How to Apply for an Iowa Tattoo License

Department of Public Health Tattoo Artists Requirements

To be a tattoo artist in Iowa, individuals must have a Tattoo Artist Permit issued by the state of Iowa. There is a $75 fee for your first permit application.

Permits expire and must be renewed every year by December 31. Renewal costs $75. If your license expires, you will also have to pay an additional $25 fee.

The Public Health Tattoo Artist Application 

In order to get a Tattoo Artist License, you must meet the following requirements before you can practice tattooing or receive any tattoo artist permits:

You must be 18 years of age or older.

You must also have a high school diploma or G.E.D. (online diplomas are not accepted).

All applicants must complete Bloodborne Pathogen and Standard First Aid Training. The bloodborne pathogen training will acquaint you with all the sanitation practices and procedures you should follow to keep yourself and your clients safe.

You must complete a Tattoo Artist Application through their online portal. Create a portal account here.

Submit a $75 fee with the application. 

When renewing a permit, you must provide digital copies of current certificates for Blood Borne Pathogens and First Aid Training. You must renew by logging into your portal account.

Mobile Tattoo Units in Iowa

As of 2016, Iowa no longer administers new mobile tattoo unit permits.

Temporary Establishments in Iowa

If you wish to tattoo at a temporary event, you must obtain a temporary permit prior to doing so:

Permanent Tattoo Establishments in Iowa

To open your own studio, you need to get the appropriate tattoo establishment permits. You can find those here:

Tattoo establishments are inspected by a local designated inspection agency:

Permanent Makeup

To be a PMU artist in Iowa, you need to apply for the tattoo artist license.

Prepare for a Tattooing Career with the Artist Accelerator Program

Learning the steps you need to take to get licensed is an important step in your journey, but it can also be pretty eye-opening to how difficult tattooing can be. Without the right knowledge, it’s impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist. 

However, finding the straight-forward information you need to progress is difficult. And with so much out there online, it’s hard to avoid picking up bad habits from incorrect and outdated resources.

This is one of the biggest struggles new tattooers face, and too many talented artists have given up their goal of getting into tattooing because of the years it would take to unlearn their bad habits. 

That’s why aspiring artists are learning to tattoo with the Artist Accelerator Program’s structured course. As a student, you learn every step of the tattooing process from professional artists with the experience and advice you need to build your skills and create incredible tattoos. 

With the Artist Accelerator, you can stop wasting time searching through incorrect information. You just get the clear, easy-to-understand lessons you need to start improving fast… along with support and personalized feedback from professional artists in our online Mastermind group.

Over 7500 students have already gone through the course, with many of them opening up their own studios. If you want to join them and learn the skills you need to start tattooing full-time faster…

Click here to learn more about the Artist Accelerator Program.