Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Detroit, MI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. MI MDHHS Body Art Establishment License

   The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), not LARA, licenses body art facilities under Public Act 375 of 2010. MDHHS states: 'Individual artists are not licensed by MDHHS, only the facility where the procedures are done must be.' The facility must also register with EGLE as a medical waste producer ($75 for 3 years) and pass a local health department inspection; a scale drawing/floor plan goes to the local health department for new or renovated facilities. Detroit separately licenses a Tattoo Parlor through BSEED's Consumer Services category.

   Official government source

   $665.52 for a new annual body art facility license or an annual renewal for 2026; $332.76 for a new annual license applied for after July 1, 2026; $199.64 for a temporary license (max 14 days); $998.28 if renewed after Dec 1. Base fees are set by PA 375 ($500 annual / $250 half-year / $150 temporary) plus the yearly Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint CPI adjustment. Detroit BSEED's Tattoo Parlor license is a separate $178 every 2 years, plus EGLE medical waste registration at $75 per 3 years.·Varies; local health department inspection and plan review must be completed before licensure — MDHHS publishes no guaranteed turnaround (needs_review)

   $665.52 for a new annual body art facility license or an annual renewal for 2026; $332.76 for a new annual license applied for after July 1, 2026; $199.64 for a temporary license (max 14 days); $998.28 if renewed after Dec 1. Base fees are set by PA 375 ($500 annual / $250 half-year / $150 temporary) plus the yearly Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint CPI adjustment. Detroit BSEED's Tattoo Parlor license is a separate $178 every 2 years, plus EGLE medical waste registration at $75 per 3 years.

   Varies; local health department inspection and plan review must be completed before licensure — MDHHS publishes no guaranteed turnaround (needs_review)

2. MI LARA Individual Tattoo Artist License

   Michigan does not issue an individual state license for tattoo artists. Under the Body Art Facility Act (PA 375 of 2010), only the body art FACILITY is licensed, by MDHHS (not LARA) — individual artists are not separately licensed by the state. Facilities must ensure staff follow bloodborne pathogen protocols and sterilization/training standards as part of facility licensure.

   Official government source

   Not applicable — no individual state license exists·Not applicable

   Not applicable — no individual state license exists

   Not applicable

3. MI Business Registration (LARA Corporations Division)

   Required by LARA's Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, for LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. An LLC files Articles of Organization (form CSCL/CD 700); a for-profit corporation files Articles of Incorporation (form CSCL/CD 500). Filings are submitted through the MiBusiness Registry Portal, which replaced the old system on June 23, 2025 and now handles all annual reports and annual statements — LARA no longer accepts paper annual reports or statements. Sole proprietors and general partnerships operating under a trade name do not register an entity; they file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk — the Wayne County Clerk for a Detroit business. This entity filing is separate from the body art facility license, which Michigan issues at the state level through MDHHS.

   Official government source

   LARA's published Filing Fees schedule sets exact amounts, not a range: LLC Articles of Organization (form 700) $50; Professional Service LLC (form 701) $50; a for-profit corporation's Articles of Incorporation (form 500) is a $10 nonrefundable fee plus a share-based organization fee — $50 for 1-60,000 authorized shares (a $60 minimum), $100 for 60,001-1,000,000, $300 for 1,000,001-5,000,000 — so a corporation's total can exceed $100. A LARA Certificate of Assumed Name for an LLC or corporation is $25 (LLC) or $10 (corporation); a sole proprietor's assumed name filing with the Wayne County Clerk is $16 and is separate. Filing fees are waived for qualifying veterans.·LARA publishes no standard processing turnaround for Corporations Division filings. The only timings it publishes are optional expedited tiers, charged in addition to the filing fee: $50 for 24-hour formation/qualification documents, $100 same-day formation, $100 for 24-hour existing-entity documents, $200 same-day existing-entity, $500 two-hour, and $1,000 one-hour. Filing online through the MiBusiness Registry Portal (live since June 23, 2025) is the fastest standard route; mailed filings add transit time, and overnight packages route through the State of Michigan mail center, adding a day or more.

   LARA's published Filing Fees schedule sets exact amounts, not a range: LLC Articles of Organization (form 700) $50; Professional Service LLC (form 701) $50; a for-profit corporation's Articles of Incorporation (form 500) is a $10 nonrefundable fee plus a share-based organization fee — $50 for 1-60,000 authorized shares (a $60 minimum), $100 for 60,001-1,000,000, $300 for 1,000,001-5,000,000 — so a corporation's total can exceed $100. A LARA Certificate of Assumed Name for an LLC or corporation is $25 (LLC) or $10 (corporation); a sole proprietor's assumed name filing with the Wayne County Clerk is $16 and is separate. Filing fees are waived for qualifying veterans.

   LARA publishes no standard processing turnaround for Corporations Division filings. The only timings it publishes are optional expedited tiers, charged in addition to the filing fee: $50 for 24-hour formation/qualification documents, $100 same-day formation, $100 for 24-hour existing-entity documents, $200 same-day existing-entity, $500 two-hour, and $1,000 one-hour. Filing online through the MiBusiness Registry Portal (live since June 23, 2025) is the fastest standard route; mailed filings add transit time, and overnight packages route through the State of Michigan mail center, adding a day or more.

1. Michigan Body Art Facility License (MDHHS)

   Michigan licenses body art facilities at the STATE level through the Department of Health and Human Services, not through Wayne County. Public Act 375 of 2010 provides that no one may tattoo, brand, microblade, or perform body piercing on another person unless it occurs at a body art facility licensed by MDHHS. MDHHS licenses the facility only — individual artists are not licensed by the state. Before applying you must contact your LOCAL health department and complete an approved plan review; in Detroit that is the Detroit Health Department. Apply or renew online through MiLogin using the MI Body Art Portal, or by mail with the printed application and payment. Licensing enforces the Body Art Facility Rules covering sanitation, sterilization equipment, and bloodborne pathogen controls aimed at reducing transmission of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. Separately, the City of Detroit issues a Tattoo Parlor business license through BSEED.

   Official government source

   MDHHS publishes exact fees: $665.52 for a new annual Body Art Facility License to begin operating in 2026, and $665.52 for an annual renewal to continue operating in 2026. A new license applied for after July 1, 2026 is $332.76. A temporary license (not to exceed 14 days) is $199.64, and a duplicate license for a current permanent licensee is $66.52. Late renewal not made on or before December 1 is $998.28 ($665.52 renewal plus a $332.76 late fee). Detroit's separate Tattoo Parlor business license is $178 under Personal Services in BSEED's published fee schedule.·MDHHS publishes no processing turnaround. The controlling step is the local health department plan review, which must be completed and approved before you apply to MDHHS, so start with the Detroit Health Department. The license is annual and renewals must be submitted on or before December 1 to avoid the late fee.

   MDHHS publishes exact fees: $665.52 for a new annual Body Art Facility License to begin operating in 2026, and $665.52 for an annual renewal to continue operating in 2026. A new license applied for after July 1, 2026 is $332.76. A temporary license (not to exceed 14 days) is $199.64, and a duplicate license for a current permanent licensee is $66.52. Late renewal not made on or before December 1 is $998.28 ($665.52 renewal plus a $332.76 late fee). Detroit's separate Tattoo Parlor business license is $178 under Personal Services in BSEED's published fee schedule.

   MDHHS publishes no processing turnaround. The controlling step is the local health department plan review, which must be completed and approved before you apply to MDHHS, so start with the Detroit Health Department. The license is annual and renewals must be submitted on or before December 1 to avoid the late fee.

2. BSEED Consumer Service License - Tattoo Parlor

   Tattoo parlors must obtain BSEED's 'Tattoo Parlor' license, a Consumer Service category, which requires Environmental Health, Fire, Property Maintenance and Treasury clearances. This is Detroit's only city-level license for the business itself (county health department requirements apply separately) - there is no additional generic 'City of Detroit Business License'.

   Official government source

   $178.00, renewing every 2 years (expires June 30)·Varies - BSEED publishes no processing time; issued after all department clearances are complete

   $178.00, renewing every 2 years (expires June 30)

   Varies - BSEED publishes no processing time; issued after all department clearances are complete

3. Certificate of Occupancy

   Required from Detroit BSEED for the tattoo parlor premises. Confirms the space meets building code, fire safety, and zoning requirements for body art facility use, and must be issued before opening to the public. This is separate from the BSEED Tattoo Parlor business license and from the state MDHHS body art facility license.

   Official government source

   $147 flat for a Certificate of Occupancy; $520 for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy and $520 for an extension; C of O records research for an existing building is $37 (BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025). Build-out permit and plan-review fees are separate and scope-based.·Varies with inspection and plan-review scheduling; BSEED publishes no guaranteed turnaround (needs_review)

   $147 flat for a Certificate of Occupancy; $520 for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy and $520 for an extension; C of O records research for an existing building is $37 (BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025). Build-out permit and plan-review fees are separate and scope-based.

   Varies with inspection and plan-review scheduling; BSEED publishes no guaranteed turnaround (needs_review)

4. Detroit Fire Department — Annual Fire Permit and Life Safety Inspection

   The Detroit Fire Department's Fire Prevention Section performs life safety inspections in all occupied buildings — assembly, business, mercantile, industrial and residential — to enforce the Detroit Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance, and the department states that 'every business type is required to obtain an annual fire permit as per the Detroit Fire Prevention and Protection Code.' For a tattoo parlor this is a recurring annual obligation, not a single pre-opening sign-off: inspections cover egress, fire extinguisher placement, and general code compliance. Where the shop involves new construction, a change of use, or major renovation, the Fire Department's Plans and Exams Section must also review life safety and fire protection plans before permits are issued. Inspections are requested through the Fire Marshal Division's customer service form or the DFD Business License Inspection web app, and invoices are paid through the Detroit Fire Marshal Permit Invoices application. Small low-hazard businesses under 2,000 square feet without complex fire safety systems may qualify for DFD's Small Business Self Re-Inspection program.

   Official government source

   Detroit does not publish a fee schedule for Fire Department inspections or the annual fire permit; charges are issued as invoices payable through the Detroit Fire Marshal Permit Invoices web app, so the amount must be confirmed with the Fire Marshal Division (313-596-2954). Separately, BSEED's published Fee Schedule sets the Detroit Tattoo Parlor business license at $178 under Personal Services, and a Certificate of Occupancy at $147.·Detroit publishes no turnaround for fire inspections; the inspection is scheduled on request through the Fire Marshal Division and the permit is renewed annually. Plans and Exams review for new construction or a change of use runs on the construction permitting schedule and must be completed before permits issue.

   Detroit does not publish a fee schedule for Fire Department inspections or the annual fire permit; charges are issued as invoices payable through the Detroit Fire Marshal Permit Invoices web app, so the amount must be confirmed with the Fire Marshal Division (313-596-2954). Separately, BSEED's published Fee Schedule sets the Detroit Tattoo Parlor business license at $178 under Personal Services, and a Certificate of Occupancy at $147.

   Detroit publishes no turnaround for fire inspections; the inspection is scheduled on request through the Fire Marshal Division and the permit is renewed annually. Plans and Exams review for new construction or a change of use runs on the construction permitting schedule and must be completed before permits issue.

Official Sources

• MI LARA - Body Art Facilities
• Detroit BSEED

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