Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Fort Wayne, 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. Allen County Health Department — Tattoo and Body Piercing Permits

   Indiana does not issue a state tattoo or body-artist registration, and no state registration fee exists. Sanitation is governed by state rule — 410 IAC 1-5, Sanitary Operations of Tattoo Parlors, which covers bloodborne pathogen training consistent with the OSHA standard — but permits are issued and enforced locally. In Fort Wayne, tattoo and body piercing artists and establishments are permitted by the Allen County Department of Health's Food & Consumer Protection division under the Tattoo and Body Piercing Ordinance at Allen County Code Title 10, Article 7. Separate permit applications exist for an artist, an establishment, a guest artist, a temporary event booth, and a special event coordinator, and inspections cover sterilization, single-use items, and record keeping.

   Official government source

   No state fee applies. Allen County permit fees are set in the county Health Department's Fee Schedule Ordinance rather than on the permit page — contact the Allen County Department of Health at 260-449-7561 for the current amounts.·Not published. Contact the Allen County Department of Health at 260-449-7561 before opening; both the artist and the establishment need permits, and an inspection is part of the process.

   No state fee applies. Allen County permit fees are set in the county Health Department's Fee Schedule Ordinance rather than on the permit page — contact the Allen County Department of Health at 260-449-7561 for the current amounts.

   Not published. Contact the Allen County Department of Health at 260-449-7561 before opening; both the artist and the establishment need permits, and an inspection is part of the process.

2. Fort Wayne — No General Business License

   Fort Wayne has no general city business license, and there is no "Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement" business license. The city's official Starting a Business guide states: "The City of Fort Wayne does not currently require a general business license." What does apply: register your business name with the Allen County Recorder if it does not include the owner's last name, verify zoning with the Allen County Department of Planning Services, and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Allen County Building Department after final inspection of any commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.·Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

   $0 — no general business license exists. Related fees: Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 (Allen County Recorder); Allen County Building Department permit and contractor license fees vary by project.

   Not applicable — there is no general license to apply for. Certificate of Occupancy timing depends on Allen County Building Department plan review and final inspection.

Official Sources

• Indiana State Department of Health — Body Artist Registration
• City of Fort Wayne Department of Neighborhood Code Enforcement

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