisions of the ordinance meet or exceed the provisions of this chapter.”
revisor.mn.gov - Also good to know
“Tattooing an individual under the age of 18 is a gross misdemeanor, regardless of parental or guardian consent.”
revisor.mn.gov - Also good to know
“(1) for a tattoo technician license an applicant must complete a minimum of 200 hours of tattoo experience under supervision;”
revisor.mn.gov
Questions
Minnesota microblading licenses, answered
Do you need a license to do microblading in Minnesota?
Is microblading considered tattooing or permanent makeup in Minnesota?
Does a permanent makeup studio need a license in Minnesota?
Who licenses permanent makeup artists in Minnesota?
How much does a permanent makeup license cost in Minnesota?
Does a cosmetology or esthetician license cover microblading in Minnesota?
Plan the rest
Licensed and ready to book clients
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- Renting a room or a chair? Start from a booth rental agreement
Microblading rules in other states
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