Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Indianapolis, 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. Marion County local tattoo/body piercing regulation (not a state registration)

   Indiana's State Department of Health does not register or license tattoo artists, body piercers, or studios — its own guidance says the state does not require this and does not inspect these facilities. Tattoo and body piercing businesses in Indianapolis are instead regulated locally by the Marion County Public Health Department, not by ISDH.

   Official government source

   Contact Marion County Public Health Dept. for current local permit fees (no state fee applies)·Contact Marion County Public Health Dept.

   Contact Marion County Public Health Dept. for current local permit fees (no state fee applies)

   Contact Marion County Public Health Dept.

2. Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Business License

   Indianapolis (Marion County) has no general business license and no product called a 'Commercial Zoning Certificate.' DBNS licenses only specific business types by ordinance (e.g., massage establishments $177, kennels/pet shops/stables $200, hotels, pawnbrokers). Most business types listed here do not require any Indianapolis business license — check DBNS's Business Licenses list for your specific type.

   Official government source

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)·N/A

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)

   N/A

Official Sources

• Indiana State Department of Health — Body Artist Registration
• Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services

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