Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Lewiston, ME

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. Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Maine. Maine charges a 5.5% state sales tax (food and lodging have different rates). Register with Maine Revenue Services online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

2. Bloodborne Pathogen Training (per tattoo artist)

   Maine's Rules Relating to Tattooing require every applicant for a tattoo practitioner license - new applicants and renewals alike - to show proof of having attended a bloodborne pathogen training program given or approved by the Department of Health and Human Services within the last 3 years. Training is delivered by private providers and professional associations, not by DHHS itself.

   Official government source

   Course fees are set by the training provider (commonly under $100 per person); DHHS charges nothing for the training itself·Typically a short course completed in a day or online; the certificate must be no more than 3 years old at each application or renewal

   Course fees are set by the training provider (commonly under $100 per person); DHHS charges nothing for the training itself

   Typically a short course completed in a day or online; the certificate must be no more than 3 years old at each application or renewal

1. Maine Tattoo Practitioner License plus Lewiston Tattoo Parlor License

   Tattooing in Maine requires a tattoo practitioner license from the Department of Health and Human Services, issued by the Maine CDC Health Inspection Program. Licenses are issued to an individual for a specific approved establishment, so a separate license is required for each operating location, and they expire September 30 each year. New applicants and renewals must show proof of a bloodborne pathogen training program given or approved by the Department within the last 3 years, plus a demonstration of safe tattooing practice. Body piercing and micropigmentation are licensed separately. Lewiston additionally requires a Tattoo Parlor license from the City Clerk, one of the 40-plus business types the city licenses, with inspection by the city's Code (Health) and Fire departments before it is issued.

   Official government source

   $250 per year for a Tattoo Practitioner license ($250 for Body Piercing; $300 for both; $50 for each additional location; $75 for a tattoo show). Late renewal adds $25 within 30 days or $125 after (Maine CDC Health Inspection Program fee schedule). The City of Lewiston Tattoo Parlor license fee is set by the City Clerk - confirm the current amount at 207-513-3124.·Licenses run to September 30 each year; the establishment must pass inspection before the license is issued; file the Lewiston application at least seven days before opening

   $250 per year for a Tattoo Practitioner license ($250 for Body Piercing; $300 for both; $50 for each additional location; $75 for a tattoo show). Late renewal adds $25 within 30 days or $125 after (Maine CDC Health Inspection Program fee schedule). The City of Lewiston Tattoo Parlor license fee is set by the City Clerk - confirm the current amount at 207-513-3124.

   Licenses run to September 30 each year; the establishment must pass inspection before the license is issued; file the Lewiston application at least seven days before opening

2. City of Lewiston - Selective Business Licensing (City Clerk)

   Lewiston does not require a general business licence or registration, and licensing is run by the City Clerk's Department (207-513-3124), not the Finance Department. The Clerk licenses over 40 specific business types required by Maine statute or city ordinance - among them food service establishments, mobile units and roving diners, massage establishments and therapists, tattoo parlours, lodging houses, flea markets, pawnbrokers, peddlers, second-hand dealers, taxicab companies, junk collectors and adult businesses. Most other trades - cleaning, landscaping, handyman, photography, tutoring, pet sitting, notary, bookkeeping, real estate, insurance, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contracting - are not licensed by the City at all. Most licensed types require inspection by the Fire, Code (Health) or Police departments before issue.

   Official government source

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.·File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.

   File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

Official Sources

• Maine Department of Health and Human Services — Tattoo/Body Piercing Establishment Permit
• City of Lewiston Finance Department

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