Tattoo Parlor Permit Requirements in Morgantown, WV

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. West Virginia State Tax Department — Business Registration

   Before engaging in business activity in West Virginia every individual or business entity must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the WV Tax Division (WV Code §11-12-1 et seq.), applied for through the Business for West Virginia portal at business4.wv.gov or on form BUS-APP. A separate certificate is needed for each business name and each location. The certificate is permanent — it does not expire — until the legal name, location or ownership changes, and it must be surrendered when the business stops operating in West Virginia. It also authorises you to collect the 6% state sales tax plus any municipal sales tax of up to 1%.

   Official government source

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location·1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

   $30 one-time Business Registration Certificate fee, per business name and location

   1–5 business days when filed online through the Business for West Virginia portal (business4.wv.gov); longer by paper BUS-APP

2. Bloodborne Pathogen Training (OSHA employer requirement, not a WV state license)

   West Virginia's Tattoo Studio law (WV Code Sec.16-38) does not require a state-issued bloodborne pathogen certification for individual artists. Instead, under federal OSHA rules (29 CFR 1910.1030), employers whose workers have occupational exposure to blood must provide bloodborne pathogens training, with annual retraining. Separately, tattoo studios must obtain a WV business registration certificate and register with their local or regional board of health for inspection (WV Code Sec.16-38-6).

   Official government source

   Employer-provided at no direct cost, or $20-$80 per person if purchased from a private OSHA-training vendor·Half-day course

   Employer-provided at no direct cost, or $20-$80 per person if purchased from a private OSHA-training vendor

   Half-day course

1. Monongalia County Health Department — Tattoo Studio Operating Permit

   Tattoo and body art studios in Morgantown must hold a West Virginia business registration certificate and be permitted by their local board of health — Monongalia County Health Department Environmental Health, (304) 598-5131 — which inspects body art studios every six months. New studios, renovations and changes of ownership go through plan review first, then an opening inspection by a sanitarian. All tattooing, piercing and microblading must be done in a permitted permanent or temporary studio; temporary studios at fairs or conventions must apply at least seven days before the event. Tattoo studios fall under WV Code 16-38; body piercing studios under 64 CSR 80.

   Official government source

   $200 tattoo studio operating permit — the statutory fee at WV Code §16-38-6(e) and the amount listed on MonCHD's Permit Fees and Fees for Service FY2026-2027; temporary body art is $100 per artist·2–6 weeks (plan review, then opening inspection; seven days' notice for a temporary studio)

   $200 tattoo studio operating permit — the statutory fee at WV Code §16-38-6(e) and the amount listed on MonCHD's Permit Fees and Fees for Service FY2026-2027; temporary body art is $100 per artist

   2–6 weeks (plan review, then opening inspection; seven days' notice for a temporary studio)

2. City of Morgantown Finance Department — Municipal Business License

   Every business operating inside Morgantown city limits must hold a Municipal Business License issued by the city Finance Department (304-284-7408) and applied for through the Morgantown Access Portal. You must first hold a WV State Business Registration Certificate, and if you have a physical location in the city you must also obtain a Certificate of Occupancy ($65) before the license will issue. Licenses run on the city fiscal year and expire June 30, so renew on or before July 1. The license is separate from the city's Business & Occupation (B&O) gross-receipts tax and its municipal service fee on employees and self-employed owners working in the city.

   Official government source

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately·1–3 weeks

   $20 flat Municipal License Fee (also $20 for non-profits), printed on the city's Municipal Business License Application; B&O tax and the municipal service fee are billed separately

   1–3 weeks

Official Sources

• West Virginia Department of Health — Tattoo/Body Piercing Permit
• City of Morgantown City Clerk

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