Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Grand Forks, ND
Complete permit and license guide for starting a tattoo parlor in Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, North Dakota.
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 stopEIN (Employer Identification Number)
Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.
Official government sourceFreeImmediate (online application)
Free
Immediate (online application)
State of North Dakota
2 stopsNorth 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 sourceFreeApply 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.
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 sourceNo 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.
City of Grand Forks / Grand Forks County
2 stopsCity of Grand Forks — Body Art Facility and Body Art Artist License
Body art in North Dakota — tattooing, piercing, microblading, cosmetic tattooing, branding and scarification — is regulated under NDAC article 33-41, which requires an establishment license, hepatitis B vaccination and CPR certification for operators, and inspections. In Grand Forks the licenses are issued locally by the city Finance and Administrative Services Department, which lists both a Body Art Facility (Tattoo) license and a Body Art Artist (Tattoo) license among the specific business types it licenses.
Official government sourceGrand Forks publishes its license and permit fees in a printable schedule from the Finance Department (701-746-2620); the statewide fee where ND HHS administers the program is $135 per year (NDAC 33-41-01-10(5)).2–6 weeks
Grand Forks publishes its license and permit fees in a printable schedule from the Finance Department (701-746-2620); the statewide fee where ND HHS administers the program is $135 per year (NDAC 33-41-01-10(5)).
2–6 weeks
Grand Forks Business License (only if your business type is on the city's licensed list)
Grand Forks does NOT have a general business license for most businesses. The city requires a license only for specific categories: alcohol sales, body art/tattoo facilities and artists, food establishments (bakeries, grocery/retail meat, restaurants, mobile food vendors, concession stands), childcare facilities, hotels/motels, taxi/towing operators, retail tobacco dealers, and a few other regulated categories. Building-trade licenses (electrician, plumber, mechanical installer, etc.) are issued separately by the Building Inspections Department. Check the city's license list for your specific business type before assuming a license is required.
Official government sourceVaries by license category - see the city's fee schedule; most businesses need no city license at all1–3 weeks (only if your business type requires a license)
Varies by license category - see the city's fee schedule; most businesses need no city license at all
1–3 weeks (only if your business type requires a license)
Terminus
Open for business — est. $300–$1,000 · 3–8 weeks
Want this mapped to your exact business and structure, in filing order?
Official Sources
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