50 states + Washington, DC

U.S. Tattoo Artist License Requirements by State.

Find who actually regulates tattooing, what the credential is called, whether a guest or event path exists, what still needs a local check, and where to open the current government source.

51 jurisdictionsOfficial-source navigatorLast verified Sep 8, 2026Data US-TATTOO-LICENSES-2026-09-08.1

Showing 51 of 51 jurisdictions.

AL

Alabama

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

AK

Alaska

Artist
State credential
Guest
Courtesy License
Event
Confirm

AZ

Arizona

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

AR

Arkansas

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

CA

California

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

CO

Colorado

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

CT

Connecticut

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

DE

Delaware

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

FL

Florida

Artist
State credential
Guest
Guest Tattoo Artist Registration
Event
Confirm

GA

Georgia

Artist
State credential
Guest
Guest Body Artist Permit
Event
Path identified

HI

Hawaii

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

ID

Idaho

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

IL

Illinois

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

IN

Indiana

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

IA

Iowa

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

KS

Kansas

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

KY

Kentucky

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Path identified

LA

Louisiana

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

ME

Maine

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

MD

Maryland

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

MA

Massachusetts

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

MI

Michigan

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

MN

Minnesota

Artist
State credential
Guest
Guest Body Artist License
Event
Path identified

MS

Mississippi

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

MO

Missouri

Artist
State credential
Guest
Temporary Practitioner License
Event
Path identified

MT

Montana

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

NE

Nebraska

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

NV

Nevada

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

NH

New Hampshire

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

NJ

New Jersey

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

NM

New Mexico

Artist
State credential
Guest
Guest Artist License
Event
Path identified

NY

New York

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

NC

North Carolina

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

ND

North Dakota

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

OH

Ohio

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

OK

Oklahoma

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

OR

Oregon

Artist
State credential
Guest
Temporary 30-Day Tattoo License
Event
Path identified

PA

Pennsylvania

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

RI

Rhode Island

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

SC

South Carolina

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

SD

South Dakota

Artist
Local credential
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

TN

Tennessee

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

TX

Texas

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

UT

Utah

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

VT

Vermont

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

VA

Virginia

Artist
State credential
Guest
Guest Tattooer License
Event
Path identified

WA

Washington

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

WV

West Virginia

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

WI

Wisconsin

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Path identified

WY

Wyoming

Artist
No separate state artist credential identified
Guest
Local path
Event
Local path

DC

District of Columbia

Artist
State credential
Guest
No separate path identified
Event
Confirm

Why the model matters

No state license does not mean no requirements.

U.S. tattoo regulation uses different layers and different legal terms. The directory keeps those differences visible rather than flattening them into a yes/no table.

State credential

Some states license or register the individual tattoo artist directly.

Facility-led

Some states regulate the tattoo studio or temporary location without a separate state artist credential.

State + local

Some states set the framework while counties or cities issue practitioner or establishment approvals.

Local-first

Some jurisdictions leave most practical licensing to county, city, town or local health authorities.

Guest spots and events

Start from the work you are actually doing.

You should not need to know whether a regulator calls the path a guest registration, courtesy license, temporary practitioner license, visiting artist permit or something else.

Use the checker when you already practice tattooing and need the route for a guest spot, relocation or convention. It maps your job to the terminology in the official sources and surfaces application timing only when an authority states it.

Open Guest Artist Permit Checker

Source policy

Official requirements first. Uncertainty stays visible.

The production dataset uses government departments, licensing boards, statutes, administrative rules and official applications for regulatory claims. Secondary directories can help discovery but do not define the requirement.

Last verified

Every state record carries a current verification date. Regulations and fees can change, so the date is part of the answer.

Unknown is not no

When no separate guest or event path was identified, the page says that explicitly and routes back to the standard or local authority.

Not legal advice

This is a source navigator. The issuing authority decides eligibility, approval, facility compliance and whether other law applies.