All tattooists in Wisconsin must hold a Practitioner's license. It costs $60 to get your Tattooist license.
Licenses expire on June 30th of each year. Your license may be renewed online here. It costs $60 to renew your tattooist license.
You may request a fee reduction with this form if your federal adjusted gross income is at or below 180% of the federal poverty guidelines.Requirements
To get a tattooist license in Wisconsin, you must |
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Submit an application online The application will ask you to indicate the name, address, phone number, and email of the shop you will be tattooing in. |
Pay the $60 fee |
Getting vaccinated against Hepatitis B is highly recommended for all body piercing, tattoo, and permanent makeup practitioners. |
Taking a bloodborne pathogens course and getting certified is highly recommended for all tattoo, body piercing, and permanent makeup practitioners. |
If your county has additional regulations, you can find them here.
To get a tattooist license in Wisconsin, you must
- Submit an application online
- The application will ask you to indicate the name, address, phone number, and email of the shop you will be tattooing in.
- Pay the $60 fee
- Getting vaccinated against Hepatitis B is highly recommended for all body piercing, tattoo, and permanent makeup practitioners.
- Taking a bloodborne pathogens course and getting certified is highly recommended for all tattoo, body piercing, and permanent makeup practitioners.
If your county has additional regulations, you can find them here.
Turn in Your Application
Complete your license application and any applicable fees. (At the time of writing, the application fee is $60).
Once your application and fee are received in the mail by your local health department, license/permit specialists review and enter the application information into a database. Application data entry may take approximately up to three weeks after receipt during normal processing times, or up to six weeks during peak workloads.
An email notification is sent to the applicant with an application ID number and a link to view the application status online once the data entry is completed.
When all requirements are met, the application process is complete. An email notification is sent to the applicant noting the license/permit has been granted including instructions on how to print a copy of the license/permit online. The DSPS will not mail a hard copy of the license.
Permanent Makeup:
Wisconsin defines tattooing as follows: “To insert pigment under the surface of the skin of a person, by pricking with a needle or otherwise, so as to produce an indelible mark or figure through the skin.”
Because of this, permanent makeup artists fall under the tattooist permit.
Body Piercing:
In the state of Wisconsin, body piercing is defined as: “perforating any human body part or tissue, except an ear, and to place a foreign object in the perforation to prevent the perforation from closing.”
Tattoo/Body Piercing Establishment
A license is required for any establishment where tattooing or body piercing activities occur.
Licenses expire and must be renewed before June 30th of each year to continue providing professional services.
To become a licensed establishment:
* Your county health department will perform an environmental health inspection. Some counties do not offer this service. If your county does not, you need to contact DSPS. Find your county’s phone number here.
Things You Should Know:
No person under 18 years of age may be tattooed.
Tattoo Establishments must also be licensed. The process for this may be found here.
Things You Should Know:
No person under 18 years of age may be tattooed.
Tattoo Establishments must also be licensed. The process for this may be found here.
Tattoo license page: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/TattooistBodyPiercer/Default.aspx
Online application portal: https://license.wi.gov/s/login/?ec=302&startURL=%2Fs%2F
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lh-depts/counties.htm
https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/TattooingBodyPiercingEstablishment/Default.aspx
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Health/fm3173.pdf
https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines
https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/General/fm3217.pdf
https://online.drl.wi.gov/UserLogin.aspx
Infectious diseases / communicable diseases education by state: https://courseforbbp.com/states
Tattoo establishment / body piercing facilities application: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/TattooingBodyPiercingEstablishment/Default.aspx
Prepare for a Tattooing Career with the Artist Accelerator Program
Learning the steps you need to take to get licensed is an important step in your journey, but it can also be pretty eye-opening to how difficult tattooing can be. Without the right knowledge, it’s impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist.
However, finding the straight-forward information you need to progress is difficult. And with so much out there online, it’s hard to avoid picking up bad habits from incorrect and outdated resources.
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