How to Get a Tattoo License in Florida: Requirements and Fees

To get a tattoo license in Florida, you apply through the Florida Department of Health by way of your county health department. Individual artists file Form DH 4147 with a $60 fee after completing an approved bloodborne pathogen and communicable diseases course; shop owners file Form DH 4151 with a $200 fee, secure a biomedical waste generator permit, and pass a pre-licensure inspection. Both licenses are annual, and tattooing without one is a criminal offense.¹

Figure Out Which License You Need

Florida issues three separate credentials, and they are not interchangeable:

A tattoo artist license is required for anyone who tattoos another person, including permanent makeup, microblading, and micropigmentation.²
A tattoo establishment license is required for the physical location where tattooing happens. A licensed artist cannot legally work in an unlicensed shop.³
A guest tattoo artist registration covers licensed out-of-state artists working temporarily in Florida, valid up to 14 consecutive days.⁴

If you are opening a shop and also plan to tattoo in it, you need both the artist license and the establishment license.

Tattoo Artist License Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old, complete a bloodborne pathogen and communicable diseases course approved by the Department of Health, and pass the course exam with a score of at least 70%. The course can be taken in person or online.⁵ Florida does not require a formal apprenticeship, though many artists complete one anyway to build their skills.

Your application package includes:

Form DH 4147, the Application for Tattoo Artist License, available from the Department of Health or your county health department.⁶
A government-issued photo ID confirming you are 18 or older.
A copy of your course completion certificate showing the passing exam score.⁷
The name of the licensed Florida establishment where you will work or plan to work.²
The $60 application fee. Your county health department may add its own fee.²

Submit everything to the county health department where you live, not the county where the shop is. That trips up new artists whose shop is one county over. The license belongs to you and cannot be transferred to another person.⁷

Tattoo Establishment License Requirements

If you are opening a shop, the establishment license is tied to the physical address. It does not transfer to a new location or a new owner.⁸ Your package needs:

Form DH 4151, the Application for Tattoo Establishment Licensure, filed with the county health department where the shop is located.⁹
The $200 application fee.⁹
A biomedical waste generator permit. The initial fee is $85, and it renews annually by September 30.¹⁰
Any local business tax receipts or zoning approvals your city or county requires.³

The application asks for the business name, physical address, owner and operator details, and the type of tattooing you will perform (conventional, cosmetic, or educational).⁹

Before your license is issued, the county health department will inspect the shop for compliance with Chapter 64E-28 of the Florida Administrative Code.³ Inspectors focus on your steam autoclave and its maintenance, spore-testing records, and biomedical waste handling, and they will return at least annually after you are licensed. Once approved, the license is valid for one year from the date it is issued.⁸

Guest Registration for Out-of-State Artists

Already licensed somewhere else and coming to Florida for a convention or short guest spot? Apply for a guest tattoo artist registration instead of the full license. It is valid up to 14 consecutive days anywhere in the state, and you must submit the application at least 14 days before you plan to start work.⁸

Requirements:

Form DH 4150 with a $35 fee.⁴
Government-issued photo ID proving you are 18 or older.
A copy of your active out-of-state tattoo license, registration, or certification.
Documentation of a completed bloodborne pathogen and communicable diseases course, passing score of 70% or higher.⁴
The name of the licensed Florida establishment where you will work.

If your home state does not require any tattoo license, registration, or certification, the guest path is not open to you. You have to apply for a full Florida tattoo artist license.⁴

What It Costs

Tattoo artist license, initial or annual renewal: $60, plus any local county fee.²
Artist license reactivation after expiration: $85 total ($60 renewal plus $25 reactivation).²
Establishment license, initial or annual renewal: $200.⁹
Establishment reactivation: additional $75 on top of the $200 renewal.⁹
Guest tattoo artist registration: $35.⁴
Biomedical waste generator permit: $85 initial or on-time renewal, $105 if renewed late.¹⁰

Renewing Your License

Artist and establishment licenses both renew every year. Artists use the same Form DH 4147, marked as a renewal, filed with $60 to the county health department where they live.² Establishments renew for $200 with the county where the shop sits.⁹

Miss the deadline and your license becomes inactive immediately; you cannot legally tattoo again until you reactivate it.⁷ If the expiration date falls on a weekend or holiday, renew by the first business day after.

Penalties for Working Unlicensed

Florida treats unlicensed tattooing as a crime. Operating an establishment without a license, tattooing without an artist license or guest registration, or tattooing anywhere other than a licensed establishment are each second-degree misdemeanors.¹ That carries up to 60 days in jail, up to 6 months of probation, or a fine of up to $500.

The Department of Health can also impose administrative penalties: fines of up to $1,500 per violation, license suspension or revocation, probation, stop-use orders, and refusal to issue or renew a license.¹ Penalties escalate with repeat violations.

Age Rules You Need to Know Before You Start Working

Once licensed, you are legally responsible for who you tattoo. Florida draws two hard lines:

Tattooing anyone under 16 is prohibited entirely, other than a medical or dental procedure by a licensed physician or dentist.¹¹
For clients 16 or 17, the minor must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, both must present government-issued photo ID, and the parent must provide written notarized consent in the Department of Health’s prescribed format along with proof of guardianship.¹¹

Violating the age rules is a second-degree misdemeanor. There is an affirmative defense if the minor showed fraudulent ID that a reasonable person would believe was genuine and would suggest the minor was 18 or older.¹¹ Keep a copy or scan of every client’s ID.

1
Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 381.00771-381.00791 – The Practice of Tattooing
2
Florida Department of Health. Tattoo Artist Licensure
3
Florida Department of Health. Tattoo Establishment Licensure Requirements
4
Florida Department of Health. Guest Tattoo Artist Registration
5
Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 381.00775 – Tattoo Artist Licensure
6
Florida Department of Health. Application for Tattoo Artist License – DH 4147
7
Legal Information Institute (LII). Florida Administrative Code 64E-28.003 – Licensure Requirements for a Tattoo Artist
8
Florida Department of Health. Chapter 64E-28 Tattooing – Florida Administrative Code
9
Florida Department of Health. Application for Tattoo Establishment Licensure – DH 4151
10
Florida Department of Health. Application for Biomedical Waste Generator Permit/Exemption
11
Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 381.00787 – Tattooing Prohibited; Penalty