Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Kansas City, KS

Complete permit and license guide for starting a tattoo parlor in Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas.

Verified 2026-09-03 5 stops $300–$1,000 est. 3–8 weeks
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Not legal advice. Requirements may change — always verify with your local government authority before applying. Key agencies and fees on this page were re-checked against official government sources on .

Federal — start here

1 stop
  1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

    Official government source

    FreeImmediate (online application)

State of Kansas

2 stops
  1. Kansas Department of Revenue — Retailer's Sales Tax License

    Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Kansas. Kansas charges a 6.5% state sales tax; local jurisdictions may impose additional taxes. Register with the Kansas Department of Revenue.

    Official government source

    FreeImmediate (online)

  2. Bloodborne Pathogen / Infection Control Training (per artist)

    Tattoo artists in Kansas are licensed by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology, which regulates the body art professions (tattoo artist, cosmetic tattoo artist, body piercer) alongside cosmetology and tanning — not KDHE. The board's body art practitioner application requires verification of eight hours of board-approved infection control and bloodborne pathogens training, plus a documented apprenticeship training log, as a condition of licensure. No annual retraining mandate appears in the board's published requirements; confirm current continuing-education rules with the board.

    Official government source

    $100 total to the board ($50 application fee plus $50 initial license fee); the eight-hour training itself is bought from a private provider, so its price variesEight hours of approved training; the board asks applicants to allow 15 business days to process licensure submissions

City of Kansas City / Wyandotte County

2 stops
  1. Kansas Board of Cosmetology — Body Art Establishment License

    Tattoo establishments in Kansas are licensed by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology, not KDHE — KBOC's own site states it licenses the cosmetology, body art and tanning professions, and lists establishments for the body art professions alongside tattoo artists, cosmetic tattoo artists and body piercers. Apply on KBOC's Body Art Establishment Application (used for a new shop, a complete change of ownership or a change of location) with a W-9 or social security documentation, photo ID, and the inspector work order; a compliance inspection is scheduled as close as possible to the anticipated opening date. Every artist needs an individual body art practitioner license, which requires 50 documented procedures logged as an apprentice and eight hours of Board-approved infection control and bloodborne pathogens training (body piercers must also hold current CPR certification).

    Official government source

    $50 facility initial license fee per body art category (tattoo, cosmetic tattoo, tattoo/cosmetic tattoo, or body piercing); $50 annual facility renewal, or $80 if the renewal is late; $25 for a duplicate license. Each practitioner pays $100 — a $50 application fee plus a $50 initial license fee.KBOC requires the establishment application to be submitted at least three weeks before the anticipated opening date; the compliance inspection is then scheduled as close to that date as possible. Renewals cannot be filed more than six weeks in advance.

  2. Unified Government of Wyandotte County / Kansas City, KS — Occupation Tax License

    Kansas City, KS requires every business to register. The Unified Government states that operating a business or performing a service in the city requires an occupation tax licence, issued by the Business License Division of the Neighborhood Resource Center at 4953 State Avenue (913-573-8780) — not the Finance Department. All businesses physically located in KCK must register annually and pay the occupation tax unless exempted by ordinance, and businesses based outside the city but working in it must register too. Zoning approval comes first: a Commercial Zoning Memorandum plus a Building Inspection zoning inspection for a commercial location, or a Home Occupied Zoning Memorandum for a home-based business. Some activities need an additional regulatory licence — alcohol, massage establishments and security companies are routed to the police department for background check and chief's approval, food and lodging go to the Kansas Department of Agriculture for health inspection, and daycares, restaurants with open grills or fryers, salvage yards and welding operations need fire inspection before opening.

    Official government source

    The occupation tax is set by business classification in the Unified Government's ordinance rather than by gross revenue tier; the Business License Division quotes the amount at 913-573-8780 and provides all forms free of charge, noting there is no need to pay a third-party filing service.Not published as a fixed turnaround. The Unified Government describes the process as quick and straightforward; zoning review is the first step, and a building inspection can usually be scheduled the next business day after zoning approval, with all utilities connected.

Terminus

Open for business — est. $300–$1,000 · 3–8 weeks

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