Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Evansville, IN

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. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

2. Bloodborne Pathogen Training (per artist)

   Indiana's tattoo rule, 410 IAC 1-5 (adopted under IC 16-19-3-4.1), requires all tattooists to receive yearly training on how diseases are spread by contact with blood; OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard separately requires initial and annual training for anyone with occupational exposure. Indiana does not license or register individual tattoo artists and runs no state-approved course — the state health department's own FAQ says the rule does not require artists or shop owners to register with it, and does not require training or certification on the tattooing process itself. Local county health departments may impose their own registration and inspection rules.

   Official government source

   Course fees are set by private training providers; the state charges nothing and offers no state course·Training must be repeated every year

   Course fees are set by private training providers; the state charges nothing and offers no state course

   Training must be repeated every year

1. Vanderburgh County Health Department — Tattoo & Body Piercing Permit

   Tattoo studios and artists in Evansville and Vanderburgh County are permitted and inspected by the Vanderburgh County Health Department under Chapter 5.45 of the Evansville Municipal Code and Chapter 5.06 of the Vanderburgh County Code — not by the state health department, which only sets the sanitation rule 410 IAC 1-5. To be permitted you must supply a certificate of professional liability insurance of $500,000, a certificate of annual bloodborne pathogen training, and a certificate of CPR/First Aid training. Permits run January 1 to December 31. Operating unlicensed carries a $100 fine per day and per violation.

   Official government source

   $400/year establishment permit (includes one artist license); $150/year for each additional artist·2–4 weeks

   $400/year establishment permit (includes one artist license); $150/year for each additional artist

   2–4 weeks

2. No General Business License in Evansville

   Evansville does not require a general/universal business license for most business types. The City Controller's office issues licenses only for specific activities (e.g., street vending, hotels, pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers) — none apply to a typical service business. Verify zoning compliance and, if applicable, a Certificate of Occupancy with the Area Plan Commission / Building Commission before opening.

   Official government source

   Not applicable (no general license fee)·Not applicable

   Not applicable (no general license fee)

   Not applicable

Official Sources

• Indiana State Department of Health — Body Artist Registration
• City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development

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