Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Des Moines, IA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services in Iowa. The state rate is 6%, and local option sales tax of up to 1% may apply. Iowa taxes about 75 enumerated services, so check whether your service is taxable before assuming you need a permit. Register with the Iowa Department of Revenue online.

   Official government source

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit·Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit

   Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

2. Bloodborne Pathogens and First Aid Training (per artist)

   Every permitted tattoo artist in Iowa must hold current American Red Cross or equivalent bloodborne pathogens training plus separate first aid training. CPR/AED-only training is not accepted, and the certificate must show your name, the type of training, and an unexpired date. You submit the certificates to the Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing each year when you renew your artist permit, so the training has to stay current for as long as you tattoo.

   Official government source

   Training is bought from a private provider, commonly $20-$80 per course; the state charges nothing for the training itself (the artist permit application or renewal is a separate $75)·Most approved courses are finished online or in a half day

   Training is bought from a private provider, commonly $20-$80 per course; the state charges nothing for the training itself (the artist permit application or renewal is a separate $75)

   Most approved courses are finished online or in a half day

1. Iowa DIAL — Tattoo Body Art Establishment Registration

   Tattoo establishments in Iowa must register with the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), pay a $100 application fee, and operate in a commercially zoned building. Artists must complete Red Cross (or equivalent) bloodborne pathogen and first-aid training; CPR/AED-only training does not satisfy this. Facilities are inspected before opening and annually thereafter.

   Official government source

   $100 (permanent establishment application fee)·2–6 weeks

   $100 (permanent establishment application fee)

   2–6 weeks

2. No Des Moines General Business License Required

   Des Moines has no general or blanket business license, and the Development Services Department does not issue one. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco, transient merchants, mobile food vendors, peddlers, pawnbrokers, theaters, coin-operated machines, solid waste haulers and similar categories. Most businesses need nothing from the Clerk. What a commercial tenant does need is a Certificate of Occupancy for the space, issued by the Permit and Development Center, and home-based businesses go through home occupation review with Zoning Enforcement.

   Official government source

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50·Not applicable

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50

   Not applicable

Official Sources

• Iowa Department of Public Health — Tattoo Body Art Registration
• City of Des Moines Development Services Department

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