Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Fargo, ND

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. North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — Sales and Use Tax Permit

   Required for any business selling taxable goods or services in North Dakota. The state sales tax rate is 5% for most retail sales, and cities and counties may levy additional local sales and use taxes that vary by location — check the Tax Commissioner’s local tax rate listings for your address. Apply for the permit in ND TAP, the state’s Taxpayer Access Point.

   Official government source

   Free·Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

   Free

   Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

2. Bloodborne Pathogen and Infection-Control Compliance (Body Art)

   North Dakota's tattoo and body art rules (ND Administrative Code article 33-41) do not require every artist to complete an approved bloodborne pathogen training course renewed annually. Instead, the body art operator must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and vaccinated against hepatitis B, and must ensure everyone working at the establishment initiates the hepatitis B vaccination series or documents immunity or declination. The establishment must handle contaminated waste and sharps in compliance with OSHA's bloodborne pathogen standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030. A body art establishment license is separately required, with an annual fee of $135 under NDAC 33-41-01-10(5).

   Official government source

   No fixed state training fee. Costs are CPR certification and hepatitis B vaccination for staff; the separate body art establishment license is $135 per year.·CPR certification is typically a half-day course; the hepatitis B series takes several months to complete.

   No fixed state training fee. Costs are CPR certification and hepatitis B vaccination for staff; the separate body art establishment license is $135 per year.

   CPR certification is typically a half-day course; the hepatitis B series takes several months to complete.

1. Fargo Cass Public Health — Body Art Establishment License

   Body art in North Dakota — tattooing, piercing, microblading, cosmetic tattooing, branding and scarification — is regulated under NDAC article 33-41. Fargo Cass Public Health licenses and inspects all body art establishments and operators in Fargo and West Fargo. Every operator must be at least 18, certified in CPR, certified in bloodborne pathogen training, vaccinated against hepatitis B, and working in a licensed facility. North Dakota does not license individual tattoo artists at the state level.

   Official government source

   Fargo Cass Public Health does not publish its body art license fee; contact Environmental Health at 701.476.6729. The statewide fee where ND HHS administers the program is $135 per year (NDAC 33-41-01-10(5)).·2–6 weeks

   Fargo Cass Public Health does not publish its body art license fee; contact Environmental Health at 701.476.6729. The statewide fee where ND HHS administers the program is $135 per year (NDAC 33-41-01-10(5)).

   2–6 weeks

2. City of Fargo Occupational License (only for listed trades)

   Fargo does not require a general business license. The city states: "The City does not require business licenses for every type of commerce; however, the Fargo Municipal Code does require a City license for the businesses listed below." The licensed categories are specific trades and regulated businesses — excavator, sidewalk builder, house mover, re-roofing, sign hanger, master plumber, master and journeyman heating contractor, commercial hauler, pawn broker, second hand dealer, transportation vehicles, alcohol sellers, mobile home communities and forestry. Check the Auditor's Office list before assuming a license applies to you.

   Official government source

   No general business license fee. Listed categories have set annual fees — for example excavator $250/year (with a $100,000 bond), master plumber $125/year, master heating contractor $125/year, sign hanger $125/year, forestry $50/year.·1–3 weeks, and only if your business type is on the city's licensed list

   No general business license fee. Listed categories have set annual fees — for example excavator $250/year (with a $100,000 bond), master plumber $125/year, master heating contractor $125/year, sign hanger $125/year, forestry $50/year.

   1–3 weeks, and only if your business type is on the city's licensed list

Official Sources

• North Dakota Department of Health — Tattoo/Body Piercing Establishment Permit
• City of Fargo Finance Department

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