Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Nashville, TN

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. Tennessee Tattoo Operator/Artist Registration and Studio Certificate

   Tennessee splits body art regulation in two under Title 62, Chapter 38. The person registers with the state: a tattoo operator registers with the Department of Health, and tattoo artists, apprentice artists and temporary artists are licensed by the Department or its designee, with all registrations expiring December 31 each year. The premises are certified locally: no one may operate a tattoo studio unless registered with the state as an operator or artist and the studio has been issued a studio certificate by the local health department, which must inspect the premises before issuing the certificate and at least four times a year afterwards. In Nashville the local health department is the Metro Public Health Department. All tattooing must be done under the auspices of a studio holding a current certificate, and operators and artists must complete a sterilization training programme.

   Official government source

   $140 per year for a tattoo operator, and $140 per year for a tattoo artist, apprentice artist or temporary artist, both set by statute. The studio permit fee is $280, also statutory. A fee delinquent more than 30 days, or a returned check, adds a penalty of one half the fee, which must be paid before the permit issues.·Registrations and studio certificates expire December 31 each year and must be renewed annually. The studio certificate cannot issue until the local health department has inspected the premises and found them compliant.

   $140 per year for a tattoo operator, and $140 per year for a tattoo artist, apprentice artist or temporary artist, both set by statute. The studio permit fee is $280, also statutory. A fee delinquent more than 30 days, or a returned check, adds a penalty of one half the fee, which must be paid before the permit issues.

   Registrations and studio certificates expire December 31 each year and must be renewed annually. The studio certificate cannot issue until the local health department has inspected the premises and found them compliant.

2. Tennessee Tattoo Artist Registration

   Every tattoo artist must register with the Tennessee Department of Health under Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Chapter 38 (titled 'Tattoos and Body Piercing', not a 'Body Art Act'). The license is statewide and transferable to any studio holding a current studio certificate from the local health department. Before a permit is issued the artist must complete an approved sterilization training program and pass a written examination prescribed by the local health department. A full tattoo artist license also requires at least one year of training in a certified shop under a licensed artist who has operated for at least three years; out-of-state artists show two years of professional experience. Those who cannot yet meet these requirements are issued an apprentice artist license.

   Official government source

   $140 per year for a tattoo artist, apprentice artist, or temporary artist, set by Tenn. Code Ann. section 62-38-204(c). A tattoo operator pays the same $140 annual fee. A fee delinquent more than 30 days incurs a penalty of half the fee. Separately, the studio itself pays a $280 permit fee under section 62-38-202(i).·Tattoo artist and apprentice artist registrations expire on December 31 each year, so a mid-year registration runs only to that date. The Department publishes no processing time; the gating steps are the sterilization course, the written exam, and the one-year supervised training requirement.

   $140 per year for a tattoo artist, apprentice artist, or temporary artist, set by Tenn. Code Ann. section 62-38-204(c). A tattoo operator pays the same $140 annual fee. A fee delinquent more than 30 days incurs a penalty of half the fee. Separately, the studio itself pays a $280 permit fee under section 62-38-202(i).

   Tattoo artist and apprentice artist registrations expire on December 31 each year, so a mid-year registration runs only to that date. The Department publishes no processing time; the gating steps are the sterilization course, the written exam, and the one-year supervised training requirement.

3. Tennessee Secretary of State - Business Entity Registration

   Required if you operate as an LLC, corporation, or limited partnership in Tennessee, and it is what reserves your entity name in the state's records. File Articles of Organization (form SS-4270) for an LLC or a For-Profit Corporation Charter (form SS-4417) online through TNCaB, the Secretary of State's Charity and Business Filing System. Sole proprietors and general partnerships do not register with the Secretary of State. A registered entity that wants to trade under a different name files an Application for Registration of Assumed Name (form SS-4402, $20).

   Official government source

   $100 for a For-Profit Corporation Charter. $300 minimum for LLC Articles of Organization - the LLC fee is $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum.·Filed online through TNCaB; the Secretary of State publishes no guaranteed processing time. You are emailed when the filing is accepted and the stamped document is then available in your TNCaB account.

   $100 for a For-Profit Corporation Charter. $300 minimum for LLC Articles of Organization - the LLC fee is $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum.

   Filed online through TNCaB; the Secretary of State publishes no guaranteed processing time. You are emailed when the filing is accepted and the stamped document is then available in your TNCaB account.

1. Metro Nashville - Davidson County Clerk Business License

   Required for businesses operating within Metro Nashville-Davidson County. Issued by the Davidson County Clerk's Business Services office, not the Metro Finance Department. A tattoo studio with annual gross receipts of $3,000-$99,999 obtains a minimal activity license; at $100,000 or more, a standard business license plus Tennessee business tax filed with the Department of Revenue through TNTAP. This local license is separate from the tattoo studio certificate issued by the local health department and from each artist's state tattoo artist registration.

   Official government source

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.·The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

   $15 flat registration fee if the business is in Davidson County outside the Nashville city limits (General Service District), or $30 if inside the city limits (Urban Service District). The fee is flat, not a percentage of gross receipts. Tennessee's separate, uncapped business tax is filed with the Department of Revenue once gross receipts reach $100,000/year.

   The Davidson County Clerk publishes no processing time; apply online, in person, or by mail at the Clerk's Business Services office. If your gross receipts require a state business tax account, the Department of Revenue states registration takes up to 10 business days.

2. Tattoo Studio Certificate (Metro Public Health Department)

   Tennessee law bars anyone from operating a tattoo studio unless the person is registered with the state as an operator or artist and the studio itself holds a studio certificate issued by the local health department - in Nashville and Davidson County that is the Metro Public Health Department. The certificate cannot be issued or renewed until the local health department has inspected the premises and found them in compliance, and the department must inspect each studio at least four times a year thereafter. The inspection covers the separate work area required for tattooing, sterilisation, sharps and biohazard disposal and general hygiene. Registrations, fees and fines are payable to the local health department having jurisdiction.

   Official government source

   $280 studio permit fee, set by statute. A fee delinquent more than thirty calendar days, or a returned check, adds a penalty of one half the permit fee, and the fee plus penalty must be paid before the permit is issued. Each tattoo operator and each artist also pays the state's separate $140 annual registration.·The studio certificate expires on December 31 of each year and must be renewed annually. Issuance follows a passing inspection; neither the statute nor Metro publishes a turnaround. Metro Public Health public facilities line: 615-340-5616.

   $280 studio permit fee, set by statute. A fee delinquent more than thirty calendar days, or a returned check, adds a penalty of one half the permit fee, and the fee plus penalty must be paid before the permit is issued. Each tattoo operator and each artist also pays the state's separate $140 annual registration.

   The studio certificate expires on December 31 of each year and must be renewed annually. Issuance follows a passing inspection; neither the statute nor Metro publishes a turnaround. Metro Public Health public facilities line: 615-340-5616.

3. Metro Nashville Use and Occupancy Permit (Certificate of Occupancy)

   Required before opening a tattoo studio in a commercial space in Nashville. Metro Codes and Building Safety issues the Use and Occupancy permit; it is through that permit that compliance with zoning and other code requirements for the intended use is established. Submit a Commercial Permit Application, plus a site plan or parking survey where applicable, to the Zoning Help Desk, and a Zoning Examiner is assigned. The Fire Marshal reviews commercial spaces as part of the process. The studio's separate tattoo studio certificate comes from the local health department, not Codes.

   Official government source

   Metro publishes no flat fee for the Use and Occupancy permit itself; permit and inspection charges are driven by the scope of the construction work under Metro's building permit fees. A zoning verification letter for the address, which is often what a landlord or lender actually asks for, costs $50 ($40 for a TABC letter) under the fee schedule effective April 7, 2026.·Metro Codes publishes no review time for the Use and Occupancy permit; a Zoning Examiner is assigned after you submit the commercial permit application and site plan to the Zoning Help Desk (615-862-6510). The final Use and Occupancy letter is requested from the Building Inspection Division at 615-862-6550. A zoning verification letter has a published 5-business-day turnaround.

   Metro publishes no flat fee for the Use and Occupancy permit itself; permit and inspection charges are driven by the scope of the construction work under Metro's building permit fees. A zoning verification letter for the address, which is often what a landlord or lender actually asks for, costs $50 ($40 for a TABC letter) under the fee schedule effective April 7, 2026.

   Metro Codes publishes no review time for the Use and Occupancy permit; a Zoning Examiner is assigned after you submit the commercial permit application and site plan to the Zoning Help Desk (615-862-6510). The final Use and Occupancy letter is requested from the Building Inspection Division at 615-862-6550. A zoning verification letter has a published 5-business-day turnaround.

4. Fire Safety Inspection

   Required before obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy for a tattoo studio in Nashville. The Nashville Fire Marshal inspects the premises for proper exits, fire extinguishers, and compliance with fire codes for personal service establishments.

   Official government source

   No separate fee (included in CO process)·Scheduled as part of CO process

   No separate fee (included in CO process)

   Scheduled as part of CO process

Official Sources

• Tennessee Department of Health - Tattoo Artists
• Metro Nashville Public Health Department
• Metro Nashville Codes Administration
• Tennessee Secretary of State - Business Services

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